The even newer good, bad and ugly of growing your own in 2021!

Mee

Hi All,

I've lurked for awhile as I'm a newbie allotmenteer.

Just wish to mention I arrived at the allotment at 08:30 on Saturday to see light frost under foot. A reminder for me not to get too carried away by warm sunny days. So kept an eye on broad beans - covering overnight.

Otherwise my weekend was spent tidying up and light weeding.

Becoming anxious as I have not done any major sowing unlike some other tenants and friends, then perked up today after reading @Botanygeek

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/feb/28/seed-sowing-time-is-here-but-dont-rush

Nearby plot has been covered with ash - anyone tried it?

Thanks

Suffolk_lass

Weeding to date:
Raspberries, Asparagus, onions, Broadbeans and squashes, double raised bed 1 (or 2) and two of the four rotation beds hoed. I need to do the gooseberry beds before they burst into leaf and flower as the bees are about.
Seeds in pots -
sweetpeas, chillies, tomatoes, hollyhocks
Seeds in ground - broad beans
Next -
Weed the remaining fruit beds and then I need to scatter some wildflower seeds but under hedges need weeding first and I have some green manure to grow in the bed that had ground elder where we killed everything in an effort to take back control. I have Phacelia seeds as they are good for honey bees and other pollinators

MovingForwards

Can't tag Mee for some reason.
We've a stack of wood from the felled trees and slowly turning it into ash to use on the garden. There is a reason for it, but can't think what it is now, all I know is it's good. My mom always used it when I was a kid too.

I'm hoping to get outside after work today, plant up my pound shop strawberry plant. That will be three I have now.

OH is ordering some more compost and bark, bulk bags as it's cheap and local. Hopefully with this order we should have clear paths to walk around the different sections and enough spare compost for the next year or two. He's done a lot to get our garden turned from an unloved plot to a viable growing plot.

Mee

MovingForwards said:

Can't tag Mee for some reason.

Sorry can't see how to undo this on the new site.

zafiro1984

Finally got round to starting growing this year. I've 20 raised outside beds 12' x 4 'and I've just finished weeding five of them this morning. It was quite a quick job because at the end of last year I added quite a lot of compost and covered them over for the winter. I'll do some more tomorrow.

Hens are occupying one of my tunnels (bird flu lockdown) but yesterday I opened  the other larger one to them, mainly to give them a change of scenery whilst I started on the bed that is going to be used for my earlies. Apart from trying to help me they found a hen pheasant on a nest at the far end so that's the end of using that tunnel for a few weeks.  

On a good note, the utility room is bulging with germinating seeds, tomatoes, aubergines, chillies, cucumbers, leeks and chitting potatoes. Now I just need to put some thought into what I put in what bed. Fortunately I have  all the seeds I need but I'm going to try and do more successional sowing and not as much at each sowing. 

MovingForwards

Mee said:

MovingForwards said:

Can't tag Mee for some reason.

Sorry can't see how to undo this on the new site.

There should be a little cog near your post count.

carinjo

Got my Crown Prince seeds and some courgette seeds. Leeks sown in pots

the_cross_rabbit

Been busy sowing  flowers for pollinators and a few for us to eat. All in unheated props. Almost all the window sills are occupied now. Hopefully will be able to move some into the potting shed at the weekend. Been bloomin cold today.
CRx

carinjo

Done the first dig for onion and garlic bed. Rain tomorrow which my back will appreciate. Filled the car with some of the cleared rubbish ms c collected the weekend, back plot already looks so much better because of it!

Kantankrus_Mare

My plot is looking very tidy after a few days down there weeding and tidying. Couple of beds left to turn over and a biggish area needs digging where my potatoes are going to go. (Chitting away nicely in the greenhouse) I have an idea in my head that Im not sure is a good one or not. I have a little bit of lavender on my plot which I love. I have lots of spare areas I could plant more lavender. My idea is to grow as much as possible and either sell as bunches or to dry the lavender and make scented material sachets. Even bought a cheap sewing machine in prep but considering I have never been any good at sowing, this could be hit and miss. Even if I made enough to cover the expense of seeds and compost each year I would be happy and any extra would be a bonus. Worst case scenario, I have lots of lavender for the bees and it looks beautiful. I could also learn to propagate the plants and sell on. Just me pondering.