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.

Hi there - please may I join?
I have had an allotment for 3 years and before that for a few years.
This past three years I have not had much success as I had a toddler and found it hard to maintain, but he is now 4 so I am hoping he will help more and maybe I will get more free time.

I am trying to sort my soil out this year so have manured some of the plot.

I tend to grow only things I like to eat but want to expand a bit this year so i can fill the plot up.

That's a great compost bun! It has a door which you can open; most of the ones I've seen that you build yourself seem to have limited access to getting the compost out. I bought some lovely leaf mould composters which look fab, but actually getting to the leaf mould will be challenging!

Here's what mine looks like at the moment. I am surrounded by people who are very experienced so i always feel like I am letting the site down a bit with my cack handed efforts.

I am going to start growing some seeds in pots soon but waiting to see what the weather is like before I do any more work on the soil.

Hello, can I join?

I'm in the process of moving from a full size allotment about 8 miles away to a much smaller (about 1/3 full size I think) plot in our village- very exciting! It's very pretty- terraced, on a hill and surrounded by woods with a stream at the bottom, although this means that it's also quite shady. There's even a communal shed with a wide variety of tools to borrow (they got a grant).

Things are progressing quite slowly because I'm 21 weeks pregnant and I've got no damn energy! And I couldn't have picked a worse due date in veg growing terms- 31st May! So, I'm going to leave half the plot carpeted over this year. No brassicas or anything labour intensive- just parsnips, rainbow chard, leeks, spinach, courgettes, pumpkins, salad stuff, beetroot. Possibly French beans (I do love them), although I'm aware that's going to mean transplanting/ putting up bamboo poles with a newborn.

The other week I actually succeeded in digging up a mature blackcurrant bush from my old plot- it was awesome, pregnant woman versus huge horny behemoth- can't believe I succeeded!- and moved it to the new plot. I hope it will survive! I've also transplanted some rhubarb and strawberries, which should be pretty low maintenance....

I might go and dig another bed over today if I have enough energy, let's see...

By the way, I reckon I've got leeks sussed. To get nice big leeks, you need loadsa loadsa poo (they're a really hungry crop), and you mustn't transplant them too late. Even though they're a winter crop, I've noticed that they like lots of warm weather to give them a good start- if you plant them out in July, they'll grow like the clappers in a hot spell.

Can anyone tell me - is it ok for me to plant my roots (carrots, parsnips) where I had my potatoes last year?

Fanjo - yes perfectly fine. Esp as you would have dug deep to get those spuds out, leaves a more friable soil which root veg love.

The wild white strawbs, are the white version of wild strawbs so are smaller than pineberries. IMHO - have as many varieties as you can as you get a much longer harvest. I was still harvesting strawbs in November last year - NOVEMBER!!!

Shouldn't be a problem. They don't like fresh manure. (But I do speak as someone who has never, ever, had any success with carrots, or grown potatoes .

I deliberately bought several varieties of strawberries-earlies, lates etc- to give me a long growing season, several years ago. They all came into fruit in the 2nd half of June . Probably started a union...

I've been choosing seeds. I'd decided on stubborn's plan - different varieties for different cropping seasons - and realized that I was nearly at the point of buying every variety possible just in case! Have pruned my online basket dramatically ....

I shall now make it rain by heading off to do some digging, I'm mightily impressed by stubborn's efforts while pregnant, I think all I did was unwrap biscuits for 9 months.

i'm in. what a lovely thread. second year of an allotment. last year i bought a pack of lots of different types of seeds - not only was this cheap, but it made me grow things i wouldn't normally buy, eg peppers, turnips.

my onion seeds have sprouted. only one sweet pea so far - these weren't great last year either. chilli's and peppers look as if they are thinking about sprouting, but not up yet.

Hallo I am joining in. We took on an overgrown half allotment plot last August - we've had one before but not for a while. So we've some experience but it's all new this year. So far we've focused on clearing the weeds and digging out a whole load of rubble leftover from some council building work. I know that the man who used to have the allotment a few years ago kept it immaculate and I'm hoping that some of the good quality soil is still there. Although a lot is compressed heavy clay thanks to the building.

I think we got slightly carried away with the seed order - I have a very keen 7 year old who wants her own plot. She was asking for all kinds of seeds when we were going through the catalogue!

We're sticking to things we know we can grown and will eat: onions, potatoes, cabbages, lettuces, peas, beans and tons of other things as well.
I also want to grow some fruit - raspberries and blackcurrants. We've got a loganberry already which did very well last year - I even had enough to make jam.

Just hoping the weather will cheer up a bit so I can get some more digging done!

Hi. Can I join? I have 2 largish raised beds and a greenhouse and have grown veg for a few years but feel like I do it all on the hoof with little planning or preparation!!!! For example....I haven't manured the plots...ever.....is it too late this year? Also I grow tomatoes in and out of the greenhouse and they always go mouldy. Blight maybe? Every. Single. Year. Any ideas? I have tried washing down the greenhouse at the start of the season in case it's carried over.

I'm in!

I've had my allotment for four years and haven't really made the most of it yet.

Last year we were ravaged by rabbits so we've been making chicken-wire cages to protect the beds. There's also a new allotmenteer who keeps ferrets so he will be welcome on my plot!
There's something in the shed too, eating his way through dds sun tent, tarpaulin, blankets... We are in the countryside though so wildlife is to be expected, and when we come to planting this is something we bare in mind ??

This year I plan to grow loads of onions, garlic (mine aren't in yet), shallots, peas, tomatoes, carrots, french beans, strawberries and raspberries.
Also a few spuds, pumpkins, squash, courgettes (we were overrun by these last year - max 3 plants this year!), and I want to make a proper herb area around the shed, and a cutting flower bed at the front.

There's also the area beyond the shed to deal with - it's full of nettles and we had hoped to sort it out over winter. Hopefully Sunday will be a nice day and we can get down to it.

Still not decided whether the artichokes will stay or go? They look lovely, very architectural, but are enormous plants and are too much hassle to cook.

Can't wait to get back down there again, I've missed the place over winter!

footballs if you can get some well rotted manure, then put it on. I am still winter digging mine, and I then spread rotted manure over the top as a mulch, then when I am due to sow/plant, I dig it in. But you will need to make sure it is rotted.
I have had my allotment coming up 5 years, and the first year I didn't have manure or compost, I took what I could from home, but it was a drop in the ocean. First winter, I sowed a green manure which allowed me to get a load of manure in and matured for the following year.
I have manured everywhere every year since then, as the soil was in poor condition, and being on the Wolds, it sits on a chalk bed, and not that deep.
It is starting to pay dividends .
I work it organically - I dig, and don't spray anything, but the first 2 years I did put on organic chicken pellets, which helped. I also use fibre pots to raise my plants - the roots are not disturbed when I plant them , and it adds to the mix when they break down :)

Thanks agoodbook now for a stupid question...how do I know if it's well rotted? I see bags of horse manure on sale outside gates sometimes but am never sure whether they would be right. Or should I buy from a nursery/garden centre? We do have a compost heap now so am hoping to use some of that.

Well, when I buy my load from a local farmer you can see the straw and manure still almost as just a mix, when its rotted, it looks more like lumpy compost-. New manure tends to steam as well as smell- you can see it sometimes!
If you are happy to pay a bit more, then of course buy from a garden centre. But if you can get a load it will be much cheaper and you can spread it out now on dug/weeded areas and it will almost break down by late spring/ early summer , -another 3 months so . If you are digging a bit at a time for next year it will sit on top and the worms will pull it down. Its a great weed suppressant !
I tend to plant out a bit later than some as here in Yorkshire we often get late frosts , so I am a month behind the southerners!

Can I join please? We were offered a plot this week and visited yesterday to check it out - we had one where we lived before and it was so neglected, sloping and poor soil that it was heartbreaking work. This plot is flat, good soil and I found out today was given up because the people had another plot in the family and decided to cut down on the commitment so is planted up with established fruit bushes and in pretty good nick (it might even come with a fruitcage and shed unless they move them to the other plot). We are so lucky - we only had to wait 5 months to be offered a plot so I'm a bit taken by surprise.

My New Year's resolutions for allotment growing then are:

1. grow some things that can stay in the ground until we need them e.g. onions, leeks, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, celeriac, etc.
2. grow things that don't need watering/picking every other day (so tomatoes, runner beans, sweet peas, raspberries and strawberries, etc. are for our little back garden)
3. grow things we like to eat but that are expensive or taste SO much better freshly picked e.g. sweetcorn, fennel bulb, celeriac, garlic, salad leaves, etc.
4. have a patch for DS to keep him interested e.g. pumpkins, sunflowers, french bean wigwam den, etc.

We're just waiting to hear when we can officially take it on and then I can get properly excited about it.

Also...I'd recommend these sources of info:
'How to Store Your Garden Produce: the key to self-sufficiency' - really good advice and recipes.
the National Allotment Society lots of useful advice - see Resources and Downloads/Individuals and Schools. I think the leaflet on planning summarises crop rotation and the Growing Advice section has monthly jobs.
Allotment Diary - this is a really great diary of an allotment grower in Yorkshire.

Thanks agoodbook. If it would just stop raining for long enough, then I'll get spreading and digging.

More people! Welcomes all with . Well that's a complete lie, my hands are not muddy at all, as I am tucked up inside, as we've had snow! Instead of pottering outside, I am still 'finessing' my seed order. I think it's just fantasy shopping now, and I am imagining that I have a lot more room than I do.

agoodbook I'm glad that you said that about which beans you loved last year, as I already have Cosse Violette and White Lady! I've not grown either before. I love beans. I'm doing Scarlet Emperor too, a repeat from last year. Oh, and Yard-Long beans, also new, but I suspect that I might not have the heat needed.

I'm not doing any peas, but I am planning Asparagus Peas. Has anyone tried them? They sounded a great idea, but since I got my seeds, I've only read that they actually taste a bit horrid and not at all like asparagus, as billed.

dreamingofsun you're sowing seeds already? Ooh! Now I want to! Seed sowing is almost by favourite bit - the possibilities the could ensue! Have you got lots of specialist equipment eg grow lights and what - not?

footballs have you googled pics of plant diseases to try to figure out whether yours was blight? It's quite distinctive, you'd know from seeing a pic whether that's what it was.

Mystic your (hopefully) new lottie sounds amazing! How lucky to get all that lovely fruit. I emailed another parish council late last night to see if I can get on their waiting list for an allotment too. I really want one!

TheSpottedZebra Just sat down for 5 minutes coming in from work, before i make tea
I tried asparagus pea last year- truly dreadful. If picked at about an inch big, they were tender and no taste - when picked bigger, they were tough with no taste they were pretty though, and didn't get touched by the pigeons or the rabbits!
If you like sprouting broccoli ( and we do!) I grew a new cross with something ( brain fade ) which harvested earlier than the main crop - its name is Brokali, variety Atlantis, and that was lovely over June/July to end of October ,

This thread is inspiring! I've just gone and purchased a few seed packages from the real seed link above.

I'm a total newbie but in the spirit of new year, new house, new garden, I'm hoping to clear some space in the back garden and at the very least have a few pots of herbs and lettuce (but hopefully, also some bedded varieties such as kale and beets as well).

Does anyone have recommendations of hardy, and productive varieties that are good to start with?

Rainbow chard! If you sow it in April, it will just sit there till next spring looking pretty (in France they seem to like using it in their decorative municipal planting- I wonder if skint people steal out in the night and harvest it? Probably not, as they know it'll be saturated in poodle wee ). Some say it's tasteless, but I have a Special Recipe that I am willing to share upon application...

Rocket- expensive in the shops, pretty failsafe (although I have failed on occasion ), and the slugs aren't keen....

Back to talking shit....I live in a rural area, and various gateways have little piles of bags full of horse poo next to them, with an honesty box (typically it's 50p a bag). Sometimes it's not v. well rotted, but it's great, you just leave it in the bag for several months and it will rot away quite happily in there. That works better for me than getting a load, as you can only get to the new plot on foot.

yes stubbornstains - we have those bags around here as well- I'm semi- rural, but very lucky to be in old established allotments with 2 roads which get access to the end of every allotment. So I can order my manure, and a tractor comes and actually tips it out of the trailer into my manure bin ( a fancy name for an open heap bounded by pallets!)
MsCoconut - first thoughts are along the line of- what do you like to eat, and what is expensive to buy , and go from there--herbs are a must as far as I am concerned ( so much, I grow mine at home - I see you will as well!) so as a basis, I would have thyme, sage, rosemary and a bay -these are the things I use almost daily, and are perennial, parsley which manages a couple of years if you are lucky and the annuals basil and coriander- sown every year

at your poo delivery goodbook