The highs and lows of growing your own dinner 2015

Synonymous

Hello everyone :wave:

I was wondering if people do allotment diaries on here like the other boards, but this thread seems like a great collective diary!

I've been to my allotment today after a long spell away - life has gotten in the way and then I became a bit too ashamed to go and assess the damage. Most of it is covered in grass about a metre tall which has gone to seed plus nettles, docks and dandelions, some areas are covered over (but I can't get to them!), and I have a bed with potatoes in which have come up with minimal weeds. It looks terrible and I feel bad for my neighbours - I really want to get on top of it, and hope you lovely people might help give me a bit of a boost as I get started?

So, I've just ordered some glysophate, and I have a rickety strimmer that can do about 15 minutes on the battery, so chopped some of the grass to about 10cm today. Then I dug over part of a bed, maybe 3-4msq.

I'm planning to take the strimmer down every day next week to get the grass lower so I can see what's going on, and it will be easier to spray when the weedkiller comes - does that make sense do you think? (I'm happy to use glysophate, as I'll never get on top of it otherwise). Should I burn the cuttings as there is so much seed?

Also, I'm keen to get something into this small space I've cleared before the weeds reclaim it - what would you recommend this late in the season? I wondered if I can get some courgette plants they might cover the ground and still produce something this year? I know buying the plants isn't what it's about, but I need the positive boost of getting something into the ground. Is there anything else I can get started now? Even if it's from seeds at home initially, I have a couple of small south-facing windowsills I can use. I'm in Yorkshire, so a bit behind the typical growing season.

Sorry for the long post, I really want to get this going and know it will improve my health too to get stuck in. Many thanks for any suggestions.

Dizzy_Ditzy

Welcome Synonomous

At this stage, I'd be tempted to look at plug plants, so you've already got a head start. Not ideal by any means but that's what I had to do last year.

Once you've got the grass cut down, concentrate on that and maybe one or two planting areas so that it doesn't seem too overwhelming, everything going on at once. That way, anything else you can achieve is bonus.

Brassicas are good for ground cover, but you need to protect against slugs/snails and cabbage whites. Mine are under debris netting and are doing great

Keep at it

Jazee

Hello, zero done yesterday, noticed the caterpillars have eaten all the kohl rabi leaves so I'm harvest those today as they are ready. Its raining here this morning, but I must get out and tidy as I've entered a garden competition in the fruit and veg section....what was I thinking?!!

Ken68

Agree about plug plants, bought some on our Saturday Market, 12 Celeriac for £2.50. About 4"high . Tried last year to grow from seed, took forever and came out the size of a small turnip.

Scottish_Mike

I had my first harvest of potatoes grown in pots on Wednesday. 2 pots, each with 2 seed potatoes - 2 Rocket & 2 Charlotte, planted on March 17. Harvested on June 24, a little late, but I was worried I'd neglected them a little plus the weather had been terrible, so wanted them to have a bit longer. Was very pleased with the results - 1.8kg rocket and 2.3kg charlotte.

The charlottes were gorgeous, really flavourful and buttery while the rockets didn't really taste of much at all. They held the flavour of other things, but really had no flavour of their own. However, going to try them as curried potato cakes, as they had a lovely texture.



Huzzah! First harvest of summer 2015!

zafiro1984

Synonymous:- welcome - we all have to start growing at some stage in the year. I started on 7th June last yr and still got reasonable crops, mainly beans, carrots and leeks.
I agree that plug plants are the way to go but it is also not too late to sow cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, sprouting broccoli, and kale, all to be ready early next year. I'll be sowing mine at the end of July (I live in the south) but would suggest as you are 'up north' you start early July in modules and they should be ready to plant out 4-5 wks later which may give you some breathing space to have a space ready. You need to check whether you are on acid or alkaline soil as the cabbage family need an alkaline soil, we're on very acid sand so I lime heavily, but it's not too late to lime now as long as you don't add manure as well. also I have a feeling there are some club root resistant varieties available which you could try.

Good luck and keep posting.

First blackcurrants today, made ice-cream. Courgettes, lettuce, and too many radishes all picked, still loads to do. I'm not looking forward to the heat wave as I find it too hot to do any real work, I'll probably have to get up even earlier and do what the continentals do: ie spend the middle part of the day indoors.

Ken68

Yes Zaf...heatwave on the way, 30 degrees forecast, time to shade greenhouses maybe garden crops.

Narc0lepsy

Synonymous I'd echo the others and see what your local market or garden centre have in modules; they often start reducing them when hot weather is forecast or they think people are losing interest later in the year. Maybe after this season is over, you can find a source of horse manure or similar and cover some of your plot so it's nicely frosted/rotted/wormed in by next year and easier to dig.

I had a salad of home made rocket (very hot), mixed salad leaves and mange tout this evening. Followed by last year's frozen whitecurrant fool. Yum.

Finally found space for all my cauliflower. Tomorrow I must do the same for the red cabbages.

Synonymous

Thanks for all your replies - it's a big help and is keeping the allotment at the forefront of my mind!

Will go and strim the weeds every day this week for as long as the strimmer battery will last, and I'll check out locally if I can get some plug plants too. Will also go through my seeds and see what I already have that I could start getting ready.

Thanks again and it's great to see/hear about your harvests!

zafiro1984

Scottish Mike:- I know what you mean about new potatoes not tasting of anything. My daughter gave me a tip - boil them (unpeeled) as if you are going to mash them, put in a tray and use the back of a fork to break them, sprinkle with salt and add a little oil, - roast them. I didn't know you could roast new potatoes but I've tried it with 'swift, Red Duke of York and rocket and it works really well. The red Duke of York looked very attractive as the skins roasted 'red'.