The 2015 Allotment / Veg Patch Thread Part 3 already!

[agoodbook]

Just seen the other is full , so here goes - we are heading for summer now! Welcome to everyone old and new :)

here is a link to the previous thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2350947-The-2015-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-Part-2?msgid=54546739

[RoosterCogburn]

I'll let him finish the vegetable garden and then I'll make further pond suggestions!

[ethelb]

Zebra yes they are out in open ground. But willing to be told this was very stupid. I am in London and the tomatoes are relatively hardy (for tomatoes) ie stupice, tigerella and black russian.

Our cucumbers were really quite hardy last year and nothing went wrong with them, and the other cucurbits (courgette and pumpkin) planted this weekend are doing well.

[TheSpottedZebra]

May as well try a few cucamelon, Rooster, given that you have seed. The instructions say sow April to may think, and it's been so cold anyway... They take a bit of a while to germinate, IIRC. So after my excess of cucamelons last year, 2015 is not looking quite as bounteous. I finally threw away my overwintered roots, as nothing had happened. And I only have 1 seedling and one apology for a seedling that have germinated.

I am not going to tell you that you're stupid, ethel (like I know anything!). I am going to follow suit, I think. I too have Tigerella so good to hear it's relatively hardy. I also have Black Krim, which must be akin to Black Russian. And am hardening off my cucurbits now, so they can go soon. It's not warm through, can't believe it's nearly June!

[TheDietStartsTomorrow]

I've been planting in limited space in my garden jn containers until now but the last thread has inspired me to apply for an allotment and put things into the ground properly.

I am first on the waiting list so hoping I'll get something I can start working on soon. I live in Yorkshire; any suggestions of what I can still sow now to get some crops in? I'm aware it too late for tomatoes and carrots but what else can I sow lots of, cheaply to get a start? Or should I forget planting and just focus on clearing the site out this year?

I know it depends on the state of the site but just want an idea of what I can expect.

I'm not too bothered about over sowing. I have lots of friends and family nearby who would to be given produce.

[Cedar03]

I am in the south so different weather but if you got a plot soon you could easily get some plug plants for things like cabbages and lettuces rather than starting from seeds. You could also think about crops you'd overwinter. Depends on your conditions though.
I took on my plot last July and it was a mass of weeds and the first thing I actually got in the ground was garlic. But it depends on how neglected a plot is when you start. We pay our rent in April so plots become free then because people decide to give them up when prompted to pay.

Spent time yesterday digging because I need more space to fit in squashes and sweet corn. My neighbour has offered me a cucumber which I've never grown before so I need space for that too. More digging and clearing required. I may have to get over there in the evenings this week.

[Bearleigh]

Getting ready for winter in the veg garden in Australia now:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/25/food-in-season-winter-is-coming-how-to-prepare-an-australian-garden-and-larder

[shovetheholly]

Diet - There's loads you can sow now - you're not too late, provided you get them in soonish. However, I would check out how long the waiting list is in your area before . I'm in Yorkshire too, and I had to wait YEARS! But it's different at every site, so hopefully it'll be better where you live.

If you are fairly confident you'll have access to a plot then, I would get these on indoors:

• a few courgettes (don't go mad on numbers, they are hugely productive - I had 3 plants last year and I had more than enough for a family, all my neighbours, and loads of chutney cookups)
  
• squash/pumpkin
  
• some lettuces (some varieties can be sown right up til August, and then you have overwintering salads too. You can sow direct in the soil, but in Yorkshire the slugs tend to eat them so I have had more success in modules then planting out)
  

And outdoors in pots:

• some beans (runner, climbing)
  
• cabbages
  
• peas (you'll need to be quick)
  
• radish
  
• chard
  

Oh, and you're not too late for carrots - you can sow all year with those! www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/carrots

Ethelb - I reckon some London gardens have an almost continental microclimate, so I wouldn't be surprised if tomatoes could do rather well outdoors there. Elsewhere, though, I think it probably depends a lot on the variety. I have tried them here in Sheffield, though, and they haven't done very well. The problem is less temperature than damp air - they tend to get blight in a wet summer, and we get a lot of those so it's a bit of a gamble. This year, I have my greenhouse so hoping I can control this a bit more.

[TheSpottedZebra]

Shove - you're back! How was your holiday, did all your plants survive?

[violetwellies]

I'm in Yorkshire and am yet to sow my carrots.The rest of my life keeps getting in the way.

[TheSpottedZebra]

Lovely article, Bearleigh. Are you in Aus? Did you nc?
I love preserving stuff. Jamming, chutneys, even plastic bags in the freezer full of produce, all make me exceedingly happy. And I love a kilner jar too.

[mousmous]

regarding tomatos and blight, I have had good success with cutting away foliage.
I remove all foliage below the first flowers/fruits and then end of sept the rest of the foliage so that the plant can concentrate on ripening the green fruit.

[shovetheholly]

Zebra - I am and it was wonderful! I saw so many flowers and birds and reptiles! I saw (and smelt) oranges and lemons growing on trees. ON TREES! It was pretty warm over there, so coming back to the UK, I felt like I suddenly had an insight in how plants must feel when they are put outdoors without hardening off. Brrrr! So cold here still! I noticed Sheffield is a couple of degrees lower than just about everywhere else today - except places like Stornaway! Bah, humbug.

All the plants were fine - I left the greenhouse door open and covered in mesh wound in a very amateurish fashion over a cane. I put all the seedlings in big grow bag trays with capillary matting in the bottom wicked to a washing-up bowl full of water. Worked a treat. But the cold weather meant that everything basically sat there without growing much. Ho hum, at least they're still alive!

mousmous - the first year I grew tomatoes outdoors they were blighty in July, before they'd even really started flowering. They didn't make it anywhere near September. It was 2007, and it just rained, and it rained, and it rained. The city ended up flooding very badly indeed. Even in a good summer, though, it's very cold and wet here - the hills just seem to bring the water in. I miss the proper summers of the south east! I am going to try spraying potatoes this year, and I will give your foliage trick a try on the tomatoes in the greenhouse too!

[TheDietStartsTomorrow]

Oh, so there is quite a lot i can stil do. So glad of the excuse to plant some more seeds! :)

I emailed the council today at 4am after waking up and realsing all of a sudden it was what I should have done ages ago. Then chased them up with a phonecall at a more respectable time of the morning. And lo and behold I'm going to see a plot tomorrow! So excited.

I don't think there's much demand in my area. I live in quite a deprived area and not many people are interested in gardening. I have applied for a plot at the two allotments closest to me. Both are a 10 minute walk/ 3-4 min drive and one has 16 available plots and the other has 3.

I know I should take into consideration how neglected the site is and how much work I'll have to do to get it into order. Also how far it is from water source. What else should I bear in mind when choosing a plot?

[shovetheholly]

Hooray, that's great news about getting a plot.

Aspect is important. So many things need sun to survive, so a heavily shaded plot is unlikely to produce as much. If you can get one that has a shed or some other structure, that's really helpful (as is one with a loo - mine doesn't have one!). Anything too high/exposed/windy can be a struggle.

Soil quality too - does it look nice and rich and loamy and fertile as opposed to thin or compacted? Are other people growing nice healthy-looking crops? Are there plants already in place that you can use (raspberries, for instance?)

Some practical stuff too: does it feel safe? Are you comfortable being there by yourself during the day? Do you have phone signal there? Do people seem reasonably friendly?

Having to clear weeds is pretty much par for the course. A lot of people say to watch out for perennial weeds, but I've yet to meet anyone with a new allotment who didn't have to deal with at least some (though there may be the odd lucky one). Watch out for real nasties, though, like Japanese knotweed.

[agoodbook]

Diet so exciting . Loads of time to get planting - I live about 15 miles east of York, and its only just getting going!
lots of good advice on plots already.
Near water
not too shaded by trees/hedges.
which way does it face - south is best for sun, but take a note of where the wind mostly comes from ( helps if there is someone around who has a plot)
Just how neglected...its probably full of weeds regardless, as its that time of year, but try to stand back and look at it with a cold eye, and see what people are doing around you. Best if you are near other productive plots if possible.
Car access- can you get near to move compost/get manure or bark delivered

There are plenty of plug plants still available , and its not too late for runner /french/borlotti beans /direct sown peas/carrots/beetroot - in fact, loads.
Good Luck !

[RoosterCogburn]

Diet what fab news.
You might find garden centres selling off plug plants cheaply as the weeks go by.
I was in Homebase yesterday and they had lots of sad looking plants for pennies - I know from experience with a little TLC these can often thrive.

[Bearleigh]

Congratulations Diet. Fingers crossed thee are good plots available.

Zebra I am in UK - in SE. Just noticed that article today, and it chimed!

I post on the garden chatty thread ( all welcome). Another poster, echt , is in Australia and it's really interesting reading what she's up to at the opposite end of the gardening year. She also gets to grow more exotica, and to deal with more exotic pests.

[TheSpottedZebra]

Diet that's excellent news! My few months of allotmenteering have bought me so much pleasure - I hope yours does the same for you! Agree that you have loads of time to get stuff done, plus you may find that other plot holders will give you their spares too.

Bearleigh i also love reading echt's updates of what shes doing/growing, as it is so so different to here.

[Kleptronic]

I've just got an allotment. It's a half plot with hard standing and a shed. It hasn't been worked for a year but was well worked before that. I'm going down on Thursday to see it. I wonder if I'll have to rotivate it, or whether a turning over will suffice? Will I have to manure it if it's been fallow for a year? No clue. So good to see the list of things I can put in!

I am so excited. I have 6 tomato plants, some tiny peppers, a cucumber and a courgette plant to go in. I don't have a greenhouse so they are on my front windowsill.

They're going to get munched aren't they!

[TheSpottedZebra]

Ooh, another one for the club -more excitement! It's a lovely time of year to get a plot IMVHO -fine, it's maybe 'late', but everything is grpwing so quickly and the weather is -hopefully going to be-- lovely, so you'll launch straight into the most pleasurable bit! You want put your plants out until they're full hardened-off, will you? Am obsessed by hardening-off at mo

Courgettes like manure, don't they? They're greedy, voracious plants.

[agoodbook]

hello Kleptronic - that sounds great. if its only been left a year it will be weedy, no doubt, but I would turn it over rather than rotavate, as you don't know what weeds there are, and you may cause more problems later down the line. I wouldn't manure at this time of year, right on planting. If it looks like it could do with some oomph on the feeding, then maybe some organic chicken manure pellets would be a good idea, just around the plants you put in. Get some seeds bought -( its a good time, as lots are selling them off cheap) and get some sown into pots - french and runner beans will be growing away by the time you have dug a patch for them .
Lots of advice to be had from all these friendly people :)

[RoosterCogburn]

Welcome Kleptotronic - a shed, how exciting!
I love my potting shed, it's in a mess at the moment but I'm planning on tidying it up during this week.
One of the sides needs reinforcing and some wood needs replacing and the builder is coming to do it, I'm going to ask him to put up a couple more shelves and I have some hooks as well.

Someone pointed out to me that I am morphing into my dad - he used to love setting up all kind of heath robinson contraptions in his shed and now, that's me!

[TheDietStartsTomorrow]

I'm so excited. Will be going tomorrow with my DS aged 13 to see it. The particular plot that I've been advised to look at had been cultivated until early this year and is apparently not too neglected. I have courgettes, peas, tomato plants, sweetcorn potatoes and strawberry plants to put in and will buy more plug plants in the next few days and seeds that have mentioned above.

I'd like to plant a cherry tree and a plum tree. Do allotments usually allow that?

[Kleptronic]

Hmm. Relieved I won't have to hire a rotovater, cash is tight! Chicken manure pellets eh, will get some.

I've started hardening off 4 tomatoes and two of them are not liking it at all. Whatsoever.

I didn't harden off the peppers I just chucked them outside in a trough, which is probably why they haven't grown much and look a bit pale.

The ones still inside I will do properly, now I've looked it up! How long for, a week maybe? I'm in Liverpool on the coast.

I do very well with houseplants but allotments are a whole new thing...can you keep chickens on allotments, is that allowed?

I have a garden but it's all sand. Literally. I'm two roads up from the beach and half the garden used to be a tennis court, it's covered in mare's tail mostly, arrgh!

I've got a compost trench about 6ft long and 2ft wide I keep chucking kitchen veg waste, eggshells, coffee grinds and grass clipping into it. How long do I have to leave it for? It's a year old now.

Squeeeee! So exciting eh Diet! My DS is 11, he's chuffed too

[agoodbook]

Diet you may have to ask permission. You can get them on dwarf rootstock, as you don't want them to get too big.
Kleptronic - not all tomatoes do well outside, and peppers are best inside unless you are very sheltered in a sun trap Liverpool eh? windy and wet :) You usually need permission for chickens - some do, some don't. I should check the compost at the bottom - it should be rotted nicely. But I bet the eggshells are still there - mine just don't seem to budge a bit!
And you both have muscle as well! - get them digging and planting !