How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

ceridwen

maryb wrote: »

Ceridwen, I put my name down for an allotment a couple of years before I expected to have much spare time and it came up quicker than expected. However it had had a whole load of old wood dumped on it because the previous tenant was into grand schemes which mostly never got any further than squirrelling away all sorts of junk that might come in useful. He was building a shed from old pallets and fence panels but had only got the base and the uprights in. We debated whether it was cheaper to start from scratch but we decided to finish it in the end - and yes, it did cost us more. What was left of the plot that wasn't covered in junk was covered in brambles and nettles

Anyway, the point of this rambling background is that it took so much work to clear the allotment that we couldn't do anything the first year - we took it over in late autumn and didn't manage to do more than clear the junk. So I ordered a huge roll of black plastic and we strimmed the whole plot and covered it in plastic. And left it.

Next year we only managed to dig one bed and grew potatoes which kept the weeds down. Then I took early retirement and next year we managed to get the whole plot cleared and planted - with mixed success. (Then I had to have an operation on my hand so couldn't do much and it got away from me again).

But black plastic works very well against really bad weeds and is totally organic. The thing is, you have to leave it for a long time to work. So if you want to get a foothold on the waiting list but you are worried about being booted off if you can't give it the time it needs, then just cover most of it in black plastic and do what you can.

Just don't use old carpet - I'm still excavating stuff that people thought was a good idea to put down years ago and it gets so heavy. It never rots because you don't get pure wool any more

Thanks for that.

I decided subsequently that I dont like the area I'm in enough to commit to an allotment anyway - so didnt proceed with getting one before the fashion for it started...I would have been paying out rent for it for some years - whilst hoping to be able to move..so could be wasting my time and money if I did that...

So - I've just been cramming everything I possibly can into my "matchbox" garden and guerilla gardening elsewhere. Have discovered one snag to guerilla gardening - ie anything planted in the vicinity of my house doesnt come up - but anything planted further away DOES have a very good chance of making it:D. Wonders if the "human" who "doesnt get it" factor is stopping stuff coming up near me (ie it IS starting to come up - but an uninformed person is pulling it back up again..:(:mad:???)

i'll get this guerilla gardening thing fully worked out yet.....:cool:

charlies-aunt

I feel 'lucky' that its only docks and thistles on ours now! I think guerilla tactics will be employed to keep next doors down - we are near woodland so there is a lot of willowherb shooting up too - which will need lopping before it seeds.

In hindsight, getting the plot rotovated was a mixed blessing as where there was one dock - now there are dozens of small docks springing up - they do pull up easily though

We have use of a tap but it can only be used for topping up our water butt - to water up its strictly watering cans.

We were on the waiting list for several years to get our plot and we have spent hours on it getting it cleared, although the strawberry patch has got me beat at the moment - that bit didn't get rotovated and its like concrete - the strawberries are in full flower so I'm itching to get it tidied up. The raspberries are throwing up suckers but its impossible to dig them out for transplanting.

We are trying to be OS & organic, because of lack of funds rather than strong ethical concerns - handweeding rather than chemicals and well rotted 'oss muck and nettle water for fertilisers Friday will be spent (weather permitting) down on the lottie rather than in front of the tv

ceridwen

PepPop wrote: »

Thanks flowertotmum :wave: 261 posts down 3689 to go :eek: No why did I work that out LOL. I'm a little confused cos I've started at the beginning but I'm also reading the recent stuff - hopefully it will all make sense in the end. Notes so far: should really try to get an allotment. We live in a one bedroom flat and can only manage one pot of herbs on the windowsill cos of the cats. Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved

What floor do you live on?

if you live on the groundfloor - then maybe there is some space for things in pots

if you have big sunny windowsills then maybe there is the possibility of growing more things indoors (dont know how to discourage the cats though.....:cool:).

Have you got any balconies? Even one of those "for show" ones (cannae recall the name offhand....Juliet balcony maybe?) would mean a bit of a lean-out of the window and you might be able to put up something to hang hanging baskets from.

ceridwen

charlies-aunt wrote: »

I feel 'lucky' that its only docks and thistles on ours now! I think guerilla tactics will be employed to keep next doors down - we are near woodland so there is a lot of willowherb shooting up too - which will need lopping before it seeds.

In hindsight, getting the plot rotovated was a mixed blessing as where there was one dock - now there are dozens of small docks springing up - they do pull up easily though

We have use of a tap but it can only be used for topping up our water butt - to water up its strictly watering cans.

We were on the waiting list for several years to get our plot and we have spent hours on it getting it cleared, although the strawberry patch has got me beat at the moment - that bit didn't get rotovated and its like concrete - the strawberries are in full flower so I'm itching to get it tidied up. The raspberries are throwing up suckers but its impossible to dig them out for transplanting.

We are trying to be OS & organic, because of lack of funds rather than strong ethical concerns - handweeding rather than chemicals and well rotted 'oss muck and nettle water for fertilisers Friday will be spent (weather permitting) down on the lottie rather than in front of the tv

Willowherb....willowherb....taps at memory to dredge up info about that.

Must be that its either edible or useful for herbal medicine purposes....wanders off to check....as I DO know I was/am on the lookout for some I can get at...so I must have some reason for it stashed away in my brain somewheres...:)

EDIT: Found a bit - cooked willowherb leaves as an alternative to cabbage on the one hand OR as a cosmetic ingredient (in with other stuff to deal with dry skin problems on the other hand....). Yep - roots and young shoots also edible...

PepPop

ceridwen wrote: »

What floor do you live on?

if you live on the groundfloor - then maybe there is some space for things in pots

if you have big sunny windowsills then maybe there is the possibility of growing more things indoors (dont know how to discourage the cats though.....:cool:).

Have you got any balconies? Even one of those "for show" ones (cannae recall the name offhand....Juliet balcony maybe?) would mean a bit of a lean-out of the window and you might be able to put up something to hang hanging baskets from.

We live 2 up, and I've thought about window pots for the outside but I'd be terrified they'd clatter down on someone's head. As far as the inside is concerned we only have one window that the cats can't get to and that's the one with the plant on it. As they're indoor cats we have to watch out for them eating anything cos it can poison them. I have thought of trying something like this...

ceridwen

PepPop wrote: »

We live 2 up, and I've thought about window pots for the outside but I'd be terrified they'd clatter down on someone's head. As far as the inside is concerned we only have one window that the cats can't get to and that's the one with the plant on it. As they're indoor cats we have to watch out for them eating anything cos it can poison them. I have thought of trying something like this...

Hmmm...tries to recall name of a book I used to have now - 'twas specifically on indoor gardening and, as I recall, one photo had a sort of trellis type screen fixed in place and plantpots hanging from it - so if theres enough light then maybes it would work out....

Other thought - indoor set-up rigged up with growlights. Dinnae take it the wrong way - but I do recall that if one googles for things like growing things indoors with the aid of growlights - then rather a lot of entries come up about growing cannabis indoors:eek::rotfl::rotfl:. But growlights are used for growing more "respectable" crops indoors as well I do know and somewhere or other on the Mother Earth website is an adapted piece of furniture someone did specifically for this...(it IS a huge website I know - so could be some time searching for this.....). Its a rather attractive "piece of furniture" as I recall - it just happens to be dual purpose - ie foodgrowing. The sorta thing a handy DIY person could do...

ceridwen

Found it:

www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Multipurpose-Plant-Grow-Light-Seed-Starting-Bookcase.aspx

Also found:

www.motherearthnews.com/Grow-It/Growing-Food-Indoors-Inside-Winter-Cold-Months.aspx

Mee

I hope you don't mind me butting in...

I love the pots on wall. Not sure I could do that as I tend to be clumsy aka DIY disaster zone.

My 'balcony' is 17cm wide between the french doors and glass barrier and metal rails - a bit like this photo:



...so I've made the most of Poundlands hanging baskets and attached them with an assortment of ties or hooks. I bought some fab and fairly cheap fairtrade wrought iron hooks from Oxfam last year.

Would welcome any advice on gardening in very confined spaces like mine...

Thanks

PepPop

ceridwen You are a star! I followed on of your links and found something that would be perfect...

The light is a bit of a problem but OH is very handy and I'm sure he could come up with something. :beer:

purpleheather2810

I admire you people in flats, you're so creative!! Makes me feel more grateful for my north-facing postage stamp and obviously we are very lucky to also have an allotment.

Esther re mare's tail/horsetail, just keep pulling it out as soon as you see it. It will weaken the plant and eventually (hopefully) die. And BURN them! And don't rotivate a plot containing them otherwise you will create about a gazillion new plants!!