Shall we have an ALLOTMENT/veg. patch thread? Do enough people have one to justify a thread??

[LadyOfWaffle]

Thought i'd try and start up an allotment thread because I am a complete novice, and although I have joined a site it just doesn't feel the same! Anyway, hope this takes off, be nice to chat to fellow allotmenteers before I destroy mine.

[Nymphadora]

There are loads of us on here growing something veggie. I have loads of pots in the backyrad & fruit bushes

[stickyj]

I have a veg patch and would love some help! DH always grows things I hate and last year we lost loads of stuff because we forgot (sorry, HE forgot) to water stuff

[TooTicky]

I grow veg
I'm just waiting for the puddles to go from the veg patch.

[TheFallenMadonna]

We have an allotment. The garlic is in already, and we've just ordered a bunch of seeds.

[luminarphrases]

i have a veg patch in my yard, currently growing (or trying to) potatoes and onions cos they are always useful, plus loads of herbs

[Nataz27]

I'm just about to start a small veg patch in garden, mainly raised beds. Anyone else doing this? Be good to share experiences...

[TheFallenMadonna]

If you have enough room (and our allotment is really too big for us TBH), think about growing some flowers for cutting.

[TooTicky]

I planted garlic, onions and turnips in the autumn.

[LadyOfWaffle]

I have just spent ages looking up about raised beds, I don't think I'll have them, just normal ones. I am just starting off with a 4ft x 4ft patch, I think anymore and I'll keel over with the work! Just been reading about double digging aswell . When I first got the allotment I had visions of sticking in a few potatoes and feeding the family for years, didn't even think about clay soil/acidic/alkaline/wet/dry!

[LadyOfWaffle]

My mums already ear marked my allotment for her flower growing for flower arranging, and beetroots (I hate them!) I have to measure my allotment, it's not really that big - techinically it's half of an allotment, I think they started to split them into two recently.

[oops]

Message withdrawn

[Cremolafoam]

this year I am doing:
spuds
onions
leeks
carrots
beetroot

french beans
mangetout
peas

in green house
soft herbs
salad leaves

redcurrants
rhubarb
blueberries

[Nataz27]

My gardens mini so raised beds seem best way. Plus soil not that good. Gonna do a mixture, wanna try a bit of everything. Not too fussed about being self sufficient just have a go and see what grows.

[missingtheaction]

please may i lurk and lust? don't even have my own garden at the moment, used to have an allotment-sized veg patch + big garden and really really miss it!

cremolafoam - no tomatoes?

[Oblomov]

I made an initial enquiry for an allotment last year. Allocated one. But never took it up, because felt I couldn't manage it. Feel bad. Still dream of one.

[callmeovercautious]

Can I join in - I have a patch that was doing well before DD came along. In the last 17m I have done very little and need tips on growing things in a way that take very little of my time.

[SnappyLaGore]

hooray for this ladyof
i am attempting this yr for the first time to get my veg gdn going.
and chickens too.
we shall see how it goes...

[FrannyandZooey]

yes yes I need reminding to do things in the garden
last year was our first year and we grew loads of lettuce, some tomatoes, carrots and some mini pumpkins. I think we are branching out very slightly this year (but very limited in space)

can someone tell me when I am meant to be doing things please?

[Cloudhopper]

I have an allotment. I only started it last Feb, so it is all very exciting still.

Working almost full time, we still managed to get there at least one or two evenings a week after work. It is a really good place to spend that hour before bedtime. It tires the children for an easy bedtime.

I have dug over about 4 beds, and the rest is still grass.

The best thing we did was put a wooden wendy house on there for them to play with. Even on sunny winter days it is warm in there.

A mix of flowers and crops is quite good - IME the flowers are a nice morale boost when other things are struggling! I loved it last year, but I wouldn't say this was because of any success with vegetables.

Potatoes were really the main event food wise. Highly recommended for beginners.

[SnappyLaGore]

i grew some lettuces from seedlings from gdn centre last year (lazy)
they were horrible really bitter.
supposed to be little gems... horrid.

have to say, i have cheated and ordered a childrens garden to arrive ready to plant out in april... but will have lots of other things underway by then, i hope. and i need to restock our (tiny) orchard which has been neglected for many years (we live on an ex-farm), not to mention re populating lots of flowerbeds and turfing over some irrelevent beds ... theres lots to do in the gdn. think i may live out there this yr (heaven)

[LadyOfWaffle]

LAst night my mum rang and we worked out she had been working on the wrong allotment! It was all cleared, ready to plant and we found our mine is the one next to it - with the shopping trolley dumped on it Going on Friday to get it sorted - mums really muscled in on it and telling me everything she is going to plant on it! Hopefully i'll get a little patch!. NO idea what goes in now - I'll shove in some garlic and see what happens. We aren't allowed sheds or fencing on ours - it's quite strict. It's a real shame because it would have been great for DS to go to.

[KatyMac]

Can you plant willow round the edge? That forms a nice hedge

Or even some low box - as that would give your DS a 'virtual' barrier he wasn't allowed to cross

[LadyOfWaffle]

I was thinking of box, but unsure if it would eat into the allotment too much. I'll have a good look Friday

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

Ah we used to have one until we moved and I miss it very much.

So I can talk / advise retrospectivly.
We are on the waiting list here but it's 4 years+

[duchesse]

sniff

I miss mine!