New allotments Autumn 2010 Chat

pinkparrott

Hi everyone, can i join please.
We got an allotment back in July but its a new plot on ground that hasn't been cultivated since the end of ww2 ! .

We have spent many weeks clearing the site of trees and brambles and digging it over to remove all the roots and weeds.

We managed to get 3 beds in and have so far planted a couple of rhubarb crowns, some raspberry canes , 2 apple tress and a couple of currants.

I have just started putting in a few rows of over wintering onion and shallotts and am going to put some garlic in too.

And yesterday i was given some plug type plants about 8 of each cabbage , broccoli, and cauliflower and an artichoke so put them in, but think i needs to cover them at some point with fleece or some such ?

I've also got a couple of rows of broad beans that went in a few weeks ago.

Most of the time has been spent getting the structure sorted. We have a major problem with rabbitts so have had to installa rabitt proof fence all the way around which was time consuming and costly, and now I'm going to start on some paths etc as there isn't too much i can do on the planting front.

Can't wait till spring so i can get on with it properly next year. My main problem is working 4 days a week and having 2 young (4yr and2yr) kids so don't get as much time as I'd like and my DH isn't that interested although will help out when pressed.:)

GreenFly_2

PinkP,
Sounds like you have been very busy, my plot was nowhere as difficult as yours but still took a year to sort out. The cabbage, broc and cauli do need to be covered in extreme cold. I've never grown artichokes so can't comment. My spring cabbage goes straight in the ground, no protection, my cauli I usually grow from seed and pot on to 3" pots before overwintering in the cold frame.

I can sympathize on the kids front mine are 5 (daughter) and 2 (son). My daughter loved it in the summer but now it is getting colder she prefers to stay home! and my son just likes to fill my watering can with soil. Hopefully they will enjoy it more when they get a bit older and can start to have a prt of my plot to themselves.

Good Digging
GF

scotsaver

Spent most of yesterday on the Allotment as the weather was fab but today is a differnet story, rain came on after I'd only been up there 2 hours and as it was rather windy too I had to give in and come home to warm up.

Still trying to get the structure sorted, had my Allotment a year this December but there were no paths or structure just a large overgrown growing area which had to be dug over. Have tried to create paths with some bricks I've had donated and laid some grass seed so starting to take shape into manageable beds. I only used abut two thirds of the total space this year but I'm determined to have it all laid out by Spring so that I can plant up 100%.

Dug up some Leeks so made some Leek & potato soup for tonight.

skoots

Hi, I stumbled across this forum today and am glad I did. I've had my allotment since Easter, it was a right mess, I had to hire a skip and even then wasn't able to put everything in, apparently the person before me used it as his dumping ground! I have cleared some space and have put in some cabbages but didn't cover them up and something has been nibbling. Will be off to buy onions and garlic tomorrow - I hadn't realised that I could put these down and some green manure. Hopefully it wont be raining like it was today so that I can cover the cabbage, plant my new purchases and dig some more weeds.

miss_angie1

Another newbie to the world of allotments here too

I acquired mine (half a plot) at the beginning of September and have managed to clear and dig over one bed and sown winter tares green manure over the winter. I have also dug out about a metre square of a new bed but the weather has been awful so that has yet to be dug in but I'm hoping it dries up a bit so that I can continue with that section before the cold kicks in.

I know that I can grow onions and garlic now but think I may just green manure the lot and put some nutrients into the soil as I don't know how long it has been vacant.

What is everyone planning on planting next Spring?

I want to have a fruit section and plant a couple of small trees. Lidl's fruit trees will be on sale from this Thursday on a 2 for £8 deal so trying to work out what is best for a beginner. I'm thinking cherry and pear but need to do some more reading up on them. I also have some goji berry bushes which I obtained from Thompson & Morgan with my last lot of Tesco clubcard points. They are in pots at the moment but do you think it will be okay to plant out next spring or should I be digging frantically and plant them now?

In terms of veggies DH and my DD's bought be a lovely selection of seeds for my birthday earlier this month so I have lots of choice. Let's just hope I'm successful as I'm sure keeping the slugs and birds at bay will be a challenge!

angelavdavis

Hello everyone,

An update on our lottie....

We got our lottie in mid-June and set up two beds using the lasagne bed method as the ground was so hard we couldn't get a spade into it! Our lottie hasn't ever been fully cultivated and we found a huge piece of carpet hidden under the undergrowth after about four weeks of clearance work!

In these beds, we grew strawberries, cabbages, beetroots, celeriac, courgettes and squashes. It was a great success! I would definitely recommend the approach to others.

We also prepared some beds for fruit and planted black/red/white currants, gooseberries and plum, apple, pear, peach trees. Another bed houses rhubarb and two home grown artichoke plants.

We have prepared one bed (with one to go) for cut flowers and three other beds into which we have planted overwintering crops of broad beans, peas, onions, garlic and shallots.

We have a tayberry bush which needs to be relocated over winter to enable us to dig over the final bed.

We moved the existing compost heaps from their original location to the back of the plot and fixed and painted the shed. We have been given a greenhouse which is now up and on the plot.

So, all in all it has been a good few months.

wendyphant

Hello guys

Just got my first allottment and am so happy just spend 4 hours today digging it over and weeding it and only done 1/2 and am soaked but want to dig over as much as pos so the frost can get into it.

I am going to be living on this thread now thank you

TizerCat

wow hasn't everybody been busy!! can't wait to get back to mine at the weekend! anyone know the weather forcast?

angelavdavis

Sorry to be a party pooper, but I think its a bit grey and rainy for the usually sunny Sussex!

dogcat_2

Nice to see that everyones been busy. I STILL haven't had a chance to get to see Lottie...will have to be the weekend now. OH said that he'd help me too. ....I fully understand about others not being too interested ...I have to virtually beg him to help.