Linny's allotment

Dug over other half, need to fork it over and level it off tidy. Kept sitting on it to sort weeds.. oops. Found a small sacks worth of spuds.



Painted raised box and netted strawbs

 

@Linz I'm really enjoying reading this thread. Keep up the good work.

 

Linz you remind me of Billy Whiz, amazing work in time scale

 

Thanks both, really appreciated Normally get there by 11 and go home about 2/2.30 to have a quick wash, change and pick up the kids from school. Hoping to have my first full day on the weekend if it's dry

 

Hi Linz,

You've done an amazing job there

Can't wait to see it all in full flow in the Summer and seeing the piccys of all the goodies you produce.

Keep up all the good work sweetheart.

 

Thank you Anthony, I can't wait either! Really enjoying it up there

 

One other good thing that you are doing is bringing back a lot of childhood memories for me. Back then though, we called allotments "pens." For historical reasons, they were always 30' by 90'.

 

I know the 2 main beds are 30ft long, but no idea how wide the "pen" is.. I did work out 105sq meters once too (??) and drawn out a rough plan.. I'll have to measure it properly soon No digging today it's raining plus my legs are aching! Glad it's bringing back nice memories for you though

 

Our allotments have always been measured in poles and we have 30pole which is 3x10 poles but I can't remember how long that is but when I stand at the top of the plots the end looks a long way off

@Linz if you can get hold of any old spent compost from old grobags or split bags from the garden centre that are sold off cheap and dig that into the ground it will help lighten the soil as Would wood ash if you can get hold of any.Soot is also a good soil conditioner

 

@Kandy I seem to remember that a pole is 16 feet 6 inches. I'm sure someone else on here will confirm or otherwise this.

For those that dont know, the 30' x 90' measure is from a WW2 government mistake...

 

Thanks for the tips @Kandy I was reading a book on allotments the other week and it mentioned poles.. I did wonder how big this pole was! I've come to realise mine might be half a plot size and now thinking I need another one, ha! We'll see how I get on I suppose. What do you mean a mistake @Sandy Ground ? Were they suppose to bigger/smaller?

 

When the Dig for Victory campaign was initiated, some bright spark in the government at the time calculated that enough vegetables could be grown on a plot that was 30 x 90 feet annually to feed a normal family for a year.

Testing my ancient memory...4 poles made a chain. 10 chains were a furlong. An area 1 chain by 10 chains was an acre. Now, why was the pole important, you may not ask....its because it was the length of the goad (pole) that was used to control the team of oxen that were pulling the plough. As this was always with the person driving the oxen, it became a standard measure...

You dont get useless information like this on any forum, you know...!

 

Hahaha!! Fab thanks for that.. Not that I've got an ox (don't tempt me!)

 

... yet!