Autumn Jobs to do on the Allotment.

Autumn Time on the Allotment.

The time spent now tidying and weeding the vegetable plot will be worthwhile. You get good weather days for working at the strenuous tasks at this time of year.  The weather tends to be not too hot or too cold to work on tasks like digging, tidying, shifting things, and even moving compost.

Here is a list of jobs the ones that I need to tackle in the coming months of October and November. I need to do these as soon as possible, just in case we get a winter that is too wet or cold to work on the soil.

Job One - Sorting out the Compost.

Composting Jobs on the Allotment.

• Dig out, move and use the compost that is ready now.
• Turn over the compost that is still working and is not ready to use.
• Make adjustments to the still working compost heap (to optimise the composting process).

As the weather cools the composting process will slow down.

You can improve the compost heap, by checking if it is to wet or too dry.
This can be done at any time of year but can be overlooked in the busy growing and harvesting months.

If the heap is too wet, add ripped up or shredded cardboard or add more dry composting 'ingredients' to it... such as rabbit or guinea pig bedding, dry materials from your garden tidying up session.

If you have added a thick layer of cut grass to the compost heap and it has gone smelly and sludgy, either remove it and add it back a bit at a time.
Or turn the compost heap over and incorporate it with the other materials in the pile. You can try adding torn up cardboard boxes.

Some people cover the top of an open compost heap at this time of year, to keep it from getting too wet and to try to  maintain any heat that has built up in the composting process. It is not a good idea to use carpet for this as they are banned on many allotment sites. Layers of brown cardboard boxes could be used if you want to cover the heap followed by a top layer of a weighted down tarpaulin. Remember to check the heap in the coming months as it may then get too dry and need to covering removed.

That is it for the first vegetable plot autumn jobs post more to come, soon.

Composting. The end result is ready to add to the allotment plot.