The 2015 Allotment / Veg Patch Thread - it's here!

[TheSpottedZebra]

Yes, it's the thread you've all been waiting for, a place to chit chat about your allotment or fruit and veg patch - however big it may be. Even if it currently only imaginary or no bigger than a pot of growing basil from the supermarket.

Come discuss your plans, your seeds, your learnings from previous years and your goals for this year. All levels of knowledge welcome, from absolute beginner, to enthusiastic 2nd year-er (me!), to anyone else.

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I dyed with indigo today (bought not grown) - the results are stunning I'm so chuffed!

I have sat and read back the posts from while I was away - so exciting Amantes - a polytunnel as well!
Whoknows - cats just assume everything is done for their sake!
Spotted - I am totally unknowing on the weed- a 1m woody root ? sounds almost like a bush root or something, but then yellow? - hopefully someone will know. - but at least you have found 'your' shop!
and tomorrow for me is the start of digging the other half allotment- have last years onions and potatoes to get out, and holiday flab to lose!
meglet - I always get my potatoes from the same place, and he told me that Scotland was having real problems last year, and there may be a shortage of seed potatoes - not sure if he was spinning a yarn or not, but I shall be getting mine on Saturday with luck :)

Long bright yellow root = dock.

Oh, DeliciousMonster thanks, it IS dock, just some kind of super dock with its massive root! I know that bits of the root can grow back, but is there anything else I should be aware of with it? NB I'm not planning to sting myself, or cultivate it for herbalism!

Deepest sunny Cornwall is overrated when it comes to warmth and mildness, let me tell'ee. Just because we don't get much frost....we get a hell of a lot of wind that keeps temperatures down, no matter what flannel the Tourist Information Service give you. The spring growth always seems to be a couple of weeks more advanced at my parents' in Buckinghamshire .

Definitely no shortage of seed potato this year. There is a glut.

stubborn - we all have to battle regardless don't we! - I am trying to remind myself it is still only February and I have loads of time - there is nothing worse than having seedlings you have nurtured being battered by wind - its almost worse than cold I think

mink - so he was spinning a yarn :) - I did wonder ! time for me then -will go for Marfona (2nd early) again as its my favourite, and maybe Picasso as a main crop as it was pretty good a couple of years ago. My International Kidney are chitting nicely - I started those a couple of weeks ago

I was just browsing cloches ( as you do!) and saw this - brain frazzled tonight so I cannot remember who was looking for a cloche to cover a raised bed, but here is a link if any good? it looks as if it may be discontinued, but I have sen one on ebay... :)

www.cloche.org.uk/gardman-giant-multi-cloche

I boight a new fridge freezer so am going use the wire baskets from the old one as mini cages for seedlings. Although i have seen the crows poking holes in the fleece on these before.

Talking of cloches, Aldi have some gardening things in soon, including cloches: www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thur-26-feb/

Ooh, the seedling cage idea sounds canny, I have some old freezer baskets also. They're in my shed as storage thingamajigs, but I may re purpose them.

Right, I have definitely probably bought my last seeds for the season. Just now. Although I have somehow managed to put into my basket a 'wrong' tomato, so may need to buy the right one instead. Ok, as well.

Thanks for the Aldi tip, Zebra - I'll investigate! I'm in Yorkshire, so any chance to help keep things warm/create mini greenhouses is welcome. I've been hoarding plastic bottles to cut in half and make cloches too, but we don't get through that many.

Ooh, the mini greenhouse looks like a bargain too...

Those mini greenhouses have been useful- I have 2 which I had before I got my proper one - I use them without the covers on now -its where I harden off my seedlings :) -
I notice they have staging on offer too- will go and look - thanks Spotted !

Hi. Haven't posted for a while but have been lurking. I have inadvertently bought some compost containing peat. My horticultural adviser My Mum says not all veg does well with peat. Have I messed up? What can I use it for?

Dock - yes any bit of root will grow back. All docks have huge roots, hence being considered a weed. Main tricks, keep digging it out and do not let it go to seed!

Peat - the reason for not using peat these days is that it is a carbon sink and the destruction of peat bogs leaches carbon into the atmosphere thus contributing to global warming, destroys habitats and affects groundwater take up [it stores water and if it's not there the surrounding areas can flood], it has no nutrients and thus has to have fertiliser pellets in it to give nutrients to the plants. But - having said that you have it now. It can be used on most plants, but they will need feeding when the time is right.

The little balls in it are quick, medium and slow release fertiliser pellets, they dissolve at different rates as the plants are watered.

Ah thanks Monster I knew I wasn't supposed to buy it due to environmental reasons but wasn't really sure what the reasons were! I didn't realise what I had till I got home. I will keep an eye on feeding. Thanks.

Are any of you on your allotment society committees? Ours are crying out for new members and I was pondering it, but I am very committed with a lot of other things and was wondering what I'd be letting myself in for as say a site rep.

Oour nascent committee just died a death because the rep was finding it too hard. Too much negativity. Everyone was always too busy to help.

Hoever if yors is well established it may be different. Have you talked to any current or previous members?

I was on one - complete nightmare. Always one that things they are god's gift.

At one of our shows, this person was flouncing round saying 'I'm right though' and when we worked out what had happened, she had done it all wrong and would NOT apologise to the people she accused. So I left, and shortly after so did all the others.

It is well established but is in danger of collapsing as a few of the old timers have left and no one has come forward. I was thinking in terms of helping show new people round their plots etc I could do, but I'm not in the least bit interested in helping with shows etc (not interested in entering them either TBH), so perhaps not.

I'm not on our committee , at the moment it seems to be okay- it took over from the Town Council who did run it only about 3 years ago. There are always some who like to mutter behind backs, but actually don't want to do the job. There are about 8 on the committee here - 2 secretaries tend to do the horse work - showing people to new plots and doing the walk round to make sure there are not any problems. And lots of volunteers who run the shop at weekends.

I think tbf the allotments that have committees do better. So if it is a bearable committee then it is a good thing to do.

The town council still run ours (they run the waiting lists and take the rent, also inspections) but the society do shows, show people round the plots, organise bulk seed buying etc. No shop.

I really don't think I can add anything else to my list of commitments at the moment, I feel I'm going under a bit as it is, so will probably not do it, but maybe in future if things ease off a bit.

Quick question - I dug up a bucket load of shallots out of my new bit of plot today -not rotten, just gone soft . Normally I would just chuck stuff like this on the compost heap, but as they still have shoots, should I chop them up first? Never had to do this before- previous plot holder just didn't come and harvest anything after the spring this year , so digging up potatoes, runner beans and pigeon pecked cabbages this week as well !