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Gardening

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

Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 9 - Spring is sprung, its getting really busy!

992 replies

bookbook · 28/04/2017 22:27

Well, the last thread filled up quickly - maybe due to the horrid weather Grin. Its time to battle slugs, snails and weeds !
Last Thread HERE

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Thread gallery
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Newtssuitcase · 19/05/2017 18:52

Doh! Ive just realised - I bet my soil level issue is why the broccoli is falling over. The soil has dropped around it!

GrouchyKiwi · 19/05/2017 22:34

I have been out and sprayed my poor wee plum tree with diluted washing up liquid and what I thought was fungus turned out to be tiny white bugs so it seems most likely it's the leaf-curling aphid.

The little twerps are everywhere. Had to treat my hollyhocks as well.

Cath I hope your plants are too stressed by the hail. The birds sound cute.

Newt Time for a top up!

Cathpot · 19/05/2017 23:40

I've also got aphids and ants farming them. Going to get some of those ant killing pods- I don't normally do chemicals but they are a menace with the fruit trees and roses. I think they have seen off the ladybird larvae I was using. Cleaned the cobwebs out of the greenhouse having had to rescue a bumblebee. It flew off trailing some web so I don't think that is going to end well. Also hoping the hail damage isn't as bad as it currently looks. Off to bed now but hoping for time tomorrow getting the last tomatoes into their final pots and generally bumbling about. newt I have to top the raised bed up every year with manure etc- it drops about 3cm.

Frouby · 20/05/2017 07:42

Morning all

Beautiful day here. Am very excited about a day of allotmenting. We pick up the brush cutter this morning and will hopefully make a big dent in the bottom half of the plot. And our freebie shed at 1pm.

In years gone by I would be excited on a saturday morning about a shopping trip followed by some sordid nightclub.

Newtssuitcase · 20/05/2017 07:55

Can I literally just whack more soil on top even though I have stuff growing?

Bed one is all sweetcorn most of which is about 10cm tall

Bed 2 is all potatoes - 3/4 are above ground by about 5cm

Bed 2 is a mixture - few potatoes, broccoli, carrots and spring onions - all above ground and then some parsnip seeds which are refusing to do anything at all...

I don't want to top up the beds and then find it affects what is growing.

Newtssuitcase · 20/05/2017 07:57

Grin frouby - funny isn't it how life changes. I was talking to a younger friend last week who was bemoaning the disappearance of the sunshine since she wanted to keep her tan going and I was excited about the water for the vegetables..

bookbook · 20/05/2017 08:33

Morning!
Cath - eating peas already - mine are not even flowering yet!And hail - yuk. Robins are brave little things aren't they :)
Grouchy - hope it all works, but even so , the aphids shouldn't do too much harm
Newt I would top up the bed with potatoes definitely - you need to earth them up anyway. If you can top up around the broccoli , then I would , they like nice deep solid planting - are they next to the extra potatoes ? if so, you have a chance there to add more ? You could get away with more on the carrots I suspect , but not so sure about the spring onions. Parsnips are terrors for germination - its very hit and miss for me, so not sown any this year.
Frouby - Grin - nothing like grubbing in soil, and a free shed!
Well, I am busy today until late afternoon , so no plot unless ( fingers crossed) the rain stays away .I am hoping to get down then to get some planting done .

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Newtssuitcase · 20/05/2017 08:37

Right I shall get down to Lidl and buy a few bags of their 99p compost to top up. Sunshine is out here and the garden is looking beautiful. The rhododendrons and camellias have loved the week of steady rain.

elephantoverthehill · 20/05/2017 09:30

Ooooohhh! 99p compost in Lidl?

IckleWicklePumperNickle · 20/05/2017 11:29

No plot today, we at last have some rain that came on last night. The ground was bone dry yesterday. I was away to water, but luckily there is rain.

Weeded the onions/shallots yesterday.

My first asparagus head is coming through from the crowns I planted.

Half of my asparagus seeds germinated, so I'll have enough for the next row.

The big sort of shed has been fully cleared and weed liner in, it will eventually become a potting shed/greenhouse.
The little shed has also been cleared and all the tools will go in there.

There was a lot of nets from the previous owner and I won't use them. All have gone to new homes.

GnomeDePlume · 20/05/2017 12:46

Onwards and upwards! Got some squash plants to replace the casualties. Not as many as I had planted but it probably means they will be better spaced out. Counted up the insurance courgettes and with a couple of extras bought I have plenty so all is not lost. We also found a new to us garden centre.

Back up to the plot this afternoon to plant the replacements. It looks like we will be dodging showers all afternoon.

Newtssuitcase · 20/05/2017 12:49

Yes multipurpose is 99p. Think the potting stuff is £1.49

GinGeum · 20/05/2017 13:20

Was really hoping for rain today. The plants have had enough, but DP wouldn't have to work this weekend if it rained. Alas, it is dry and I'm home alone Sad

GinGeum · 20/05/2017 14:03

Oh the heavens have just opened! Hurray

Newtssuitcase · 20/05/2017 14:55

Tipping it down here too. DH and I have spent the morning making another raised bed out of pallets which was quite fun actually.

GardenGert · 20/05/2017 16:20

The weather here was lovely yesterday for most of the day. I managed to get my herb bed planted up with things including chives, parsley, sage, rosemary, lavender, bay, thyme. I got my carrot fences up and sowed those. Pea and bean wigwams up and sown. Broad beans sown. Kids got their little quarter beds planted up with a bit of this and that. That was as far as I got yesterday, and today it has done nothing but chuck it down. Which is obviously good for the garden but not for me because I'm itching to crack on with it all! The weather tomorrow looks to be good again, so I'll get more done then.

bookbook · 20/05/2017 16:58

Afternoon!
Managed to get home and off to the plot while it was still dry. Got a good hour in - prepping up and planting out perpetual spinach. Then started on planting the sweetcorn, and the heavens opened. Stood in my shed for some time, then the shower finally blew over, so frantically planted out the rest. It did start to drizzle again, so decided to clean and dry everything off and get home - damp and muddy. And the dratted sun has come back out !

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Cathpot · 20/05/2017 18:59

Finally managed to get out and pot last of tomatoes up in the greenhouse. It's over crowded in there again , I do that every year. Hail damage is evident everywhere which is a bit sad but hopefully early enough in the year that things will recover. Bought yet more coriander seeds an will net them this time. I'm not very good at planting things in sequence. Garden is heaving with bumble bees all with different coloured bums. Big gaps are opening up in the raised bed where I've pulled raddish. Was wondering about bunging in some flowers but is it too late?

Cathpot · 20/05/2017 19:00

Also - nice gardening teenager planted perpetual spinach which is now up (and hail damaged) and realised I don't know what to do with it. Is it cut and come again?

bookbook · 20/05/2017 19:24

Leave it until its quite a bit bigger Cath - its more like chard in its habit and size . Then I pull off the whole rib/leaf , it keeps putting out more. I have just planted this years, but cropping last years ( which is just staring to bolt) Its great for over winter - tough as old boots :)

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Lulooo · 20/05/2017 20:16

I've just come back from an hour at the plot digging up my perpetual spinach. I'd planted it early last year and have harvested leaves throughout the year. Was looking like it was setting seed now so I pulled it up and my oh my, it was tough. Roots were firmly established and chunky. I was considering trying no-dig method on that bed but I couldn't pull up the roots without a fork and spade and so ended up turning all the soil over. Started raining so decided to come home. And yes, the sun came out as I was locking the gate.

I've got 3 days before I go away for a month so need to finish planting things out. My courgettes and squash look too small to be out if I'm honest but keeping them in small pots for another 4 weeks won't do either.

I've also finished planting the last of the chilli, pepper, tomatoes and aubergines in the new greenhouse. I think I've planted them far too close together though and I'm a bit worried. I do that every year though. When will I learn!

I was in two minds whether to plan my papdi beans indoors or outdoors. I started off placing them next to the French beans and peas outside but then changed my mind and put them inside the greenhouse, near the open door. I had the space so thought it would be safer. I don't know anyone whose tried growing them before so it's just going to be trial and error I suppose.

Frouby, I love the enthusiasm and excitement you're having whilst getting your plot ready. It reminds me of myself a couple of years ago. My DD recently asked me if I'd prefer a week holiday in Europe somewhere or a week without any other commitments so I could spend all day at the allotment and after a few moments consideration, I felt I'd prefer a week at the plot. She gave me the Hmm look as though I'd really lost the plot.

elephantoverthehill · 20/05/2017 20:24

We had rain this morning so I did my shopping then. Thanks Newts for the Aldi compost tip, this has led me to planting out my sweet peas in containers and repotting a summer jasmine. I went to the plot for an hour or so and prepped the bed ready for planting out the sweetcorn tomorrow. I also picked about a pound of strawberries. Smile Unfortunately woodlice seem to like them. I will also plant out my 'marmande' tomatoes. The slugs and snails have been quite greedy on the plot but I have only lost one french bean completely. Hopefully I will find some outdoor cucumber plants at the car boot sale tomorrow as I have one and half seedlings left. For those of you who don't have car boot sales anymore it is because IOW is 10 years behind the mainland, we also have jumble sales

GnomeDePlume · 20/05/2017 21:00

I'm with you Lulooo. DH and I were discussing what we would do if we won the lottery. Conclusion was that we would spend more time on the allotment.

Here are this week's photos. Taken in the rain. DH managed to finish putting the net on the veg cage cum polytunnel.

Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 9 - Spring is sprung, its getting really busy!
Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 9 - Spring is sprung, its getting really busy!
Frouby · 20/05/2017 22:05

Yes it's very funny how priorities change. Even about 5 years ago me and dp were out every other weekend when dd was at her dads.

Got loads done today. Rained off at about 2.30pm but we were knackered by then.

And I have lots of ready to plant out veg in its way to me. Bloke in opposite plot gave me 12 runner beans ready to go out. Guy from plot down the way has some leaks and is going to drop me them tomorrow. And as we were leaving another bloke offered to donate some onions, main crop and early crop potatoes.

So before we go tomorrow I need to read up on planting all the above. For the runner beans I just copied what the bloke across had done.

On top of that we have cleared probably 4/5ths of the plot. We have a huge pile of junk we are either going to get the council to shift or hire a skip for. And 2 massive bonfires of burnable stuff.

Oh and ds (3) is chuffed to bits with a mini spade he has been given by one of the allotment blokes. It was his dds when she was little. He had a little trug of hand tools but now he has a proper spade too.

We had a family party to go to tonight. Never have I wanted to go to a party less. I ache from head to toe and have an impressive covering of bramble scratches and 2 massive blisters on my hand.

elephantoverthehill · 20/05/2017 22:09

I love the idea of the little spade Frouby allotment bods are very friendly and generous. some are a bit eccentric though