Allotment/Veg Patch - Thread 7 - The Harvesters Arms

[bookbook]

Well, it's been an interesting summer, to say the least.
We are now heading into the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness :)
Everyone welcome to join in and ask for advice , share their woes and just enjoy growing!
previous thread here

Afternoon!
Hi Cathpot - I think the Jeyes fluid should be fine, as long as you are not keeping anything overwinter in there, and can give it a good rinse with a hose. I am normally just a small amount of washing liquid and a bit of bleach sort of cleaner mind you , but if everything was very mouldy I would . Its letting it dry out with the door open thats the issue now I guess. Bamboo sticks - could you dip them and give a quick clean with the Jeyes? Otherwise maybe bin.
It was a nice morning at the plot , no wind, not too cold , and got just about everything done that I had planned - thats a first! Pulling out errant raspberry canes , and weeding around the fruit bushes at the top end. Picked some of the really nice leeks , and a savoy. There were a fair few people around, as this weekend and next is rent paying time so got to say hello to people I haven't seen recently :)

like book I do not protect my raspberries,and there is always plenty. Gooseberries, blueberries, grapes on the other hand..... even with nets I seem to loose some

hi, I'm back from hibernation
frequent name changer, but will mention comfrey juice ;)
have sown beetroot indoors today to get strong plug plants that can resist slugs, snails and squirrels as well as possible.

I am watching all the advice for Book about raspberries.
I only have a small plot so will chicken manure pellets be ok instead of a pile of rotting manure?

Lua I'm about 25 miles north of you on Herefordshire border. Lots of apple orchards and some vineyards locally if that means anything about what I can grow?

My plan for this week is to fight the bramble out of the fig and anonymous fruit bushes. Also have a lot of ragged lavender in the garden to give a haircut

I am intrigued with you january beet planters.... In my ignorance, I always thought that root crops don't like being moved? Can you walk me through your steps please? Do you prick seedling and transplant to a bigger pot? When do you put them out? when do you get to eat your lovely beets starting this early?

Chilly- you shoud be Ok for most things in pots and bags in your lovely patio...Just saw these today and though would be great for you:
if you like beans, that is....

In my ignorance, I always thought that root crops don't like being moved?

Technically they don't. But beets are basically podgy stems rather than roots. I'd never sow carrots or parsnips and transplant. Not after the carrot orgy incident.

I prick them out into single pots usually my origami paper pots and when around 4-6 true leaves, plant them into final positions, water in, mulch and then leave them. For me, this means the first batch go out around March time.

I use origami paper pots alot.

I have seen carrot/parsnip/beetroot plug plants in little paper pots in the garden centre.
so I thought what b&q can, I can as well.

I am using loo roll cartons.

Evening!
I do a mixture of direct sow, and sowing 2 seeds into small plug pots for beetroot , and just plant out when they are big enough, - about 6 leaves as per Chuck It works pretty well , and I have also had some success with the small chantenay carrots as well this way.

Go on, chilly do tell us about the carrot orgy incident

and cheers for the tips on the beets!

Ooops, I meant Chuck!

although Chilli, if you have similar a incident I would be happy to hear it too!

Chilly - I read, and then forgot to say in my post - chicken manure pellets, would help - they like a good feed :).
I was listening to GQT today, and they talked about seaweed fertiser , may have a think on that - not really near enough a beach to forage :)

Yikes! I've only just opened the seed catalogues. Usually have a few things sown by now.

Interesting that some of you sow beetroot at this time of year, I'm going to try it, beets are my nemasis, I'm lucky if they get golf ball size. They are probably my favorite veg right now too.

Chuck is a trailblazer -in truth, I am not sowing my beetroot until March . I am not totally sure the soil at my plot will be warm enough until then!
Hello and welcome Ananke :)

Thanks BookBook.

I'll do some in trays in the house then move them down to the greenhouse when they're up then just direct sow in march to see what the difference is...love a wee experiment :)

lua - adding another, belated voice to say I always sow beetroot in the greenhouse, then plant out, but that's because I have rampant slugs the size of small elephants who eat anything that tries to germinate in the soil. Except weeds, of course. It's worth stressing that Avon Early, the variety chuck is talking about is a really early one - are you using cloches to give it a boost as well chuck? One of my resolutions this year is to do better at using every trick I can to get the soil warmer earlier.

cath - I use Jeyes fluid on my pots - just make sure you use it really, really dilute. It's easy to think you're not using enough when you pour half a capful into a large bucket, but it's absolutely vicious stuff.

cupcake - the horse manure needs to be well-rotted. If you get a fresh supply, dump it in a pile, cover it with weed sheeting and leave it to rot down for a while. You know when it's ready because it stops smelling and becomes lighter and more crumbly in texture! For raspberries - when you are planting them out as canes (and yes, bare root ones just come as twigs with bare roots - they look a bit disappointing but they race away when in the ground), it really feels like you are leaving WAY too much space between rows. Do not do what I did and be tempted to squeeze more into the space than the planting guidance advises. They will bush out in no time and you will be forced to pick in something that resembles a very thorny Amazonian jungle, which is not only annoying and awkward for you but difficult for pollinators to get into as well. I had to replant mine at the correct distance a couple of months ago!!

I have a quick question about storage of crops: those of you who do things like apples, potatoes and get gluts - where and how do you store the finished article? And would it be a totally stupid plan to store potatoes, apples etc in drawers under the sink in a utility room (well, more a utility cupboard really)???

Morning!
well, we were due to go and finish the paving slab sorting out today, but it is looking decidedly dodgy out there fingers crossed it won't rain ( ever hopeful!)
shove I don't have loads of stuff to store, but keep potatoes in a sack in the garage . Shallots one layer thick in trays firstly in shed, then in pantry to use.. I get given loads of cooking apples - the last lot have been in my pantry on a set of shelves and have been fine. I always used to keep them in a shed, wrapped in newspaper, but in truth I think it was just a tweak cold , ( but maybe its just growing years too) - this year they have been really good , normally a fair few have bitter pit, and I haven't had one this year with it.
I am trying very hard to sow and grow little and often with as many things as possible. Cauliflowers defy me in this!
I think your new utility room is going to be fine, as long as you can keep it dry , and not pump warm tumble drier air into it .

Hello! Can I join in? I need to share my leaf mould excitement with people who might know what I'm talking about. I read on here that you should put collected autumn leaves in black bin bags, puncture the bags and leave them for a year. I live next to a wood so thought I'd give it a go. Lo and behold, I opened up the bags this weekend and they were full of lovely sweet smelling leaf mould. Amazing!! I was probably a little bit over excited, to be honest.....

Apart from that I am having a running battle with creeping buttercup. I just have to hoe/dig it, right? There's no magic way that I don't know about?

you could try planting something equally invasive.
last year I had my pumpkin in buttercup central and it seems to have supressed them somewhat

HOORAY FOR LEAF MOULD! I'm so glad you made it cuppatea! It's wonderful stuff.

I used to have a LOT of creeping buttercup in my last garden. It's actually a good sign of fertile, moist soil! But a pain to remove (a lot of people don't appreciate how much of a pain, because they only have small amounts - en masse, it's trickier than it looks). The key is to dig out as much of the roots as you can - including all the little nodule bits. This generally involves a fork and some deeper digging. If you do this religiously for a year, you really start to win. Mulching thickly can also help suppress it, as can growing plants you want on any bare soil, as pinkswim says.

Thanks Shove and Pink. Leaf mould is amazing, though my partner didn't manage to be sufficiently impressed when I showed him it! Nice to hear my buttercup problem says good things about the soil (which will be even better soon thanks to my beautiful leaf mould...) Will just get digging and fill up the cleared patches with plants I do want. I tried pumpkins last year but not much luck - they seem to have been eaten by snails (my other garden nemesis). What kind did you plant?

lovelycuppa - hmmm, creeping buttercup and snails... are you on clay by any chance? If so, leaf mould plus compost plus gypsum works a treat.

I forgot to tell you all about my Christmas tree experience. I took my (cut) tree to the local university, where it gets recycled into mulch for the flower beds. When I arrived, there were loads of potted trees - not cut ones, but nice green ones in plastic pots - that were sitting on the side ready to go into the chipper! I made a sad face at them, and the nice men who were chipping let me take one home with me! So now I have an outdoor Christmas tree, for free! DH was a bit eyerolly when I arrived back having simply exchanged one tree for another, but it is how happily ensconced at the end of my garden. I just need to remember to water it in the summer!

Morning all,

I'm not sure if I should start a new thread or just jump in here and introduce myself, I've posted a few times before but we've finally unpacked and are making a start on our new (to us) forever garden.

Unfortunately, it's a North facing garden but we have sun at the front and on one side of the beds.

I've cleared two beds which I plan to use for herbs and vegetables. As much as I love gardening and spending time out there, I must confess I'm a bit of a lazy gardener and prefer to plant mostly perennial types.

For my veg and herb gardens I've narrowed down what I'd like to concentrate on as we consume alot of these, but as I'm starting from scratch I'd welcome any suggestions for perennial planting of the following:

Courgettes, Spinach, Mange Tout, Artichokes, Runner Beans, Garlic, Beetroot, Asparagus, Leeks

Coriander, Basil, Kale, Cherry Tomatoes, Chillies, Curly Parsley, Rosemary, Mint

Are there any varieties that you know of that will keep on going year after year?

Ideally, I'd be sowing from seed, but don't have the time/patience to grow in trays to transplant later.

PS, I learned to garden in the Southern Hempishere so much is a learning curve to me at the moment!

Afternoon!
well, its cleared up somewhat, so going to see if we can get some work done, about to go and get kitted up :)
Welcome to the newbies lovelycuppateas - I am very jealous of your lovely leaf mould - mine is sulking ...maybe not quite enough damp and air I suspect!
coolpatterngirl Right - north facing is always a bit more of a challenge, but if you have some sun, thats a good start!
Perennials that you will beable to grow
Globe Artichokes
Asparagus
Rosemary
Mint ( do keep it contained though - its a thug!)

Some things which will manage for maybe 2 years -
Kale and maybe perennial spinach /chard

The rest are annuals in truth, and the basil, coriander , chillies will need to be in a greenhouse or kitchen windowsill - in the warm!

Hi coolpattern! If you're a lazy gardener, I'd recommend fruit over veg, because quite a lot of veggie plants are pretty hard work whereas generally fruit requires much less in the way of maintenance. It also suits a north-facing garden more: things like rhubarb and raspberries will like a bit of damp shade!

Most of the things you mention are not perennial so will only crop for one season, and will require a bit of fussing to do that. Runner beans and courgettes, however, are pretty easy if you want to give something a try!