What I learned this year

[Trace45]

87. That my teenage daughter will help with chickens and picking veg/fruit if her mates are around to show off to.....but if they're not she can find something better to do than help me.

[Flo]

88. It always takes more compost than you think it will when you are working with clay.
89. My adult, working local kids like eating vegetables and don't mind weeding but they don't like digging.

[Christine]

90 By accident, I've discovered that staggering planting out the brussel sprouts gives better results - the ones that went into their final places back in June are ready but a bit nibbled and the ones that went out four weeks ago should be ready over winter.

91 It's worth any amount of netting to prevent butterflies laying on the cabbages. Part of the cages are double-netted but they persist till they find a single layer, which they can get through. Next year, the whole lot will have a double layer of net.

[Rosendula]

92. If I say out loud, or even think too loudly, that I might go to the allotment later today, the Powers That Be will make it rain. They can, however, be fooled by my being spontaneous, or by thinking it very, very quietly.

93. If I take Katie to the allotment she will wait until my hands are caked in mud, and then have a poo. This might be a problem when she is properly out of nappies. Might have to take a potty.

94. On a similar note, it doesn't make an ounce of difference if I skip the last cup of coffee and go to the toilet before I go to the allotment. I will still need to go again when I get there. Need a more reliable way of keeping the shed door closed

95. When people say 'one year seeding, seven years weeding', they're not lying.

96. The grassy bank I go down on the way to the allotment is at its most slippery when there are lots of people about.

97. Leaving a coat in the shed might mean I don't have to walk down the street looking like a tramp, but when I put it on I will be sharing it with spiders.

98. It's amazing how many insects you can get in a single cauliflower head.

[Helsbells]

99. Plant coliflowers later or they bolt and you end up with nothing,
100. Manure is like gold to the allotmenteer,
101. Plant more quantities of fewer crops.

[Christine]

Now here's a question for Helsbels - this year and last, I've planted 'all the year round' cauliflowers in March and they haven't formed heads before autumn - nor is there much foliage, and certainly not enough to fold over the heads. Last year I lost the lot to frost, which froze on the forming heads and then they rotted. This year, I've cloched the lot. Any ideas?

[Helsbells]

Who knows Christine!?!

I had two types of cauliflower, one was all year round and the other was snow ball or something like that. Of course I cant remember which one I planted! But a fellow allotment holder wisely informed me that I had put them in too early so I am just going on what he said.

[possum]

The veggie patch is no where near big enough for all the seeds I bought

Watering cuttings sort of helps them survive

Tomato seeds always get sown too late.

Things need chicken proofing more often than you think (they love fuschias for example)

[evelyn]

Do it your self, that way you dont have to waste time sorting out other peoples shoddy work.

Compleetly disregard tips from my mother.

I need an extention on my hose pipe

You can never have to many peas, i must plant about 4x more next year.

Keep laylani under controle, even if it dose meen talking to the muppit neighbour to negotiate the cutting.

Day dreeming is good for the sole, getting on with it is good for the freezer.

Eve