New allotments Autumn 2010 Chat

katholicos

Mine isn't an allotment in the strictest sense, but I turned the whole back garden over to raised beds last year (due to disability but wanting to continue to grow my own), so it practically is an allotment really!

I'm growing lots of soft fruits this year and loads more veg than I did last year, different types etc. Today I decided to use my large wooden compost bin as another raised bed. It has lots of composted material in it and i figured if i grow legumes in it i can fix some more nitrogen in the compost bin which will be good for next years veggies. I took the plastic cover off it, laid down a big sheet of cardboard and then started planting through it. I still have loads of space to fill in it as i have only done two rows of borlotti so far. I've put some horticultural fleece over the compost bin to protect the beans i planted today and will continue to plant on over the next few days. Has anyone else ever tried utilising a large wooden compost bin or compost heap, for a similar purpose?

loucroft

Hi Kathlicos, no but that sounds like such an interesting way to make use of space!

miss_peekaboo

well, i officially got my allotment on the the 8th of April!! i had hoped for it sooner but bad weather ment that most of the new site work ground to a halt

i had originally wanted a double plot, but i had second thoughts about the space - 10m by 25m is HUGE!! plus the chap that owns the site hadn't actually sorted it out yet!

so, i picked a new single (10m by 12m) plot, freshly dug over and rotovated by the site owner (at a cost) but worth it! it was basically a field that was used to grow xmas trees about 4 -5 years ago but nothing since.

it has took alot of work but im finally getting some structure!! got a free shed, a cheap greenhouse, free water butt and plenty of enthusiasm!! been up there every day since!

the kids(6,5 and 3) get to roam free(ish) plus there is a trampoline so they are happy!

its all starting to take shape and im so chuffed that its ME thats made it happen!! :j

loucroft

miss_peekaboo wrote: »

well, i officially got my allotment on the the 8th of April!!

the kids(6,5 and 3) get to roam free(ish) plus there is a trampoline so they are happy!

its all starting to take shape and im so chuffed that its ME thats made it happen!! :j

Fantastic, welldone you. Your children are so close and at a great age so its' lovely that you can let them come with you!

Enjoy and keep us posted!

L

Synonymous

Hi, thought I would post this here to save starting another thread.

Can someone tell me why my courgettes are unhappy from the pictures below. Sorry if its obvious but I'm a newbie and I'm resisting an urge of 'just give them more water' to see if it helps!

The first two pics are of the same plant, and the third of the another one. Thanks for your help!

loucroft

Have they been outside yet? They're large plants, usually can plant when they have 4 true leaves...

I would say that they really need plenty of water and look into planting out, near marigolds (attracts the pests) using a good cloche system like plastic bottles or copper rings

If i find anything else out I'll let you know

Synonymous

loucroft wrote: »

Have they been outside yet? They're large plants, usually can plant when they have 4 true leaves...

I would say that they really need plenty of water and look into planting out, near marigolds (attracts the pests) using a good cloche system like plastic bottles or copper rings

If i find anything else out I'll let you know

Hi lou, theses ones haven't been outside as the frost risk lasts until the end of May here. However, I have attempted two other plants on the allotment but they are not doing very well! I also have two more upstairs that are not showing this problem so I must be treating them differently somehow!

loucroft

Hi Syn, it looks like weather or sunshine, which is why I'd think watering might do them good, but hopefully you know how to not over water. Think they'll be fine, if they haven't been outside then they haven't probably attracted pests, look good though.

Mine did too, until the greenhouse shelf fell on them this afternoon!

charlies-aunt

OH and me are officially middle aged - every spare evening and hours every weekend are spent tending our half allotment which we got in January this year. Love it every minute of it

A friend rotovated three quarters of it for us - it has proved to be a mixed blessing - great on one hand as it broke up the soil and chopped down all the big docks and thistles....but all the little chopped bits of dock and thistles are now staging a come back and we battle them on a daily basis - they certainly seem to grow better than anything that we've planted :rotfl: damned things shoot up overnight and I am considering looking for recipes :rotfl:

The other quarter was planted with blackcurrant bushes, raspberries and strawberries - choked with weeds and thick clumps of grass - its been the work of weeks to get on top of them - the ground is so hard, its impossible to dig so I have resorted to cutting everything down to ground level to at least get some air around them.

The raspberries have thrown out a forest of suckers - again too hard to try and transplant them so we are resigned to waiting until the end of year to sort them out.

Potatoes and onions look like they intend to live but the seeds that we put in four weeks ago are only just straggling through despite daily applications from the watering can

Local bunnies have been thwarted by a wire fence around which has made the plot look neat and tidy.

Love it - wish we'd got one years ago!

CommitedToChange

A big hello to all the new allotment holder and everyone on the thread.

Good news - my potatoes are growing

However after a weekend away some of my seedlings are looking very thirsty! Hoping a good water will set them right