October Allotment Plot Tour & The Winter Work Plans

[@carolineholland4178]

Love this tour, warts and all! You seem to be happy and enthusiastic again. Treat yourself to that shed JB, make yourself a cosy little nook in there to sit down and warm up with a cuppa. I love working on my allotment in the cooler months, even in the winter, because my shed is a comfy place to take shelter when needs be. Otherwise, I couldn't be there as much as I would like to be. You can warm up in the cooler months, but in the heat of the summer, it's difficult to cool down. A table and chairs with a big umbrella for shade in the summer is essential. Enjoy being at your allotment comfortably, the work becomes less of a chore.

[@helenagreenwood2305]

Winter is definitely the perfect time to catch up on maintenance and having a good clear out 🌿 if you moved the location of the compost bins every winter you'd have perfect soil everywhere eventually 👍🌿 looking forward to project shed 👷🧑‍🔧🧑‍🌾

[@jaynekennedy8469]

Perhaps you should build a cradle for the bath and have a board that could be put across half of it for plant pots to be stood on while filling. It’ll save your back.

[@JBNat]

Definitely a great idea!

[@chriseverest4380]

I can hear Tony laughing😂😂

[@PreatorRaszagal]

It feels like everything has just been slow at getting started this year, like that Cosmos 😄Also nice collection of apples in the bird bath. You can host one of those apple bobbing things 🤣

[@DavidGibb-vo3df]

Constantly moving and improving every year it never ends but it is worth it . Building a shed my winter project.

[@JBNat]

Yes that's exactly the attitude! Good luck with your build!

[@juliehartley3652]

Lovely plot tour - nice to see around. You still have lots growing even though you haven't been working on it much. Nature is amazing. Good luck with your list of jobs - exciting to see a new shed - hope it goes well. 😊👍

[@GeorgesBits]

Love seeing your progress, will be great to see the shed and that top area sorted. Tip for you - extend the shed roof out to give yourself covered outside areas on two sides, really useful for storing stuff and a shady/dry bench to sit on to admire your progress. Also more rain capture. Likewise personally I'd move it to the right ie where your bins are so you can see the plot from it. Ref pruning the apple tree - pruning in winter encourages growth, if you want to restrict its size and encourage fruiting spurs you need to prune it in summer.

[@JBNat]

YES I'm really planning on constructing a bit of a lean-to off the shed for this exact thing. And good point on the pruning!

[@bewoodford2807]

great plans for the Winter jobs. That'll keep you out of mischief. JB, by winter pruning your apple you are promoting growth and pruning away fruit buds. Prune apples and pears in July?August to keep your trees smaller but productive. I hope that helps. Happy growing 🙂

[@JBNat]

Oooh good point about encouraging growth - I'm very selective and generally do avoid fruiting spurs though

[@angeladrummie4461]

Get that shed built JB, you can tidy and organise the corner then it will spur you on to get other jobs done. Maybe use the very big bed for squashes next year, it would save you the work of making it into individual beds.Take care x.

[@JBNat]

Squashes was actually my plan, I had it all mapped out but the squashes died 😭😭

[@elizabethjames1053]

Nothing wrong with your polytunnel cover it's like new want to have a look at mine you do only been on for 15yr's 😂😂 , it really does need recovering now but I can't do it so on it stays 🙄, plenty of winter work planning there -Phew 👍

[@Stephen474]

Nice verbena bonariensis JB. enjoyed the October autumn plot tour, Steve

[@jaynekennedy8469]

There is nothing wrong with the polytunnel. Don’t spend money where it’s not needed JB!

[@mrich1416]

It'll be a great time to tackle jobs, weather permitting! Another great episode JB.

[@JBNat]

Thank you!

[@Papapatch]

Ooft that's a solid lot of work to get done jb...be at least 30 weeks of vids out of it lol😅😅😅😅😅

[@ritahobbs5256]

I’m inspired 🎉

[@JBNat]

hahahaha love it thank you Rita

[@ritahobbs5256]

@@JBNat true to my word I’ve been Up allotment all afternoon… so warm I’m in vest & jeans!

[@richardpreston4320]

It went so crazy, because it's a butter.....nut 😂

[@karenmackley9418]

Could your Big Bertha bed be used for growing potatoes? It would save you the trouble of turning it into smaller beds meaning you could tick it off your list straight away 😉 😀

[@JBNat]

Yes actually that was exactly my thinking when I put it in! Had some potatoes in there this year. But I've found it impossible to work without standing all over the bed and compressing my clay soil unfortunately

[@Jimsraisedbedgarden]

Hope your not using garden buildings direct like sean james Cameron tried to , good luck with your purchase JB you will get there 😊

[@JBNat]

Thankfully not!

[@Jimsraisedbedgarden]

@@JBNat good to hear JB 👍

[@Shespins]

you know you can eat your sweet potato leaves either raw or cook it like spinach

[@JBNat]

I did not know this!? Are they actually nice??

[@Shespins]

@@JBNat very I like it both ways and add them to stir fry

[@jaynekennedy8469]

How often do you use your compost from your hotbed?

[@JBNat]

It's been a year I've been filling it so far, not emptied it yet! It eats so much material it's crazy. But it does need emptying now for sure

[@jaynekennedy8469]

@@JBNat I’ve made pallet compost bays, just 2 of them and this year ive managed to get about 10 wheel barrows full from them. So pleased with them.

[@smithyrayner]

How do you connect the auto pot to the water tank please? Mine just leaks!!

[@JBNat]

Oooh only just seen this, have you fixed it? What exactly is the problem? A leak at the reservoir, or at the base? The system comes with little 'top hat' grommets and when the pipe is pushed through these they should automatically create a water tight seal...

[@louiseirving9845]

Amateur! You left out the one thing you can tick off. 'Make list.'

[@JBNat]

Ha!