Plants and weeds at the allotment

I feel like I should be at the tipping point now:  moving from the planting phase to the harvesting phase.  But not quite yet.  It feels like summer:  lots of light, lots of heat, and for the last week no school (half term holiday but back at school this week).  However, the summer crops aren't producing yet and I'm not quite finished planting.  

I pulled back the insect mesh to weed cabbages and plant next year's purple sprouting broccoli at the allotment, May 2026

Of the sad little cucumbers I planted out, most seem to be still alive--maybe lost two out of around 20.  So far, that is.  Using different potting soil, I planted a tray each of the two varieties, pickling and salad, in the hopes they might grow more successfully than the first several attempts.  I can see a couple starting to emerge, but only time will tell if they'll fare any better.  

I spent a couple hours at the allotment over the weekend, planting out broccoli and squash and getting weeds out of my wood chip sheet mulch.  Also topping up the wood chips here and there.  We took the chickens back home a week ago as the forecast was for 30 C, much too hot to go without shade;  unlike at the allotment, our chicken yard at home is in full shade most of the day, so they've been keeping as cool as possible there instead.  In just one week of their being away, several squash seedlings have sprouted in their allotment yard.  They grew there last year too.

Zucs and squashes newly planted in plastic rings;  kohlrabi and cabbages under mesh;  me still digging at the allotment, May 2026

It's been fairly easy to loosen weeds out of the wood chips with a garden fork, no real digging required.  I'll need to keep on top of the weeding though:  I can re-sheet mulch on top of a bed of straw mulch, but I don't want to sheet mulch on top of wood chips as they don't break down quickly enough.  I will, however, keep topping up with wood chips, weeds or not--as long as the council keep providing them on site.