It's an enormous relief to hear someone else talk about the lows of allotment gardening. Sometimes I feel so stressed about keeping up with the weeds or about crop failures that it makes me think....maybe I should just give up? It's incredibly satisfying when you feel like you're on top of things but terrible, when what should be a fun hobby, feels more like a burden. So thanks for the honesty. I'm glad it's not just me. Despite the weather challenges this year, I am actually feeling better than last year. Onwards.
Sometimes I ask myself what’s the bloody point… then I say oh I’ll just do this or this… I do that then say oh and I’ll do this…. Then here we are working full time, sowing, planting, failing, profiting… but I love it ❤
Oh no! I remember seeing your other video but you repaired it really well. I'm sure you'll make a good job of this mishap too. JB. Chin up allotment is looking fab. ❤
Your tomatoes, cucumbers etc are so amazing. A mouse, vole and such like do not need a door to get in! But birds do and can certainly devastate a tomato crop, so your lovely door…..when it has its mesh attached…..will be worth all that hard work. Thanks
Hi JB, oh no! I feel your pain! It is soul destroying when this happens. My polytunnel was built oct 21 and we had terrible storms, my hubbys greenhouse glass was badly damaged & is opposote my polytunnel & yes, the glass had ripped the front of it, i only had it for a few months & thought this isnt good but, out came the repair tape. The birds have been dancing on my polytunnel roof again! So out came the tape as we had a lot of rain and the drips inside were awful! Glad it's not just me but, all you need to do is take a deep breath & repair it again and crack on, it's all we can do. Lovely plot update. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊
Sorry for your problems. No such problem with Poly carbonate tunnel. Can withstand tree branches delivered in a storm. Can be drilled etc along the frame as a bonus, to mount gutters directly outside, and rails , climbing frames etc on the inside. Good gardening
I think those of us who are trying to do this - allotmenting AND TH-cam - with a full time job need to cut ourselves a break. It's too easy to compare what we can possibly achieve with others who have more time and opportunity. The sensible thing of course would be to size down - but who wants to be sensible!! 😂
Definitely have been feeling similar, I have truly contemplated giving up at times over the last two seasons particularly, what with the onslaught of pests, the weather and so on making growing so difficult. However, it only takes a few minutes on the plot to ease the pain and find something that reaffirms the good feelings and renews my hope. I think gardeners must be the most optimistic version of human beings, we just keep making those bargains with the earth and she always gives us something to be joyful about, in the end, like my one and only French bean that survived the slugs last year. 😂 It's the small victories that keep us going🥰
Dont give up. Keep going. My plants survived 47 degree temps here in Las Vegas. Today i saw two canteloupe growing on the vine. I am beyond excited. Keep the videos coming.
The foxes have been quite crazy this year on our allotment. They have chewed through a few of my tough brassica nets which is the first time they have done it. I've been regularly fixing the nets like a fisherman! They also chewed through some of the bags of rotted manure compost bags I piled outside, so indeed the bags in your polytunnel might have attracted them since the intensity of the scent may have been stronger! On top of the snail and slug battle, the aphids seem to be thriving this year (hardly had any last year). Consequently I'm on constant runner bean alert lol ! With the continued poor summer weather and poor growth, it just seems to be one of those years, certainly been more challenging than usual. It can be disheartening but there are always successes no matter what and those tend to override the downers and spur one on.
I lost my allotment recently,it's soo sad,but I work full time nights,my 13 yr old daughter is having to be home educated,as she's going through some MH stuff,my mum has Alzheimer's,the list goes on,but I'm still growing at home,I have a reasonable sized garden,I've bought a couple of raised beds,and a little greenhouse,life goes on 🌿🌷🍄😂🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I’ve been trying to grow flowers as a beginning..project,and I’m failing. Once I retire!next year,I’m planning on a few veg,and fruit. I had two different types of peach trees and I let nature take care of them. For years I had wonderful peaches, well in the early days ! , then folks would steal my peaches. Next door asked if she could pick my peaches,I gave her permission. She would can them,(one tree would fruit in July,the other in August) and give me a few canned peaches. Then the freeze hit Texas,in 2021.. and the trees died.
Keep going JB. I think most of us feel like this a lot of the time. Crop faillures, weather challenges, pest damage. It's all sent to try us!! This year has been exceptionally challenging with the rotten summer in the UK. However, let's all keep going and see the highs as a huge positive and don't let the lows get us down. Onwards and upwards!!
Aw JB, I’m so sorry your polytunnel has suffered this damage again, definitely one of the downsides to allotment life!! But please don’t give up, just take it a day at a time and try not to beat yourself up for feeling disheartened at times! It’s a juggling act with work, life & allotments/gardens and sometimes we need to take a small step back to appreciate things again ❤
The more you learn , the less you know! Keep going, every year is new year of learning. We cannot know what the next seasion will bring, so we must just keep going .x
You should build a big netting cage around the tunnel! Like the brassica bed, but with chicken wire 🤪That aubergine looked really cool! Hope the spider mites continue to be absent 🤞That sweet potato in the greenhouse doesn't really look like a potato hehe. And so many peppers! Ripening ones at that! I'm not envious at all!... I have 3-4 tiny Jalapeños peppers that stopped growing (probably due to the shitty weather lately). Hope I'll get *some* peppers this season hehe. Forgot to have some extras indoors this year. Loved the pigeon imitation 🤣Hope the plums work out so you can make some OPK! And I feel the same way just over my little balcony "garden". Some days I feel it is a chore just having to water it, but some days are awesome. I guess there'll be more of the awesome days when/if I start seeing some pods 😊Loved the tomato string sound effects as well haha. Looks like it worked out really well those strings. Can't wait for the pepper tour!
Sending you something for the next time you need cheered up. I always look forward to your allotment updates and videos. Glad you continue to stick it out.
Don't worry JB we all think some days, what's the frigging point 😅, but that first flower, first crop, first win, however small makes it all worthwhile. I do an allotment diary, of good and bad, it's always something, and I have had my plot for 5 years. I think your vlogs are an honest rollercoaster of the life of an allotment holder.
I have small garden and love it growing flowers and vegetables but this year it has been so hard to get beans ,courgettes and chillies to grow but heyho next year will be fab 🤞
I know how you feel JB. I haven’t got a poly T but my plot was decimated by rabbits this year. I spent 5 weekends digging in wire mesh. Planted out loads of veg and they got back in through a section of fence.
Don't take this the wrong way JB as its not meant as critisism... 1. You work full time (unlike old farts like me who are retired) so firstly you won't have the time or energy to spend all your spare time at the plot ... unless you're growing some other sorts of 'herb' 🤣 so coming down for an hour and then spending 45 minutes trying to film it isn't going to help you as your'e wasting valuable worktime ... so why not just film onone day every two weeks and only puta film outevery two weeks (or split them in half andrelease them weekly) then just come down for 1/2 hour a night and have a list of say 7 jobs that you need to cover and do one a visit you will get loads more done long term. My old mentor and friend had two full sized plots he used to dig every year.he went up on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays to harvestveg and look at his CHrysanthemums, every time he went up he dug one row or if he was feeling energetic 2 and in no time he would have them both ready for plnting out come spring ... slow and steady wins the race. 2. Also your plot will never be finished and thats important to realise. I've lived in our house for 40 years nearly and that is undergoing yet another make over ( third I think ) so it will evolve but it will never finish. 3. Don't beat your self up. Are you getting warning letters? I suspect not so its not as bad as you think it might be. OK so you have weeds ... Most will have unless you either have a team of undergardeners (your good lady would not take kindly to being called that!!) or you are retired and can sit there waiting for them to gro sowyou can pull them out. My grandad always said the best mulch is the gardeners shadow ... so get into the habitof walking roundwith a hoe ( the tool not a colloquialism for a lady of small virtue ... again your good lady would like it🤣tickle the ground over and it will help you - just do one or two beds per visit so it will take you 5 minutes. 4. Lastly ... sort the sodding shed out !!🤣 You need somewhere to storeall that compost/manureoway from the polytunnel ( ideal hiding place for slugs)and somewhere to sit and make a brew and mull over ... all good plans are hatched in the shed So chin up and keepsmiling ... it make the buggers wonder what you're up to Nick
Nothing in there to take the wrong way! Thanks Tobias. On 1 you're so right. I don't usually have to work anywhere near this much, and I'm very lucky I work from home, so usually I can spend much longer at the allotment throughout the week. And I don't stress too much about getting videos out for the sake of it - I only really do them when I want to, I'm very lucky in that regard! Plots are definitely never finished and I know that for sure! I was trying to fix that with the annotation on screen when I said that because I really mis-spoke. Hahahahha I'm not getting warning letters thank god!! I think the plot is definitely in good cultivation and the beds generally aren't too bad or weedy this year - they've been TERRIBLE some years before this. Love the quote about the gardeners shadow though. Shed is happening this winter!! I've been saving up my pennies 😀
Hey JB 🤗 Watched a Greenside up video where Steve spoke about the stress of feeling behind and playing catch up... His advice was to complete all projects by Christmas or latest end of January 🤗 always wise words from Steve 👌 Your greenhouse project was a massive job and in true grand designs style took way longer than you anticipated 😮 So pleased you rode out the lows and to see your honest perspective 🤗 I often pop on the headphones for a "JB happy place" and it works 😊 Thanks for all you do, the highs and the lows, keep it real 😊 Take good care Lynda 💚
I think you will definitely see a difference next year JB, that soil doesn't look great.. I'm amazed anything grows. I was always told re pruning fruit trees, anything with a pip, do it in the winter, anything with a stone, its the summer. Hang on in there....
oh it's literally meant to be ideal to prune them in mid summer, i.e. right now!! Maybe I'll give them a bit of TLC next time I'm at the plot, thank you!
Oh no so sorry this has happened again 😢 I'm thinking it is definitely the manure that attracted them, whenever I use something a bit smelly on my beds the foxes have a good dig. They seem to detect it a mile off. Keep smiling, you do a fantastic job 😊
Aww, not againnn! Sorry JB. I've been at war with some rodents as well. Didn't wanna go that route, but I've let them have their way for the last 3 years, so THIS year I actually wanted to harvest some strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, etc - so I had to deal with them. For a peace-and-love kinda gal I am, it was kinda traumatizing at first, but now I feel like a big girl who can handle pests in my garden, lol.
I'd cry if I came up and seen damage like that to polytunnel. But twice I feel for you JB. I've been Gardening for years and like you said highs and lows that's how it is. Really enjoy watching you cos your so laid back and always happy.
Very impressive crops.shame about the polytunnel, our communal one got slashed by vandals a few years ago and everyone lost interest.new committee got it recovered and its now full of crops again.
You should know by now . . . there is no such thing as perfect. Thank you for another enlightening gardening video, I do hope you stick around, one day you'll be as experienced as Charles Dowding, but still you won't have the perfect garden. 😊😎🌻
JB a friend once said Life is full of ups and downs, without the downs we wouldn't appreciate the ups. Life in whatever capacity is a balance 😊 Chin up and keep growing 👍
your work commitments are tough , and sounds like you like to be in control of your work ,,,, so when you are going to your allotment you are taking that control ideal with you ,, maybe you need to mentally switch off from work mode and realise life cannot always be controlled especially in a gardening environment , there are way to many unforseen problems that are uncontrollable , so you just have to embrace them relax and switch off , after all thats what the allotment is for ,,, isnt it ??? dont take it as seriously as your work 👍👍
I totally get what you're saying, I think I did a really bad job of explaining what I meant in my ramble, hard to put it into words! I always know there's going to be lots of unforeseen challenges and issues, and that's definitely half the fun! I think I just want to always be in love with the allotment and always want to want to be there - but sometimes I just don't! And that's the bit I'm still trying to come to terms with after years!!!
Aaaaahhhhh melons! I have heard it said that perfection is lots of little things done well, which is fine when you have complete control over what you preside over. Unfortunately, in our game, we have the the vagaries of the weather and the whims of the wildlife. Every win is a win and everything else will be better next time. Imagine buying tasteless tomato's from the supermarket in the summer, how dull is that.
Gutted for you, JB 😕 pity the foxes keep making holes into your polytunnel plastic...it must feel frustrating for sure 💚 The plot is looking lovely though, between the calendula and sweetpeas, the flowers to brighten up the place 😊 The pepper 🌶 did look fab! (Summer prune the plums) Mind yourself, and hopefully, the hay-fever will pull back a bit 😊💚🌿
have you tried calendula tea jb , gotta give it a go with those blooms look fabulous !!! , if u cut them back as they need dead heading they can last a couple of years my fav flower and has tons of medicinal properties especially for woman x
Oh my life.. goddam that foxy! So disappointing to see that for you again. 😭😭😭 I was so unsure of whether to do for something like the Polyeco, for this very reason. They’re just so easy to damage 😭 Tomatoes and chillies etc look fab. Really impressive! I was only saying this morning that my plot would look naff if I didn’t have so many flowers in bloom around it. They really do make things so pretty and jolly as you walk around. Hope work manage to sort out the staffing issues and management don’t decide it’s ok to expect you to do thrice the work long term.
I'm sorry about the damage to your tunnel JB ..when it happened last year I wondered if it had anything to do with the moon casting shadows over the tunnel so I went back and cheer and the moon on the 15th this year is in the same phase as it was on 21st November last year ?
I feel your pain JB….my tunnel was up for around 3weeks when I noticed some holes. Thankfully they’re not huge & didn’t rip the cover but I have 4 cat paw claw holes. I need to cover them with tape just in case. This year has been incredibly tough for everyone, not least us newish growers…my tomatoes are terrible, courgettes have failed & squash stunted but lots have been a success. My allotment is my solace for my MH, I have a tough job so it’s my escapism….i also have clay soil & use mushroom compost as it’s cheap locally to fill my beds, but I’m going to start digging it. I do have a Q…I have some spare chilis in a grow house but in tiny pots, can I pot them up if they’ve started flowering? Thanks
oh, I know that feeling well, I've come so close many times of giving up the plot(s). The amount of work it takes, and the time often make me wonder if it's worth it, but then I also have many times of pure joy to see plants grow from tiny seedlings and just being outside. Growth of plants has been incredibly slow this year, my dahlias are not even showing buds yet, lots was eaten by slugs, its good to know its not just me, I feel a bit like a failure when the plants (and slugs etc) don't behave as I want them to :-) Your channel keeps me going, glad your honest about your own trials and successes 😎😎
JB, my cauliflowers have been horrendous this year. I planted 40, 39 germinated, I was so pleased, then 10 got eaten before I even repotted them, I gave 6 to an allotment neighbour, I planted a dozen, most of which got eaten. I planted the remaining 11 and they have tiny little curds which have not developed. I have recently sown some more to give it a final try. We all have disasters and disappointments. On the other hand, we’ve had 6 mini cucumbers, 2 large ones, a couple of swedes, some beetroot, carrots and a cabbage. It’s swings and roundabouts so don’t be sad!
Oh no! Sorry to see that has happened again to the tunnel! That stuff isn't cheap. Maybe you need to do what Jessie did with the balls or grow some pepper mint or something strong smelling in the guttering you used for the peas along there and attach it to the fence like a hanging window box? For the peas, we had the pigeons do the same on a temporary cross pole( Triggers old broom handle) for our beans in the new sandpit bed. Is there a way to extend the poles on each end, vertically with bamboo sticks or something, put some plastic bottles over the top of the sticks and chuck some netting over it? We got a massive bag of it cheap from B&Q and the holes are big enough for bees and pigeon tootsies so they don't get tangled in it. The birds have stayed off of it though since. The tomatoes are looking great. I checked my photos from last year and they didn't start ripening until end of July so i am not panicking about them being behind. Our tomatoes have got a lot more trusses on, closer together this year and look different. I wonder if it is the cooler weather this year? I really hope that it isn't cross pollination from the Honeycombe and Mountain Magic we are going this year? The your little one has recouped from the accident, next to the sweet potatoes. I up potted our spare chilli, without the blood fish and bone pellets and so far so good, (touch wood) fingers and toes crossed. I still wonder if it was that or that hot day we had end of June that killed off the last one? I haven't up potted the No. 2 one of these yet as i wanted to test on the spare. If i get those pellets, when ordering the granules again, i am going to send it back this time. Too expensive to take risks with. So what will you do with all of the tomatoes this year? Will you be canning or giving it away to friends and family? Is the manure for anything in particular or was it an allotment bulk order? Any updates on the shed makeover? Totally understand if it is very low on the list. Hopefully management is on the case re getting more staff in. It doesn't sound fair to take on 3 peoples work on and hope you are getting OT for it. They need to know that it isn't ok, else they will assume that you are able to do this going forward long term. Career burnout is a thing. I didn't feel like you were moaning (like you put in the text) but sometimes venting is good for the soul in shared company. I think that is one of the things that makes a community is what it is. Shared good times and bad. Anyway, take care and have a great week! Have some snuggles with Jess and the doggo for tomorrow is a new day!
Iv also given up on perfection just be pleased with what you have its not a competition its an evolution things have gone wrong failed got damaged by wind pests disease etc its all about learning and growing with the plot and dont work out what its cost you 😂
Hey JB. I got my first crop of free seed Spoon Tomatoes. You get what you pay for! They are tiny, like smaller than a pea, but larger than a currant. Often times small fruits have strong flavor, but not the case with these! The lacy plants grow very bushy, but meh. Learnings from this year - no Spoon Tomatoes and Nyagous Tomatoes plants just don't like my microclimate so no more of those either. Sorry about the new poly tunnel tear! I live in Oregon and have never had a bitter sugar snap pea....cucumbers yes with standard slicing varieties often bitter. Blech!
Joined the Patreon thanks JB your site is so entertaining… what’s the bloody point 😂😂😂 love your chuckle … loved potty mouth this week you naughty boys winding Audrey up!
Loved the tour 👍 so much going on, it’s great. Can I ask about your manure? Did you order this online? Never seen it bagged up before. Can’t get any at the moment locally so getting a delivery would be good, do you have a link please. Cheers JB ❤
@@margerycummings8158 sure thing! It's from the compost centre. They only operate near(ish) London though! www.thecompostcentre.co.uk/ About £4 a bag, and it's a huge 80L bag too. Very good price I think.
JB you are only saying out loud what most gardeners have been thinking on and off for the last three years. Sometimes it is hard to keep going when blight/animals/pests/weather is against you and your hard work. This year, my highs have been my peas as well and my fruit. Although my gooseberries got attacked by sawfly early on again and the harvest was paultry. I have been unable to get to my strawberries before the bloomin snails had their way with them, but my thornless blackberries, oh my so amazing lots and lots coming and harvested. First year for those after two years with barely a fruit. This year is so slow, and i wonder if i will get any courgettes, let alone a glut. The foxes have dug and killed two of my plants. I reckon it is the blood fish and bone that is causing them to dig randomly in my veg beds. So it may well be the smell of the manure making them a bit crazy again. If you have spare beds move your potato pots there till you harvest them. We are all feeling the is it worth it vibe but we know deep down, we will go again next year. The small things will keep us coming back for more, and you can't beat a day or even an hour amongst plants and the garden. ❤❤
I remembered when I was editing, it was actually from a garlic bulb I harvested and then shook off on the leaves. I meant to add text to that bit!! Very very good shout on the caterpillar poop though, I've had that before on the toms and it's one to watch out for
I really feel for you with the polytunnel, so make some lemon balm tea as it’s very calming, think of Steve and how he would handle the situation. When I had my newly covered polytunnel years ago I had little holes like you have and the cat use to run up the sides and sleep on the top! Also the pheasants strutted around on it with their claws ! But it survived for years and years, but split now along the end hoop, so probably it’s last season! I know that doesn’t help you, but life is full of challenges, it’s what keeps us going!! What or where does your manure come from? Chin up, thanks.
Thanks so much Marilyn, I of course thought of Steve straight away, which is actually why I tried (honestly I tried hard!) not to spend too long manking and moaning, and just to get on with fixing it and then move on with it. Steve wouldn't have spent any time worrying at all, would have just got on with it! The manure is from www.thecompostcentre.co.uk and it's great stuff! Jessie at Plot 37 first recommended it. They source the majority of their muck from all the royal stables in London which is quite cool!
It's an enormous relief to hear someone else talk about the lows of allotment gardening. Sometimes I feel so stressed about keeping up with the weeds or about crop failures that it makes me think....maybe I should just give up? It's incredibly satisfying when you feel like you're on top of things but terrible, when what should be a fun hobby, feels more like a burden. So thanks for the honesty. I'm glad it's not just me. Despite the weather challenges this year, I am actually feeling better than last year. Onwards.
Sometimes I ask myself what’s the bloody point… then I say oh I’ll just do this or this… I do that then say oh and I’ll do this…. Then here we are working full time, sowing, planting, failing, profiting… but I love it ❤
Thank you! So glad to hear you say this :)
Your vibrancy exudes. Keep being you, it's so special. We love you for it.
Oh no! I remember seeing your other video but you repaired it really well. I'm sure you'll make a good job of this mishap too. JB. Chin up allotment is looking fab. ❤
Your tomatoes, cucumbers etc are so amazing. A mouse, vole and such like do not need a door to get in! But birds do and can certainly devastate a tomato crop, so your lovely door…..when it has its mesh attached…..will be worth all that hard work. Thanks
Oooh thanks Marilyn, great thinking.
Hi JB, oh no! I feel your pain! It is soul destroying when this happens. My polytunnel was built oct 21 and we had terrible storms, my hubbys greenhouse glass was badly damaged & is opposote my polytunnel & yes, the glass had ripped the front of it, i only had it for a few months & thought this isnt good but, out came the repair tape. The birds have been dancing on my polytunnel roof again! So out came the tape as we had a lot of rain and the drips inside were awful! Glad it's not just me but, all you need to do is take a deep breath & repair it again and crack on, it's all we can do. Lovely plot update. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊
Sorry for your problems. No such problem with Poly carbonate tunnel. Can withstand tree branches delivered in a storm.
Can be drilled etc along the frame as a bonus, to mount gutters directly outside, and rails , climbing frames etc on the inside. Good gardening
I think those of us who are trying to do this - allotmenting AND TH-cam - with a full time job need to cut ourselves a break. It's too easy to compare what we can possibly achieve with others who have more time and opportunity. The sensible thing of course would be to size down - but who wants to be sensible!! 😂
Definitely have been feeling similar, I have truly contemplated giving up at times over the last two seasons particularly, what with the onslaught of pests, the weather and so on making growing so difficult. However, it only takes a few minutes on the plot to ease the pain and find something that reaffirms the good feelings and renews my hope. I think gardeners must be the most optimistic version of human beings, we just keep making those bargains with the earth and she always gives us something to be joyful about, in the end, like my one and only French bean that survived the slugs last year. 😂 It's the small victories that keep us going🥰
Dont give up. Keep going. My plants survived 47 degree temps here in Las Vegas. Today i saw two canteloupe growing on the vine. I am beyond excited. Keep the videos coming.
The foxes have been quite crazy this year on our allotment. They have chewed through a few of my tough brassica nets which is the first time they have done it. I've been regularly fixing the nets like a fisherman! They also chewed through some of the bags of rotted manure compost bags I piled outside, so indeed the bags in your polytunnel might have attracted them since the intensity of the scent may have been stronger! On top of the snail and slug battle, the aphids seem to be thriving this year (hardly had any last year). Consequently I'm on constant runner bean alert lol ! With the continued poor summer weather and poor growth, it just seems to be one of those years, certainly been more challenging than usual. It can be disheartening but there are always successes no matter what and those tend to override the downers and spur one on.
I lost my allotment recently,it's soo sad,but I work full time nights,my 13 yr old daughter is having to be home educated,as she's going through some MH stuff,my mum has Alzheimer's,the list goes on,but I'm still growing at home,I have a reasonable sized garden,I've bought a couple of raised beds,and a little greenhouse,life goes on 🌿🌷🍄😂🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I’ve been trying to grow flowers as a beginning..project,and I’m failing.
Once I retire!next year,I’m planning on a few veg,and fruit.
I had two different types of peach trees and I let nature take care of them.
For years I had wonderful peaches, well in the early days ! , then folks would steal my peaches.
Next door asked if she could pick my peaches,I gave her permission.
She would can them,(one tree would fruit in July,the other in August) and give me a few canned peaches.
Then the freeze hit Texas,in 2021.. and the trees died.
Keep going JB. I think most of us feel like this a lot of the time. Crop faillures, weather challenges, pest damage. It's all sent to try us!! This year has been exceptionally challenging with the rotten summer in the UK. However, let's all keep going and see the highs as a huge positive and don't let the lows get us down. Onwards and upwards!!
Aw JB, I’m so sorry your polytunnel has suffered this damage again, definitely one of the downsides to allotment life!! But please don’t give up, just take it a day at a time and try not to beat yourself up for feeling disheartened at times! It’s a juggling act with work, life & allotments/gardens and sometimes we need to take a small step back to appreciate things again ❤
The more you learn , the less you know! Keep going, every year is new year of learning. We cannot know what the next seasion will bring, so we must just keep going .x
You should build a big netting cage around the tunnel! Like the brassica bed, but with chicken wire 🤪That aubergine looked really cool! Hope the spider mites continue to be absent 🤞That sweet potato in the greenhouse doesn't really look like a potato hehe. And so many peppers! Ripening ones at that! I'm not envious at all!... I have 3-4 tiny Jalapeños peppers that stopped growing (probably due to the shitty weather lately). Hope I'll get *some* peppers this season hehe. Forgot to have some extras indoors this year. Loved the pigeon imitation 🤣Hope the plums work out so you can make some OPK! And I feel the same way just over my little balcony "garden". Some days I feel it is a chore just having to water it, but some days are awesome. I guess there'll be more of the awesome days when/if I start seeing some pods 😊Loved the tomato string sound effects as well haha. Looks like it worked out really well those strings. Can't wait for the pepper tour!
Give him a cuddle Jess❤
Sending you something for the next time you need cheered up. I always look forward to your allotment updates and videos. Glad you continue to stick it out.
Don't worry JB we all think some days, what's the frigging point 😅, but that first flower, first crop, first win, however small makes it all worthwhile. I do an allotment diary, of good and bad, it's always something, and I have had my plot for 5 years. I think your vlogs are an honest rollercoaster of the life of an allotment holder.
I have small garden and love it growing flowers and vegetables but this year it has been so hard to get beans ,courgettes and chillies to grow but heyho next year will be fab 🤞
Damn they've done a proper job on that! Good luck with the repairs buddy! Even my foxes aren't as destructive as that!
I've used tape before and the foxes have eaten it.
I know how you feel JB. I haven’t got a poly T but my plot was decimated by rabbits this year. I spent 5 weekends digging in wire mesh. Planted out loads of veg and they got back in through a section of fence.
Exactly what I did to my back doors just stapled mesh to the frame , like you I never use the back doors any way it does the job👍
Great to know, thank you!
Don't take this the wrong way JB as its not meant as critisism...
1. You work full time (unlike old farts like me who are retired) so firstly you won't have the time or energy to spend all your spare time at the plot ... unless you're growing some other sorts of 'herb' 🤣 so coming down for an hour and then spending 45 minutes trying to film it isn't going to help you as your'e wasting valuable worktime ... so why not just film onone day every two weeks and only puta film outevery two weeks (or split them in half andrelease them weekly) then just come down for 1/2 hour a night and have a list of say 7 jobs that you need to cover and do one a visit you will get loads more done long term. My old mentor and friend had two full sized plots he used to dig every year.he went up on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays to harvestveg and look at his CHrysanthemums, every time he went up he dug one row or if he was feeling energetic 2 and in no time he would have them both ready for plnting out come spring ... slow and steady wins the race.
2. Also your plot will never be finished and thats important to realise. I've lived in our house for 40 years nearly and that is undergoing yet another make over ( third I think ) so it will evolve but it will never finish.
3. Don't beat your self up. Are you getting warning letters? I suspect not so its not as bad as you think it might be. OK so you have weeds ... Most will have unless you either have a team of undergardeners (your good lady would not take kindly to being called that!!) or you are retired and can sit there waiting for them to gro sowyou can pull them out. My grandad always said the best mulch is the gardeners shadow ... so get into the habitof walking roundwith a hoe ( the tool not a colloquialism for a lady of small virtue ... again your good lady would like it🤣tickle the ground over and it will help you - just do one or two beds per visit so it will take you 5 minutes.
4. Lastly ... sort the sodding shed out !!🤣 You need somewhere to storeall that compost/manureoway from the polytunnel ( ideal hiding place for slugs)and somewhere to sit and make a brew and mull over ... all good plans are hatched in the shed
So chin up and keepsmiling ... it make the buggers wonder what you're up to
Nick
Nothing in there to take the wrong way! Thanks Tobias. On 1 you're so right. I don't usually have to work anywhere near this much, and I'm very lucky I work from home, so usually I can spend much longer at the allotment throughout the week. And I don't stress too much about getting videos out for the sake of it - I only really do them when I want to, I'm very lucky in that regard!
Plots are definitely never finished and I know that for sure! I was trying to fix that with the annotation on screen when I said that because I really mis-spoke.
Hahahahha I'm not getting warning letters thank god!! I think the plot is definitely in good cultivation and the beds generally aren't too bad or weedy this year - they've been TERRIBLE some years before this. Love the quote about the gardeners shadow though.
Shed is happening this winter!! I've been saving up my pennies 😀
Hey JB 🤗 Watched a Greenside up video where Steve spoke about the stress of feeling behind and playing catch up...
His advice was to complete all projects by Christmas or latest end of January 🤗 always wise words from Steve 👌 Your greenhouse project was a massive job and in true grand designs style took way longer than you anticipated 😮
So pleased you rode out the lows and to see your honest perspective 🤗
I often pop on the headphones for a "JB happy place" and it works 😊
Thanks for all you do, the highs and the lows, keep it real 😊
Take good care
Lynda 💚
I think you will definitely see a difference next year JB, that soil doesn't look great.. I'm amazed anything grows.
I was always told re pruning fruit trees, anything with a pip, do it in the winter, anything with a stone, its the summer. Hang on in there....
oh it's literally meant to be ideal to prune them in mid summer, i.e. right now!! Maybe I'll give them a bit of TLC next time I'm at the plot, thank you!
Ohhhh JB be careful with the feverfew you will have it everywhere and I do mean that its a nightmare!
That's definitely animal damage to the poly. I've had foxes asleep on top of my small 3x2m polytunnel, the type with the zip door.
Oh no so sorry this has happened again 😢 I'm thinking it is definitely the manure that attracted them, whenever I use something a bit smelly on my beds the foxes have a good dig. They seem to detect it a mile off. Keep smiling, you do a fantastic job 😊
Aww, not againnn! Sorry JB. I've been at war with some rodents as well. Didn't wanna go that route, but I've let them have their way for the last 3 years, so THIS year I actually wanted to harvest some strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, etc - so I had to deal with them. For a peace-and-love kinda gal I am, it was kinda traumatizing at first, but now I feel like a big girl who can handle pests in my garden, lol.
Great video JB,nice to see some that work too,just like myself and struggle to juggle it all 🌿🌷🍄😂
I'd cry if I came up and seen damage like that to polytunnel. But twice I feel for you JB. I've been Gardening for years and like you said highs and lows that's how it is. Really enjoy watching you cos your so laid back and always happy.
a little mist of bicarb soda in water , i use for help against spdr mists when it get dry it green house and a foilage spray of seaweed x
i have ample sodium bicarbinate tho as a bath/soap maker , but its easy to get hold of
Very impressive crops.shame about the polytunnel, our communal one got slashed by vandals a few years ago and everyone lost interest.new committee got it recovered and its now full of crops again.
hi jb yes yes yes i hear ya but we enjoy the garden vids you share it actually motivates us and we thank you so much
You should know by now . . . there is no such thing as perfect.
Thank you for another enlightening gardening video, I do hope you stick around, one day you'll be as experienced as Charles Dowding, but still you won't have the perfect garden.
😊😎🌻
That purple old fashiond sweet pea looks like Matucana - I grow it every year and it's very vigorous - very highly scented.
This happened to three plots on our site a few years ago. So annoying but the plot is looking great . Well done x
Hi jb fox's have caused a lot of damage this year i dread checking I've never known it so bad, hopefully things will change 🤞along with the weather 🤞🌞
well JB you have a holy tunnel to go along with the annum sanctum seeds or plants you had lol
JB a friend once said
Life is full of ups and downs, without the downs we wouldn't appreciate the ups.
Life in whatever capacity is a balance 😊
Chin up and keep growing 👍
Just been offered a plot after 4 years on a list, it’s got a polly on it, should I refuse 🙈🤣🤣. It’s looks great JB
your work commitments are tough , and sounds like you like to be in control of your work ,,,, so when you are going to your allotment you are taking that control ideal with you ,, maybe you need to mentally switch off from work mode and realise life cannot always be controlled especially in a gardening environment , there are way to many unforseen problems that are uncontrollable , so you just have to embrace them relax and switch off , after all thats what the allotment is for ,,, isnt it ??? dont take it as seriously as your work 👍👍
I totally get what you're saying, I think I did a really bad job of explaining what I meant in my ramble, hard to put it into words! I always know there's going to be lots of unforeseen challenges and issues, and that's definitely half the fun! I think I just want to always be in love with the allotment and always want to want to be there - but sometimes I just don't! And that's the bit I'm still trying to come to terms with after years!!!
Aaaaahhhhh melons!
I have heard it said that perfection is lots of little things done well, which is fine when you have complete control over what you preside over. Unfortunately, in our game, we have the the vagaries of the weather and the whims of the wildlife. Every win is a win and everything else will be better next time. Imagine buying tasteless tomato's from the supermarket in the summer, how dull is that.
Gutted for you, JB 😕 pity the foxes keep making holes into your polytunnel plastic...it must feel frustrating for sure 💚
The plot is looking lovely though, between the calendula and sweetpeas, the flowers to brighten up the place 😊
The pepper 🌶 did look fab!
(Summer prune the plums)
Mind yourself, and hopefully, the hay-fever will pull back a bit 😊💚🌿
have you tried calendula tea jb , gotta give it a go with those blooms look fabulous !!! , if u cut them back as they need dead heading they can last a couple of years my fav flower and has tons of medicinal properties especially for woman x
I've actually not! I've harvested a few for the house over the years but never tried a tea
🐝thanks for the great video🌻
Hallo jb ola the Greenhouse the moostuin planting Top fried Good week 🌤🥤🥦🥒🫛🏵🌻🍆🍅👌
Oh my life.. goddam that foxy! So disappointing to see that for you again. 😭😭😭
I was so unsure of whether to do for something like the Polyeco, for this very reason. They’re just so easy to damage 😭
Tomatoes and chillies etc look fab. Really impressive!
I was only saying this morning that my plot would look naff if I didn’t have so many flowers in bloom around it. They really do make things so pretty and jolly as you walk around.
Hope work manage to sort out the staffing issues and management don’t decide it’s ok to expect you to do thrice the work long term.
I'm sorry about the damage to your tunnel JB ..when it happened last year I wondered if it had anything to do with the moon casting shadows over the tunnel so I went back and cheer and the moon on the 15th this year is in the same phase as it was on 21st November last year ?
Great video JB!
I feel your pain JB….my tunnel was up for around 3weeks when I noticed some holes. Thankfully they’re not huge & didn’t rip the cover but I have 4 cat paw claw holes. I need to cover them with tape just in case. This year has been incredibly tough for everyone, not least us newish growers…my tomatoes are terrible, courgettes have failed & squash stunted but lots have been a success. My allotment is my solace for my MH, I have a tough job so it’s my escapism….i also have clay soil & use mushroom compost as it’s cheap locally to fill my beds, but I’m going to start digging it. I do have a Q…I have some spare chilis in a grow house but in tiny pots, can I pot them up if they’ve started flowering? Thanks
I can only imagine how colourful the language was away from filming 🙈🤣
oh, I know that feeling well, I've come so close many times of giving up the plot(s). The amount of work it takes, and the time often make me wonder if it's worth it, but then I also have many times of pure joy to see plants grow from tiny seedlings and just being outside. Growth of plants has been incredibly slow this year, my dahlias are not even showing buds yet, lots was eaten by slugs, its good to know its not just me, I feel a bit like a failure when the plants (and slugs etc) don't behave as I want them to :-) Your channel keeps me going, glad your honest about your own trials and successes 😎😎
Thanks so much Angelika. I definitely lost a few of the dahlias to slugs completely!
JB, my cauliflowers have been horrendous this year. I planted 40, 39 germinated, I was so pleased, then 10 got eaten before I even repotted them, I gave 6 to an allotment neighbour, I planted a dozen, most of which got eaten. I planted the remaining 11 and they have tiny little curds which have not developed. I have recently sown some more to give it a final try. We all have disasters and disappointments. On the other hand, we’ve had 6 mini cucumbers, 2 large ones, a couple of swedes, some beetroot, carrots and a cabbage. It’s swings and roundabouts so don’t be sad!
I have them on my sweet peppers.
Have what on your sweet peppers? I can't remember what I've said about my sweet peppers in this video now 😅
Oh no! Sorry to see that has happened again to the tunnel! That stuff isn't cheap. Maybe you need to do what Jessie did with the balls or grow some pepper mint or something strong smelling in the guttering you used for the peas along there and attach it to the fence like a hanging window box?
For the peas, we had the pigeons do the same on a temporary cross pole( Triggers old broom handle) for our beans in the new sandpit bed. Is there a way to extend the poles on each end, vertically with bamboo sticks or something, put some plastic bottles over the top of the sticks and chuck some netting over it? We got a massive bag of it cheap from B&Q and the holes are big enough for bees and pigeon tootsies so they don't get tangled in it. The birds have stayed off of it though since.
The tomatoes are looking great. I checked my photos from last year and they didn't start ripening until end of July so i am not panicking about them being behind. Our tomatoes have got a lot more trusses on, closer together this year and look different. I wonder if it is the cooler weather this year? I really hope that it isn't cross pollination from the Honeycombe and Mountain Magic we are going this year? The your little one has recouped from the accident, next to the sweet potatoes.
I up potted our spare chilli, without the blood fish and bone pellets and so far so good, (touch wood) fingers and toes crossed. I still wonder if it was that or that hot day we had end of June that killed off the last one? I haven't up potted the No. 2 one of these yet as i wanted to test on the spare. If i get those pellets, when ordering the granules again, i am going to send it back this time. Too expensive to take risks with.
So what will you do with all of the tomatoes this year? Will you be canning or giving it away to friends and family?
Is the manure for anything in particular or was it an allotment bulk order?
Any updates on the shed makeover?
Totally understand if it is very low on the list. Hopefully management is on the case re getting more staff in. It doesn't sound fair to take on 3 peoples work on and hope you are getting OT for it. They need to know that it isn't ok, else they will assume that you are able to do this going forward long term. Career burnout is a thing.
I didn't feel like you were moaning (like you put in the text) but sometimes venting is good for the soul in shared company. I think that is one of the things that makes a community is what it is. Shared good times and bad.
Anyway, take care and have a great week! Have some snuggles with Jess and the doggo for tomorrow is a new day!
Iv also given up on perfection just be pleased with what you have its not a competition its an evolution things have gone wrong failed got damaged by wind pests disease etc its all about learning and growing with the plot and dont work out what its cost you 😂
Poly tunnel paradise JB!
Hey JB. I got my first crop of free seed Spoon Tomatoes. You get what you pay for! They are tiny, like smaller than a pea, but larger than a currant. Often times small fruits have strong flavor, but not the case with these! The lacy plants grow very bushy, but meh. Learnings from this year - no Spoon Tomatoes and Nyagous Tomatoes plants just don't like my microclimate so no more of those either. Sorry about the new poly tunnel tear! I live in Oregon and have never had a bitter sugar snap pea....cucumbers yes with standard slicing varieties often bitter. Blech!
Joined the Patreon thanks JB your site is so entertaining… what’s the bloody point 😂😂😂 love your chuckle … loved potty mouth this week you naughty boys winding Audrey up!
Ahhh thank you so much Rita!! Really really appreciate it
@@JBNat I appreciate your vlogs so much
That's just so bad... how had the patch seen the test if time?
Loved the tour 👍 so much going on, it’s great. Can I ask about your manure? Did you order this online? Never seen it bagged up before. Can’t get any at the moment locally so getting a delivery would be good, do you have a link please. Cheers JB ❤
@@margerycummings8158 sure thing! It's from the compost centre. They only operate near(ish) London though!
www.thecompostcentre.co.uk/
About £4 a bag, and it's a huge 80L bag too. Very good price I think.
@@JBNatthank you so much for your reply 👍
Bad to hear that mate but just a quick question do you keep bone meal or anything like that they will keep doing it iff you do?😊
The pigeons have snapped a lot of my raspberry canes.
JB you are only saying out loud what most gardeners have been thinking on and off for the last three years. Sometimes it is hard to keep going when blight/animals/pests/weather is against you and your hard work.
This year, my highs have been my peas as well and my fruit. Although my gooseberries got attacked by sawfly early on again and the harvest was paultry. I have been unable to get to my strawberries before the bloomin snails had their way with them, but my thornless blackberries, oh my so amazing lots and lots coming and harvested. First year for those after two years with barely a fruit.
This year is so slow, and i wonder if i will get any courgettes, let alone a glut. The foxes have dug and killed two of my plants. I reckon it is the blood fish and bone that is causing them to dig randomly in my veg beds. So it may well be the smell of the manure making them a bit crazy again. If you have spare beds move your potato pots there till you harvest them. We are all feeling the is it worth it vibe but we know deep down, we will go again next year. The small things will keep us coming back for more, and you can't beat a day or even an hour amongst plants and the garden. ❤❤
The soil on your tomato plants might be caterpillar poo, JB.
I remembered when I was editing, it was actually from a garlic bulb I harvested and then shook off on the leaves. I meant to add text to that bit!! Very very good shout on the caterpillar poop though, I've had that before on the toms and it's one to watch out for
Hi JB..do you leave your dahlias outside all winter?
Your lemon barm I make soaps out of mine and make tea
Spider mites
whats the name of the pepper u picked ...thanks
@@paulineellison9047 beaver dam :)
What’s the bloody point JB 😂🤦🏽♀️🤨😣
I really feel for you with the polytunnel, so make some lemon balm tea as it’s very calming, think of Steve and how he would handle the situation.
When I had my newly covered polytunnel years ago I had little holes like you have and the cat use to run up the sides and sleep on the top! Also the pheasants strutted around on it with their claws ! But it survived for years and years, but split now along the end hoop, so probably it’s last season!
I know that doesn’t help you, but life is full of challenges, it’s what keeps us going!!
What or where does your manure come from? Chin up, thanks.
Thanks so much Marilyn, I of course thought of Steve straight away, which is actually why I tried (honestly I tried hard!) not to spend too long manking and moaning, and just to get on with fixing it and then move on with it. Steve wouldn't have spent any time worrying at all, would have just got on with it!
The manure is from www.thecompostcentre.co.uk and it's great stuff! Jessie at Plot 37 first recommended it. They source the majority of their muck from all the royal stables in London which is quite cool!
Imagine the frustration hunter gatherers had😂