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# The Conservatory Eviction & The Weed Membrane Experiment
- URL: https://after-hours-allotment.ghost.io/late-may-allotment-update-weed-membrane-harvest/
- Published: 2026-05-21T21:51:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-21T21:51:15.000Z
- Description: Night temperatures are finally over 10°C, meaning the conservatory eviction has happened! But with a chilly May causing slow growth, the weeds are currently winning. Enter: The weed membrane experiment. Plus, a 5.5kg harvest tracker milestone.
- Author: Sam Bailey

We haven't quite reached the late May Bank Holiday yet, but a momentous occasion has officially occurred down at the After-Hours Allotment HQ: **The Great Conservatory Eviction.**

The nighttime temperatures have finally crept just over that magical 10°C mark, which means the seedlings have lost their indoor privileges. They have been officially booted out onto the patio. Everything seems pretty well hardened off now, but there is no denying that it has been a bloody chilly May. Everything on the plot feels a lot slower and more sluggish compared to this time last year.Well, apart from one thing. Obviously.

### 1\. Losing the Battle Against the Weeds (The Membrane Tactic)

While my prize tomatoes and squash have been shivering and taking their sweet time, the weeds have apparently been thriving on the chill. They are absolutely rampant right now, and to be frank, I am losing the battle against them.When you only have a few hours a week in the margins of a 9-5, you can't spend all of it weeding. So, I am trying a brand-new tactic this year: \*\*weed membrane.\*\*

I’ve laid down a solid barrier over the worst areas and I am going to plant my crops directly into holes burnt into the fabric. It might not look like a traditional country cottage garden, but if it saves my sanity and stops the plot from becoming a jungle, it will be a triumph. I will report back on how this experiment goes over the summer.

### The Conservatory Eviction & The Weed Membrane Experiment

In much better news, the Co-op rescue squad is still clinging to life. Neither the 82p gooseberry bush nor the mystery pear tree are dead!In fact, the pear tree—which I was genuinely worried about a few months ago—is actually looking very decent indeed. There won’t be any fruit on either of them this year, but that’s fine. Planting fruit trees and bushes on an allotment is a long-term investment for the future, and just seeing them leaf up and look healthy is a massive win for now.

### 3\. The Kitchen: The Final Leek Hurrah

Down in the kitchen, the last of the winter-grown leeks have officially left the building. They were harvested, cleaned up, and turned into a massive, comforting batch of leek and potato soup. It was the perfect meal for a May that still feels a bit too much like March.

 📊 The 2026 Harvest Tracker (Target: **100kg**)

Despite the chilly weather slowing down the summer crops, the spring harvests are keeping the scales moving. 

The May total alone has pulled in **2.375kg**, which has given our overall 2026 total a fantastic boost. 

**Current 2026 Total: 5.590kg**

**Remaining to Target: 94.410kg**

We are officially past the 5kg mark! Once the Bank Holiday weekend arrives and the big summer deployment finally happens, these numbers are going to start climbing a lot faster.

How are you battling the weeds this month? Are you a traditional hoer, or have you resorted to membrane like me? **Let me know in the comments!**