Allotment/Veg patch thread 11 'We bid farewell to rainbow leaves but will keep plotting along'

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Well, nights are drawing in, leaves are starting to turn, harvesting carrying on
What a summer it has been!
Join in with the ups and downs of growing our own into autumn.
Last thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2951768-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-10-Plotmenters-busy-into-summer-and-loving-James-Wong?msgid=71770088HERE

Had a really good visit today from the girls from the community garden association! They gave us lots of practical advice from how to organise ourselves, to how to use the plot for our organisation to how to motivate others to get involved, and more importantly, stay involved. My mind buzzed all afternoon! We're now going to change the layout a bit - our plot is 180 square metres and currently has fruit bushes (we think!) down the sides, and six large, rotten raised beds horizontally across, with an empty bit at the top near the perimeter fence. We've now decided to move one of the beds to the empty bit, and twist a couple around, so that there's a large empty square in the middle. There is already a stack of paving stones there, so we'll pave it, put a table and benches and planters in there, and staff can use it for meetings in the summer.

i also realised that if we want to engage staff, then we do need to enable them a bit, so that they can "buy-in" (hate corporate speak but it fits) - so instead of me and H doing all the hard graft in the winter only to find that everyone is a fair-weather gardener, we should enable them to help - so, breaking down pallets and asking a group to build cold frames, or a planter, or a raised bed, or providing the tools and advice to clean out the bog/pond, or bring their kids and make bug hotels . Hmm I can feel a list coming on...

Elephant, this time of year I'd probably give it a go - may recover enough to keep you in veg through the hungry gap. In summer when soil space is at a premium I would rip out and use the space for something else but I assume that there's nothing you'd put now.

Morning!
sounds as if some good experienced people are helping there Chock- definitely need to get some involvement early, so a sense of resentment doesn't build up.
Una - I'm a planner , in as much as aI draw a plan of where everything should go - one day, it may even be right!
elephant - I tend to treat my perpetual spinach as an annual/ biennial . I sow some every year, and leave the old plants in until the young ones are big enough to pick. I don't bother with a cover for mine, and I think I am a lot further north than you.
I have done a good hour this morning at the plot. Tidied up all around the fruit bushes at the top end, and dug out the autumn raspberry canes which are marching away from the row I want to keep , and though a bit early, I cut them all down too. ( should wait until February, but we are going away)
I went to dig up some leeks, and also took up a couple of 'runt' savoys . They were under enviromesh, but it had laid heavily on them in the ice and snow the other week, so the outer leaves were all damaged . Just nice tender centres left :)

Morning all

Quick question about chitting potatoes if anyone knows. I keep seeing posts on the fb pages about people buying seed potatoes and chitting them. Have googled chitting and am ok with that bit. But it says keep the trays in a light place at 10 to 15 degrees.

My house is ridiculously warm and is often 20 degrees even on cold days especially if I have had the oven or tumble dryer on. We are in south yorkshire and the temps are struggling to get above 4 degrees during the day so assume my shed will be too cold.

Should I wait a while to buy them, buy them but don't chit them or buy them and chit them at home?

I chit mine at home in an unheated upstairs spare bedroom - not sure if that helps or not! Have you anywhere that isn't heated, with a bit of light ?
I'll be chitting mine end of Feb/beginning of March, as we get late frosts here, so no point in getting off to too early a start

I chitted mine in an unheated shed last year, probably from Feb sometime as I plant out mid-late March, but in previous years I have done them indoors on a windowsill or unused shelf in a heated room and they’ve been fine. Neither windowsill or shelf is close to a radiator in that room, and we have the heating off overnight and during weekdays when we’re all out though.

I will wait a while then! Was worried I should be doing something. We got given chitted ones last year (earlies and lates) and just lobbed them in and hoped for the best. Which just about sums up last year full stop.

Am trying to be more organised this year.

Off at the weekend to get some manure. Have checked the muckheap out and warned the girls not to cover some really really well rotted stuff I used last year. DP is a bit dischuffed he has been roped in to collecting it but I want 20 bag fulls and he can help instead of staying on the plot gossiping digging and weeding.

Made redundant yesterday, gutted it's not at a better gardening time of year!

Puts paid to my plans for a greenhouse this year though

tiz - sorry to hear that - were you expecting it?

Oh no Tiz! Hope you manage to find another job soon so you can still get that greenhouse!

Knew before Christmas the company was likely to go into administration so not totally out of the blue.

I've worked away from home for years, and this was my first local job in a while so was really looking forward to this year being able to potter in the garden 7 days a week but unfortunately it's not worked out.

Job hunting is horrid at the best of times , so I hope something turns up for you soon .

Ah Tiz that's shite for you. And as you say completely the wrong time of year.

But check your local fb sites and stuff for free or very cheap greenhouses. They come occasionally on our local one.

We wanted to buy a decent polytunnel this year but as DP was off work all December and we are owed money from the last job I don't think we are going to be able to afford it.

It's very frustrating when stuff like money gets in the way of plans.

Tiz that is bad news about your job. Hopefully something else will come up soon.

We chit our potatoes in the loft which is a little on the dark side to be honest but starts them off and then we move them into the shed which is a lot lighter.

We're starting to get to the end of last year's potato crop. They've lasted pretty well over all. Will actually have to start buying potatoes again!

Chock that sounds like really good advice about your community plot. I think it definitely helps if sometimes you sound a bit helpless and not sure what to do. Other people can then pick up the baton rather than assuming it is all under control.

Hope to get to the plot again this weekend if it stays dry enough.

Afternoon!
well, apart from it being rather grey, its not been a bad day.
So - DH and I popped to the plot for an hour this afternoon. He has tamed the thug of a jostaberry , with the hope we can enclose it in some netting this year, along with the gooseberries ( the birds did a good job of trying to eat them all last year) . I started the job of stripping back some weed membrane around the gooseberries to weed -some hollyhocks had blown in from next doors plot and seeded them selves through the membrane ! The roots were humungous, and needed a saw to cut them off underneath, so I didn't make enormous holes in the membrane. Got half of it done, rest tomorrow hopefully. I have some new membrane to put down, but will lay it on top of the old lot . Getting it all tidy before I go away next week .

New plants keep arriving :) today the new red raspberry and a new gooseberry and kiwi (issai) to replace ones which struggled/died last year. I've got some new troughs to hang on the balcony for the new trailing raspberry and blackberry so I've finally got those planted up. We've finally managed to excavate the overgrown corner at the back of the garden and found a load of lovely compost :) Still needs a bit of sifting through but otherwise nicely ready for digging in which is fantastic.

Hello plotters!

Signing in to a new 2018 and rejuvenating my plot. I was on these threads before but I think with a different name maybe. Last year was my first full year on my plot but sadly I was poorly in May/June which really ate into how successful the plot was as it got neglected and weed-ridden in that six weeks. But, I had good harvests of beetroot, spinach, beans, garlic, some of my fruit bushes did alright, the herb bed did well, potatoes weren’t bad. The established fig tree was amazing. And I’ve got a good brassica bed going still with different kales and broccolis.

Going to go back and catch up on the thread. Am just going through seed catalogues and planning what to grow this year. Love this time :-)

Afternoon plotters.

Today has been a day of moving very well rotted manure from the yard to the plot. Do was less than enthusiastic about this particular task. But it needs doing so tough.

Did 10 rubble sacks and 3 big trugs and will need to do about another 4 runs of the same. It's fab stuff though. Almost compost, black and crumbly with billions of worms in it. I have chucked the trugs back i the book of my truck so will try and remember to fill them uo every time I go to the yard.

Am also going to start bringing some fresher stuff to the plot and let it rot down there. The problem with the muck heap is it's constantly being topped up so the well rotted stuff is right at the bottom. The stuff I am getting to atm is because we had half the muck heap toom away last year but it will end up covered again. Plus I can get pure poo rather then poo/straw/bed if I bring it fresh as I can just poo pick the field.

Good job I am not shit shy and like the smell of horse poo lol.

afternoon!
nothing like moving manure to use the calories too!
welcome back Serendipity :)
I went down to the plot this morning. Did the last of the digging over. I also found the other day that we had a lovely little Jostaberry which had layered and rooted . So I offered it up on our local site, and someone came to take it this morning. I have a lovely bag of Kalettes in return. I haven't grown these, but they look lovely. It may well go on my grow list this year. Dug up some very muddy leeks too! They will need a fair amount of washing - the ground is still a bit claggy.
So, I have done all the digging for the winter - due away on holiday next Sunday, so done just in time. I just need to pick stuff, and start doing some maintenance on the fence - new posts need to be added to stop the wire sagging , but that is not a big job, just do it as and when. So - I'll sign off until the middle of February - happy plotting :)

We've been given some kalette seeds - think we are going to have a crack at them.

Me and H spent today in my back garden breaking down pallets for various uses - so much easier at mine with an electric saw than down at the plot with nothing but a crowbar and a hammer like last week. Done lists, what to grow and when, what seeds we have and still need. Decided to give staff seeds/seed potatoes etc and ask them to get things started at home to see if we can get people engaged. Feels like we are starting to make a bit of progress anyway.

I bought some kalette plugs last year but I think they were too shaded by rampant courgettes and never really got going, hoping they'll pick up in the spring and give me a a crop.

We've been measuring up for a greenhouse today, very exciting!

Has anyone used this: www.gardenfocused.co.uk/calendar-veg-personalised.php Seems quite handy as a reference.

yes Una - I do :) - It's a good site for all sorts

I use that site to plan out my sowing/planting times. Whether I follow that plan is another matter!!!

I’ve had a rare whole weekend at leisure without rain, so have spent quite a bit of time at the plot, mainly structural stuff and housekeeping - built a section of pallet fence I’ve planned for ages, sorted out a new weed membrane for the fruit area (one day to be a fruit cage..... one day.....!), sorted a few paths with tiles I got free from a leftover building project at work, and cleared out/tidied the shed and greenhouse. There was a delivery of council compost at the site so I mulched any open beds with it. I feel pretty on top of things which is an odd feeling! Have ordered seed potatoes and started to think about general seed orders too.

Does anyone do onion from seed? I have only done autumn planting sets so far. Am I right in thinking you’d plant seed in spring year 1, grow your own sets and harvest the final result in summer year 2?

serendipity - i've only ever done onions from seeds. you start indoors about now and then plant out early spring and you eat them the same year. i've stopped doing them now as i dont have any seed left and prefer frozen pre chopped ones as they are much easier to use. I grow lots of other stuff though