Allotment: Woo Hoooo!!! :) :) :)

[steptoe]

Hi Jen just remember pulling weeds is good in damp soil but do not pulldandilions the little 8uggers snap and then you have plants again you are bets to dig them but bind weed never dig or pull like i say cane in where it is and let it grow then spray and to people saying do not use chemicals then tell me how you can slow and kill bindweed it is impossible it can go down 6ft and each bit they break will grow and i have tested that i got a root broek it and just laid in in pots and put soil over and sure enough each little bit grew even just a little 1/2 inch bit .

Jen be proud of what you have done 2 hours that is a back breaker for most , when we first started we were still fairly fit i should say lol yes blackouyts but i was able to do stuff even the day after a belly op lol don't ask we had a greenhouse delivered on site whole but glass out the wife and i carried it down the plot to the base she laid me checking it lol and we then glazed it lol , i will say it was wet and winded when we got it done sat in it and had a cuppa lol .

Jen just play it by ear you do what you feel with it see the wife would say i am a fussy so and so as i would mark it all out and well it was inch perfect again the chippy in me paths straight and so on .

Jen one tool i will say is a god send is a chillington drawe hoe it is like a rounded shovel at a 90 degre angel to the pole omg spainish joe brought mine from spain he made me a small version until his next trip to spain and when he gave it to me i well bless him he was a true gent , i will try and find a link to what i mean but for diging rows or earthing spuds and so on they are a pleasure to use , also i got a extra long mug shovel i thnk it is a cornish or devon and on a long pole so much easier to use than a shovel

chillington mine is more round on the tip
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334006626077 ... f05d00f82f

this is the shovel again mine is more round on the tip
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224085023149 ... BMzsDRxbVh

[ForgeCorvus]

I love that shovel, its the original 'Spud'.... 26 notes for a Spear & Jackson isn't bad either, one for the birthday list

[steptoe]

I love that shovel, its the original 'Spud'.... 26 notes for a Spear & Jackson isn't bad either, one for the birthday list

I can tell you mine got used a lot to svae the back , moving muck round the lotty was so easy with it and the other i call it a draw hoe type but spainish joe called it something i forget the name but as i say he made me a small version and then brought me one from spain as they use them in farming there in the mountains where his family are from , it is a tool i would never be without

[Arzosah]

Might sow the cleared part or I MIGHT move some strawberries into it so i can clear those areas that used to have strawberries and sow there.

This is from your reply to me, and I take issue exactly why would you create this work for yourself? There's *got* to be a really, really good reason to do it, or just ... don't do it!

[Arzosah]

Jen one tool i will say is a god send is a chillington drawe hoe it is like a rounded shovel at a 90 degre angel to the pole omg spainish joe brought mine from spain he made me a small version until his next trip to spain and when he gave it to me i well bless him he was a true gent

Yes! I lived in a Chilean household in London for a while, next to an Indian household, and both sets of people got their hands on something very like this, and were swooning with joy absolute basis of agriculture without power tools.

[jennyjj01]

Two of my weird tools...
The spikey spade thing was a present and I think it came from qvc. Weirdly unbalanced to dig with..
The spikey claw thing is handy because it has a long metal handle. No idea what it's called. I use it as a hoe.
I have a metal rake of the same make with metal handle. That's had some abuse and works well.
We have a regular spade, fork and a 'mattock'.... Mattock is great for stress busting. A bit heavy for groundwork.

That's about it for gardening hand tools.

Need some secateurs and probably a knife and machete.
Forgive the night photos.

[steptoe]

Well jen like i say if you was local i am sure we could help you out lol , plus if you was local would always be welcome to the use of the tiller , see i think like mind people will have to stick together now more than ever and watch each others back .

I forget jen is the freegle still going that is a site people give stuff away on down south i use to get huge amounts of computer donated to our recycling we use to take then refurb and get them running them give away , i know people use to give loads away garden tools and so on .

Also if you go to the tip and chat to the guys there some will have kept the old tools with broken handles you can get them off them for next to nothing then get a hand;le on the ebay and bingo a cheap tool but i also think asda and places do sell cheap tools .

Re secateurs get a good one the rachet type are the best for the ladies but anyone with a weak grip can use them for men we tend to over use them lol try and cut the biggest branch lol i have a huge pair of loppers as we had to dig out tree roots in the bottom of the garden here and some were 2 inch dia and well the loppers just cut through like butter .

Just build up tools over time but never do a Tom Good use the fork as a hammer lol

[jennyjj01]

Might sow the cleared part or I MIGHT move some strawberries into it so i can clear those areas that used to have strawberries and sow there.

This is from your reply to me, and I take issue exactly why would you create this work for yourself? There's *got* to be a really, really good reason to do it, or just ... don't do it!

Sorry
Easy explanation.... I don't actually know what I'm doing and relying on folks here to shout me down, or rein me in.

Option 1: Clear area 1, sow into it, clear around the strawberries in area 2 to salvage them
Option 2: Clear area 1. transplant a few strawberry root balls to area 1. Clear area 2. Sow (onions?) to area 2

I'm thinking that option 1 makes it harder to get the strawberries sorted. Option 2 is more work but my new strawberry bed would be 'like new', plus I'll have rotated my crop.

I'm overthinking this. Will probably go for option 3. Go at it like a bull at a fence and pull my back out and get nowhere.

[ForgeCorvus]

Jenny: Your claw thing is called a Claw Cultivator, your spade-ish thing is just too weird and I'd be tempted to get out the angle-grinder and 'fix' it

Mattocks are great, I use mine more then the pickaxe.

Re: knives.
Around here the hardware shops sell a lot of #8 Opinel lock knives, this is because the farmers can see them from the tractor cab when they're stuck in a bale. My SIL has one for use on their Lottie.

Hultafors make a basic knife for as little as 6 notes (Orange handle carbon, Blue handle Stainless)

And a posh version for about 8 quid (again Orange for Carbon, blue for stainless)

They even do a 'safety' knife (Yellow handle) for as little as Four whole English pounds !!


Can I also recommend a tin of string? You'll never regret having one

[GillyBee]

I bought an "Azada" for the plot then disocvered that the Chillington hoe was identical and cheaper. Check boot fairs and any second hand tool shops or house clearance places for cheap garden tools. Ancient spades etc can clean up and give a lot of service. Just check how heavy they are before you buy them as you will do better with a smaller/lighter spade than a big one unless you are 6ft 6".
2 hours is good going. You may ache tomorrow. Just take it steady and you will get there.