New Poll!

[susieq100]

I go less frequently too, for most of the reasons above - can only go at weekends anyway because of the dark evenings and I am hopeless at brassicas! But it does give the opportunity to lay paths and tidy up bed edges and so on. And besides, I get withdrawal symptoms .... looking at seed catalogues isn't always enough!

[Two_Sheds]

I need an "occasionally" option to vote for.

I used to go every day when I worked next door, but now my plot is a couple of miles away I only go once a week in the winter, if that, to harvest and drop off compost. I get no pleasure from being soaking wet, cold & muddy

[EbonyH]

Hi All,

Thank you for the suggestion of adding another option to the poll, it's been very helpful )

[planetologist]

I filled in no change, because I still harvest dinner every day, though I do spend less time in the garden.

[SarzWix]

I've put 'No change', but this is mainly because I pass it every morning after walking the dog, and I have 'brew facilities' so I generally wander round with a cuppa, or sit in the shed with a cuppa (depending on the weather ) and decide if I'm going to do any jobs or not. There's always plenty to do in terms of maintenance and readying the plot for next season, and this year I have to prepare and level a big patch of ground for a polytunnel to go up next year

[gojiberry]

On our plot of about 20 plots I am the only one who ventures out in the winter. Over half don't even put in any winter veg and just leave the soil bare till spring. My plot is still almost full and the bare spots are only waiting for the onion sets and garlic to go in. I am also a big raised bed person so winter is the time for repairs and rebuilding.

Ian

[Piggle]

I try and ( usually fail ! ) - for the past two years my PSB has bitten the dust due to the artic conditions. I tend to mend my paths and prune the trees which overhang my plot. I don't even want to think about winter at the moment though !

[Skotch]

I think 'less frequently' would be a good way of describing winter visits. There's always plenty of maintenance as well as picking of overwintering crops as well as planting to be done. As already mentioned on the thread, pruning, shed clearance and tidying, muck spreading, leaftmould speading. Initial digging over raised beds, raised bed timber maintenance, paths, so many jobs, so few winter hours to do them

[gillian62]

I am growing crops for use through the winter this year so expect to be popping down once or twice a week. I have got netting on the beds as last year kale/swiss chard etc was stripped by pigeons.

I plan to get use the winter months to turn pallets and lengths of timber into bed borders and build cold frames and trellises ready for the growing season.

[Jardiniere]

i know mine isnt technically an allotment cos its land i own but it is separate from the house and i do call it the plot ......and it is only one quarter cleared so far and i want to move all my fruit bushes and set up space for fruit trees over the winter.. tons to do!

[FionaH]

I have a garden full of leeks so will be pottering out to harvest those. Will be dumping (clean) manure on the beds. Usual winter stuff really

[Speed Gardener]

I have friday afternoons off so I make a deal with the OH - let me have a couple of hours down at the plot on fridays and I'll do anything you want over the weekend without bemoaning the fact that there's work to be done. It usually works quite well, weather permitting.
There's always loads to do, pulling up weeds, digging, fruit pruning, burning stuff, emptying and refilling compost bins. In a way, it's more satisfying than in the summer because it gives me a chance to regain control on the unauthorised plant growth while they're all dormant. The Christmas break is particularly fruitful for this, although not in the last two years because everything was frozen solid!

[dawnh]

Have to admit to less frequently, although I have no excuse as my 'plot' is my front garden! *now runs off, hanging head in shame*

[northepaul]

I have only just got an allotment (April) but going by what I do in the garden, after everything perennial is asleep, I would have thought 2 x a week to check everything and (hopefully) harvest a few things.

[zazen999]

We go the same as in the summer but we have two periods where we go pretty much every day and twice a day if we can - these are the spring between potatoes going in and all the beans going in, and a 3 week period in the summer when there are beans, courgettes, rasps that all need harvesting every day. Apart from that it's one or two times in the week; plus a morning at the weekend [unless we are actually away].

We are treating each bed this year with garlic and sowing green manures unless we have a crop in. Plus maintenance and compost turning/moving. Even on Christmad day, we go up there for an hour, do some digging and come back for our Nacho elevenses.