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

[agoodbook]

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

WhoKnows you mentioned your milk bottle tip befoe, so I adopted it this winter - it really works! And I have been copied, so your tip is now SWEEPING the nation!

I could not resist seed sowing any longer. After an exciting trip to Wilko to get seed compost, I sowed some limanthes, another chard, some chillies... I resisted buying a new plastic greenhouse, but I did get another heated propagator and other bits and bobs. I'm still holding off on the tomatoes though. For now.

. Well I can't completely claim it as I copied it from someone else on my site, I have noticed a few others doing it now too.

Dug out my gadget for making newspaper plant pots today, and spent a few minutes just moving stuff around in my shed, I've missed spending time up there over the winter.

Hooray for seed sowing! My black krim tomatoes are just through yesterday - Zebra these were your suggestion, and now they are real, living seedlings!

Off to Aldi in a sec...

I am holding off planting seeds at the moment. We did get some potting compost the other day during a swift trip to the garden centre.

My plot is currently half covered with tarpaulins to keep the weeds down. It is effective and stops half of it growing wild before you have a chance to dig it over.
Didn't have a chance to get over there last weekend as we were busy but hoping that it will be dry enough to get over there this weekend. I need to cut down my green manure so that I can dig it in. And get some more digging done as well.

I planted a few seeds inside in some egg cartons on Monday. DD1 (4) is keen to see what will grow - and she does the watering. We did some sweet pea, parsley and basil. I hope they work!

I'm trying to decide whether to buy the Ben Sarek blackcurrants I found on Amazon. FIL is up tomorrow for a few days so I thought I'd ask him to help me dig the patch (I am not allowed to do things like digging, alas) and get it ready to plant the bushes, but I'm a bit concerned about quality. I was thinking maybe I'd get two of the four I want, and if they succeed then I could grow a couple more from cuttings. Does that seem sensible? Or should I just bite the bullet and get four? I hate making such decisions!

Need to go to the garden centre at the weekend and pick up a few things, including some broad bean seeds and maybe a few propagating tray things. Also trying to convince DH that it's a good idea to get a small greenhouse-type thing to live on the patio so I can try growing tomatoes.

Ah, nevermind! Found cheaper versions from what looks like an OK seller so have bought 4 after all, and they'll arrive while FIL is here! The others would have been the following weekend.

Afternoon! I'm back :)
and welcome to all the newbies - some nice work going on there!
By gum it was cold last night- -4º first thing this morning, and it looks like we have had a few sharp frosts.
Funnily enough, after a few necessary bits, I have zoomed down to the plot to have a quick look. I am pleased to say it has survived . Its all looking well, and I picked some leeks, sprouting broccoli and a stem of sprouts. Sheer luxury.
Shallots and garlic looking good ,spring cabbage as well. Perpetual spinach, savoys and kale all good. The spring cauliflower 'Aalsmer' look nice, but haven't yet formed any curds yet, unless they are tiny.
At home, the broad beans I sowed before I went away have done nicely - strong little plants, though not 100% germination - have 21 out of 25
So tomorrow I need to go and cut down all the autumn raspberries, and then at home get my first sowing of leeks going. No sowing tomatoes for me yet - maybe next week!

BOOK IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you had a fabulous break with plenty of sun!

Welcome back, books! Hope you had a lovely holiday.

What's the best thing to do/grow around the base of trees and plants? We've got some fruit trees and climbing plants against our fence and they're all in squares of basically empty soil. Is it a good idea to put in some ground cover type things?

Hello all, and welcome back, booky . Surely that wasn't 3 weeks?

Well, I am cream crackered. I had a few hours at the plot today, attacking my compost heap. It's the first time I've taken out since I inherited it - I'd only added to it last year. It seems quite well-rotted, so I'm quite pleased! But it is full of stones, and lumps of mud too. Odd. And unfortunately I had to dig out the front pallet not get to it, and I disturbed a load of frogs - some mini and some full sized. I think I managed to move them all safely, and there is a pond bit of a stream usually full of spawn/shagging frogs only a few metres away.

I spread quite a bit of compost on my rasps and rhubarb. Should I put it on the currants too, or would they prefer something else? Kiwi oh person with blackcurrant juice running through her veins, what do you recommend?

What else do I do with compost? I've never made it before. Do I just spread it everywhere now? Or save a bit for planting time?

Kiwi I had grand plans for underplanting planting sweet alyssum under my fruit last year. I read that they don't take much from the soil. But I never did it...

thank you shove and only 19 days Spotted , not really 3 weeks . :)
It was lovely and warm, mostly between 22º-24º . Though I did take a little bit of weather with me - they had a day of showers/rain - the first for 3 years!!
Grouchy I'm sure your blackcurrants will be fine, you cannot always rely on reputable sellers -( just look at shove and her asparagus crowns , which sounds disgraceful). Its always a bit tricky planting around the base of shrubs/trees. If they are going to be quite big, then the soil around will be in shade or very dry, if not big, then they can compete! I do have stuff around an established pear tree and other deciduous trees , but mostly planted many years ago . So a lot of early spring bulbs such as aconites, snowdrops and anemones, also oxalis and cyclamen, some creeping evergreen geraniums . Variegated Lamium ( dead nettle ) works under my amelanchier, and spreads nicely, if a bit thinly, primroses. Basically nothing too vigorous to compete with the important stuff :)
Spotted I chuck my compost thickly around the base of anything perennial in truth, as thick a mulch as I can get away with, on the thought it cannot hurt! I put it around every currant bush I have, asparagus, rhubarb.

Wow it only seems like 5 minutes ago that you were going away bookbook! A nice bit of warmth sounds lovely.

Spotted I put compost around things and also try to dig it in where the ground is particularly heavy clay. I also bought some sand last year to help with that, something I must do again this year.

We will definitely be making a trip to the plot this weekend to get some work done. I need to agree with H where his asparagus crowns will go (a Christmas present) when they are delivered so he can prepare that bit of soil.

I've said this on another thread, but I have absolutely horrible privet hedges at home. The ground underneath them is incredible poor, hard and dust-dry to the point that even things like ivy struggle. However, I've found one plant that does incredibly well, which is Campanula poscharskyana. Warning, though - it spreads!

Under fruit trees it should be a lot less challenging because the shade will be more dappled and the trees aren't as aggressive at grabbing water and nutrients. I love book's idea of spring bulbs.

Evening!
well, I have officially started sowing seeds. 2 lots of leeks - my favourite 'Blue Solaise' and a new one to me 'Prizemaker',( an earlier variety). Also done a sowing of spinach, but in a large pot in the greenhouse.
Bought some more seed potatoes today as well -the ones I sorted before I went away are only just showing signs of chitting. Also bought some more shallots- I will be interested in seeing how well they do in comparison with the ones I put out in Autumn.
Grouchy - another thought for under your fruit bushes - how about some low growing easy annuals, just to fill the bare patches this year? There are loads to choose from, and will provide some interest while things get established.

Seed potatoes - is it time to start chitting ? I've got a patch to dig over.....

Hi didi - just read your first post. Now is the time to be chitting potatoes, but time yet- they take about 6 weeks until ready to plant out, depending a bit on where you are.
I see you may have been struggling with keeping on top of things? When I started, in about February time a few years ago, I just gave myself a target of clearing ( digging/weeding etc) just enough of an area to sow/plant something as soon as it was done , covering the rest until I reached it. I was surprised how much that motivated me. I knew what I most liked to eat, and grew those things, and tried to plan a bit ahead, so I always had a goal.

I'm determined to sort out the raspberries (which were bloody marvellous last year with no looking after), move out the strawberries which grew under the raspberries and got swamped. That leaves me with a quarter of a plot (I've a half plot) that needs degrassing (which we did half of last year but you can't tell now) and I thought potatoes there. But now perhaps I should aim for half of the half with potatoes, the other half under cardboard with manure when I can get some in the summer.

Hey peoples.

I just wanted to let you know that I got offered a new job this morning - managing a community garden as part of a city farm. Get in! The garden boss. What's not to like?

I had the interview yesterday and they called at 9 this morning. My head is buzzing with all the things that I want to do there. So I am off now to calm myself in the greenhouse sowing seeds and potting on all my herb cuttings that I have spare - part of the job is producing plants for sale so I am happy to start supplying those pretty much before I even start the job. And it means I can clear my greenhouse out. Wahoo. I might do some woodwork and make some bug houses as well, so that they can start making those with their kids groups. Gosh - so much to do.

And...

When do we get a new thread? Is it good to get a fresh one for March 1st?

Congratulations Doreen and well done , I am sure they have picked the best one for the job!! exciting times :)
I'm just popping on for a quick dip in to read, as am busy today with DGS - though I am hoping to get his help(!) with some seed sowing this afternoon.
And I too was looking at a new thread pretty soon, so titles anyone?
didi - how much actually space is your quarter plot for the potatoes - my half plot was pretty big, and I have since found that plot sizes vary widely! Is it worth thinking about squashes for later in the year- they love well manured soil, and grow so quickly and thickly, they tend to swamp weeds.They dont need planting until its nice and warm, so would give you time to tame some more land :)

I'm not entirely sure how large our 1/2 plot is. It's in two squares, each probably 20 feet by 20 feet (guessing completely here)

I did an hour of digging up strawberries and weeds. Rather disheartening. The compost pile we inherited doesn't rot - I suspects it's all twigs at the bottom. So I need to fetch that home and put into our council composting bins I think. One of which is full of the devil's pampus grass I trimmed this afternoon. But I'm currently sitting in the greenhouse in our garden, in the dark, watching the incinerator - I'm burning the fruit tree prunings. I do love a bonfire.

Tomorrow I'll take a car load of cardboard up to the allotment I think. DH isn't convinced but I can't see us/me getting around to.digging it clean of weeds (I did the raised beds in our garden as well as the 6 trees and the devil's grass and I'm pooped!).

Evening!
sounds as if you were busy didi - one of those days when a soak in the bat is well deserved!
DGS and I sowed some salad leaves in the greenhouse - he managed to not swamp then into the corner with too much water this year, so fingers crossed! I also managed an hour at the plot this afternoon, cutting down the autumn raspberries and picking some perpetual spinach. Truly glorious sun, no wind, joy! And the raspberries are peeking through, so spring is around the corner :)

bath of course!

The raspberries in the garden are 3-4 inches tall. At the allotment there's no sign of life.

Spent 2 hours weeding at home, 3 hours pruning the trees then couldn't face going back to the allotment !

CONGRATULATIONS Doreen! That's wonderful. They are very, very lucky to have you.