There's not a lot to do on the allotment once you hit late October early November except for clearing the plot and tidying up for next Spring, spring 2024 in this case.
We (us local allotment holders) were lucky last weekend with a beautiful Sunday morning to get ahead with this crucial end of gardening year process.
Or maybe not so lucky, it rained A LOT in the preceding week, and the soil was damp!
So while it was easy enough to break up, which is impossible when it's baked in summer, it was, well, rather damp... with gloves quickly soddened by the earth and from the water on any dead leaves dragged for composting!
Still, I got something done and moved the clearance forwards!
Bed 1 in the foreground is, what's that: 60% cleared, you can see the edges I'm putting in place: digging down - I've opted for no wooden borders to help keep the slugs at bay!
Getting there!
Then bed two has only nasturtiums in situ, ready to be composted, but stil OK weed cover for now.
Bed 3 totally done, and bed 4 half full of old butternut squash which I harvested last week.
The plan is to just do a few feet every week, or more if there's sun, and with only about 1 1/3rd beds in total left to do if these have to wait until next spring, no worries!
Decent soil...
It helps when the soil you're uncovering is nice and rich, and I've added a little compost I inherited, that I had brewing for a while!
And VERY late raspberries!
I planted around this raspberry plant this season, and it produced a few raspberries!
Not sure it was worth it, it's not really where i'd want a raspberry crop, have to think what I'll do with this this year!
Allotment next steps...
It has to be planting garlic! And then generally planning for next year, and of course, finishing off the tidying.
If I get far enough ahead I'll build some compost bins!!!