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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Allotment /Veg patch thread 4 "Lettuce and Peppers and Pears OH MY!"

999 replies

agoodbook · 30/07/2015 22:25

as per Cupcakes :)
come and join in the harvest !

previous thread here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2386388-The-2015-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-Part-3-already?msgid=55842529

OP posts:
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55
TheSpottedZebra · 15/10/2015 09:37

Morning morning! Have done hardly any gardening in about a week - it's a shame that it's all coming to an end! Will hopefully get up here this afternoon to do some more putting to bed.

My cunning plan is (on my 'best bed, ie full sun), to put down cardboard, then cover with layers of plants chopped up v small, spent compost, and manure. Then cover that with permeable membrane. Would that work? Would that all rot down a bit/enough for next year? Then whatever garden compost I've made can go on my other beds, as I switch things round a bit (2016 Year of Fruit...).

Oh, and in less forward-planning news, I have discovered that I don't like quince. Well, I like the trees, I love the look of the fruit on them, and quite like the smell of the picked ones. But not the taste. Too floral.

shovetheholly · 15/10/2015 09:52

Oh no to quince dislike!! It is an odd flavour - I have a massive sweet tooth, so it's fine for me. Smile Can you make jelly or something with it instead - and have it with something really savoury like cheese to tone it down (hmmmm, cheeeeeeese).

I reckon that'll work with the cardboard! You probably don't need the permeable membrane down for the whole time. Others may disagree but after a bit I've found that things go really weird, mouldy and strange underneath it. You might need to turn the top to stop stuff like chickweed sprouting, but I don't reckon you'll have a massive weed problem before next spring. You could then shove the membrane on for a shorter time to warm things up before planting season? My neighbour on the plot did this last year and her stuff got off to a roaring start, so I am gonna copy her this year.

Cedar03 · 15/10/2015 10:13

I have little strawberries which I think are alpine ones in my front garden. They do spread and spread but the little fruits are lovely tiny sweet things. My daughter loves to help herself to them - they're great for little kids to find. I do have to keep weeding them out though.

It's getting too dark to do anything during the week now. Spent some time there on Sunday though and was able to harvest more beetroot, spring onions, mange tout, spinach, chard and leeks. Which is not bad for October!
Also dug out the rest of the overgrown strawberry bed and covered over with a tarpaulin. Some of the tarpaulin has been covering a small area that we just never got around to planting up with anything. Nothing was growing underneath apart from a bit of horsetail!

Interested to see how you get on with the cardboard Zebra. I've been contemplating doing that in some areas which currently have my summer green manure on them.

TheSpottedZebra · 15/10/2015 10:39

I have a massive sweet tooth too, Shove, and a, er, cheesy tooth. But when eating quince, I just think I'd rather have an apple. Or a pear. And I have a lot of them, and I don't need to cook them for hours to make them edible. Quince aren't horrid, they're just not that nice. Membrillo is fine but again I'd rather have different fruit, or attack my chutney mountain. So henceforth quince shall only be displayed in a nice bowl as golden orbs of fragrant fall fruit (gets ponce on), or given away, in their raw state. I have some in brandy, stashed away, so maybe that will convince me otherwise? But I'm drinking less and less to now, so can't see that being too much of a go-er.

I was thinking the membrane more to stop stuff from blowing away! I did card and manure in that bed from about March, when I had just got/dug/weeded the plot, and it worked well, definitely had fewer weeds than other areas, so I think I'm attempting to do a souped-up version of that!

I meant to say - I'd wondered about alpine strawbs as an underplanting for my soon to be amazing raspberry patch. But i wonder about slugs.

Lovely harvest, Cedar ! And good that you have a mostly weed-free area now. What will you do re horsetail - dig it or nuke it?

Cedar03 · 15/10/2015 11:10

Just keep digging it out Zebra. We sprayed everything with glysophate when we first got the plot and one application killed most things but I didn't expect it to do the horsetail. It's pretty much everywhere and I don't want to keep putting weedkiller down for obvious reasons. We're learning to live with it. (The Natural History Museum has a display in the dinosaur bit of vegetation that was around at the time and there is horsetail's ancestor. It's lasted millions of years, I don't think I'm going to be able to kill it off [Smile]

We used to have a quince at home when I was growing up but it was only ever for display. I don't think my mum (who has always made jams, etc) ever bothered with them.

bookbook · 15/10/2015 18:47

Evening!
Thanks shove and Cedar - looks like a plan to plant them under trees, so will try some at the plot, and some at home. ( They do sound perfect to add to a banana loaf !)
Its lovely picking stuff at this time of year isn't it- sounds a wonderful harvest Cedar- but oh yy on the dark nights.
I managed to get down to the plot for an hour late this afternoon, I picked sprouting broccoli and peas for tea . The purple sprouting is just getting going, and there is still green summer sprouting to go at as well. Its just about my favourite vegetable.
Spotted - I was considering a quince, and I think I may have just changed my mind :) Wasn't it the very first marmalade ? But I thought you mixed it with apples , rather than ate it by itself. And I think yur cardboard plan sounds pretty good to me.
DH and I went to a wood reclamation yard today (Passing by while doing other things), with the hope of finding some nice stuff to make trellis. We came away with a really nice quality trellis, already made for a snip! It is enough for the trellis I was planning, and another one ! all for less than half the price of buying new wood, and no work. Just needs a lick of cuprinol. Now - do I use the spare for the new tayberry, the old loganberry, or something else......Grin

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 15/10/2015 20:31

Zebra - a tip for keeping your cardboard from blowing away is to save empty plastic milk bottle and fill them with water and put them on the corners. Unless it was you that doesn't have a tap on your site? I know it was someone on here. I take my bottles up every week, fill them with water and leave them in a corner so they don't blow away (and also our taps will go off in November) and then use them as needed.

shovetheholly · 16/10/2015 08:36

bookbook - amazing find on the trellis. It sounds fantastic! Plus, recycling Star.

cedar - my Dad fights running battles with horsetail on his allotment. I got him a hori-hori and it's pretty good for getting down into the soil and weakening it. But it is one of those epic gardening battles on a Homeric scale, isn't it?

whoknows I think I'm the one with no tap. Still no tap. Even though the council promised faithfully there would be one by August. Ah well, I no longer need it over the winter because it rains so much here so I shall forget about it until next summer.

TheSpottedZebra · 16/10/2015 09:06

I have a tap! And that milk bottle tip is nothing short of genius! Thank you so much Cedar.

Shove that's a bit rubbish. Did you ever ask about reduced fees?

booky I made quince every which way, apart from membrillo as was ed up with it by then and couldn't be bothered to dry it out. Plain poached quince/with vanilla/lightly spiced. Quince and apple. Quince in a cake. I was so hopeful but it's just not that nice. It significantly less nice than plain apple wpuld be in all those situations, and it takes an awful lot more time to prep and cook.

But I does look pretty on the tree, and the trees are nice shapes and the blossom is lovely too. The trees can stay, but I will carry the disappointment of my quinces with me throughout (my) 2016 Year of Fruit.

On which note, I've done - er not much. I need to acquire some rasp canes. Are Internet-bought bare roots as reliable as those from bricks and mortar shops, ie does the delivery process knacker them?

shovetheholly · 16/10/2015 09:43

Zebra - I bought my rasps online and they were fine. They are so tough and there's not that much to damage when they are bare root. It was the best way I could find to get canes across the whole season from the earliest to the latest varieties.

I love the 2016 Year of Fruit!! Grin

Oh, and I do get reduced fees for the lack of tap... hence the (comparative) lack of moaning about it!! Grin

Cedar03 · 16/10/2015 11:08

That's a great idea about the milk bottles filled with water (it was Whoknows Zebra not me!) Why didn't I think of that? (Maybe it's because I'm using the bricks I dug up from the allotment to weigh things down - thanks to careless wall mending builders).
Will definitely remember it for the future though as I want to use the bricks to define some of the beds a bit better.

I need more raspberry plants. I've only got one. I think I'm going to be heading towards a year of fruit as well (if I manage to get myself organised and actually buy some plants!). I want blackcurrants, and strawberries as well as more raspberries.

And I want to find one of those hori hori blades Shove

LetThereBeCupcakes · 16/10/2015 14:04

Just popping on to say I'm probably going to be off for a bit. DDog is at the vets, being checked out for what is almost certainly cancer. We are hoping to have him home for one last weekend. Not sure yet. He was fine on Tuesday, today we're praying he make it through the night.

Sorry to bring you all down.

Cedar03 · 16/10/2015 14:25

Sorry to read that Cupcakes. What a shock for you all.

shovetheholly · 16/10/2015 14:40

Oh no, cupcakes. No, no, no. What a horrible, gutwrenching shock for you and the whole family. DDog is such a lovely, wonderful, awesome animal too - I can tell how important he is in your lives.

So much love to you and your family. I will be thinking of you.

Flowers x Flowers x Flowers x Flowers x

bookbook · 16/10/2015 14:44

Was only coming to have a quick read, as am busy , but had to say something. Cupcakes that is just so awful , thinking of you all and DDog Flowers

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 16/10/2015 15:59

Oh no Cupcakes, I'm so sorry to hear that news, I hope he makes it through tonight and you can have a little more time with him.

I copied the milk bottle idea from someone else on my allotment site and they are spreading over the whole site plot by plot now, everyone is doing it.

TheSpottedZebra · 16/10/2015 16:14

Oh Cupcakes that's awful news, thinking of you all.

bookbook · 16/10/2015 19:51

Evening

hoping against hope for cupcakedog

Been very busy today, so only went down to pick the last of the sweetcorn, and some raspberries.
The sweetcorn have totally won over DH - I grew 'Mirai' and it has been delicious, so will be growing those again next year. Will try to get more germinated - they were a bit patchy.
I think I have also picked the last of the courgettes- they will be grubbed out this weekend I think.
Spotted and Cedar raspberries are proper thugs, and take easily from very little root. Are you friendly with anyone at your site - most are only too happy to pass on spare ( I rip up loads and give away)
shove - I think you need the discount. I seem to remember hearing on GQT Sheffield charges £160 for a plot. Not for the people trying to make ends meet by GYO !

LetThereBeCupcakes · 17/10/2015 18:53

Thank you for your lovely words. Ddog is home and resting. We're hoping for a couple of days with him.

DH wants to bury him in the greenhouseHmm

bookbook · 17/10/2015 21:55

Evening
good to hear from you Cupcakes - I can see the thinking behind the greenhouse, but that could be tricky..

I didn't get down to the plot, but have written out my seed order ready to take in tomorrow. Also cut down all the tomato plants, bar the 'roma' which are still ripening. Tied up the summer raspberry canes .
So a general tidy up - it did mean I could tidy the greenhouse a bit - I have started taking cuttings and repotting plants ready for winter....

TheSpottedZebra · 17/10/2015 23:00

Oh Cupcakes I hope you have a few more days left with him, and that you can fill them with strokes and naps.

The greenhouse could be tricky, but it's a lovely thought.

shovetheholly · 18/10/2015 19:14

Thinking of you cupcakes

funnyperson · 18/10/2015 22:52

I've cut my raspberry canes down to 3 ins I hope thats the right thing. I got 3 fruit this year they had better do better next year otherwise they are going on the compost heap
The blueberries did well
The courgette finally flowered and appears to have a courgette growing on it
The apple tree didnt even have a single apple this year
The garden has clearly been jinxed

LetThereBeCupcakes · 19/10/2015 07:37

I think I shall be doing my garden plan for next year soon. I've learned a lot this year.

Murphy (DDog) is doing well on the steroids and painkillers. We could get a few weeks with him so that's good.

DoreenLethal · 19/10/2015 08:35

Morning all.

This thread disappeared from my active threads box when I was on my hols I think.

Anyhow - glad to be back.

I think 2015 will be the year of the Confused Courgette for me. Hardly any this year. Only a few produced. Apart from one plant which got going very very [very] late, and so the courgettes were very small, but last week when I composted it, it had over 50 courgettes on it. Yellow ones at that. We made Happiness Soup with them [which is my main reason for growing yellow courgettes].

And last week, we stripped down the polytunnel, and harvested all the tomatoes and achocha. Loads of tomatoes are still green but as they ripen we will freeze for winter soups at the community garden.

And I have a decent gang of students, who have dug over very weedy patches, mulched ready for green manures if we can sow them in time; and who have also made good inroads chopping back our sloe forest, from one self seeded sloe - which we are making this winter into a foraging forest garden.

Will be starting to move our Mass Rocket Heater after half term into our polytunnel as we are turning it mainly into an outdoor classroom with lots of woodwork stations, and preparing for our Geodesic Dome build next spring. Yippee.

And at home, we are in the middle of changing our slate and bed garden into a forest garden with a central winding grass path; nearly halfway through removing the slate [we had 3 tonnes to remove] and putting a brick edge in, then just moving plants to where we want them and then it is time to sow the grass seed. And as a bonus, I am buying a new potting shed for down there. I must admit it is lovely at the moment down there, working next to the canal, with the ducks coming over all the time to see what we are up to.

It is all go here at Lethal Towers. Hope all is well and Murphy recovers.

Pics of our Mass Rocket Heater just for info if you have never heard of them. You light a fire at one one, it burns horizontally and up the inside of the metal tank. Which gets very hot and can be cooked on. The smoke then travels down the inside of the metal tank [there is a chimney inside it] and down through the long horizontal seating area and out the end. The seating area, once lime rendered, gets warm and provides a nice warm place to park your butt on cold wintery days.