Allotment Update 14/07 - Heatwaves are NOT fun!

The weather has been HOT!  I've been either watering very early in the morning, around 7am, or after the school run.  Failing that I usually traipse to the allotment in the evening, after 7pm once the kids are in bed.  Sometimes my daughters join me for the evening watering session, particularly my 13yo who sometimes needs a quiet chat without her younger sisters being nosey.  Occasionally my husband will do the watering whilst I sort out the housework, either way fitting it in with other chores sometimes proves challenging for me.  

Our greens are growing well and I pick fresh salad leaves for dinner most nights when I'm not working.  Other crops are enjoying the hot weather and most of our plantings are having growth spurts.  It is a challenge to stop the salad leaves from bolting in the heatwave.  Watering is hard work as no hosepipes are allowed so watering cans are filled at the troughs and carried back to the allotment to water our plants.  My 3 daughters have smaller watering cans that suit there age and ability, whereas my husband and I have big 10 litre capacity ones that I lug about two at a time.

The school allotment has been strimmed by the partner of a staff member so looks much tidier and is less of a jungle to battle when we do the watering and weeding.  The debris from strimming that has landed on the beds will provide a little mulch for the beds.  We've netted several beds to stop the birds from eating our greens and over winter Brassicas before we do.

The allotments are on quite a large site and it is very quiet and peaceful, great for letting the mind wander whilst toiling away.  My husband, who is renowned for his dislike of gardening, has been really enjoying it much more than he ever thought he would.  He even suggested it would be a good idea to ask the school if we could have a couple of chickens on the school allotment.  I almost did a flip in shock!  It would of course involve sourcing a coop, some chickens, some feed and looking after the chooks.  Perhaps further thought is required before we act on that idea!

What are you growing? Are you finding it difficult to garden in the heat?