Allotment?Veg Patch Thread 13! Are we weathering the weather?

[bookbook]

well, we have got to August , had heatwaves and thunderstorms. Goodness knows what happens next!
All welcome to join in sharing the highs and lows , tips and experiences of growing your own :)
Previous thread HERE

Hello plotmenters and happy new year.

I dropped off the thread as I haven't been thinking much about gardening for the last few months but with the new year I've started my new spreadsheet to organise seed sowing and crop rotation. I'm looking forward to trying some of my realseeds purchases from last year (striato di Napoli courgettes, red zebra tomatoes, musquee de provence squash, golden sweet mangetout). Resolutions for the year ahead include: get my squash much more mature before planting out so they don't get massacred by slugs again, work out what went wrong with my carrots last year (harvest was a princely 0 - think I had problems with cats, watering and seed freshness!) and see if I can give my melons and peppers bigger pots to improve the crop. With lots of perennials and seeds stocked I'm aiming not to spend so much on plants this year, though will be putting in a bulk compost/mulch order to revitalise various beds.

There's not much growing right now of course but we're eating chard and leeks and the occasional artichoke, while the garlic and broadbeans are growing well. I also have some rather overoptimistic rhubarb sprouting, which I hope will be OK!

Belated Happy New Year to you all! I got side tracked with extension so didn’t go for ages, however did make it down just before Christmas.

Apart from shed window sadly being smashed it was all fairly decent and I came back with sack of rainbow chard, perpetual spinach, Christmas dinner parsnip, rude looking carrot , kale and leeks. Very encouraging for first year.

Think I might need further op this year so am going low maintence, looking forward to some seed shopping, after some oca. My lazy beds were big success and squash loved them plus extended strawberry bed. Need to plant some of the runners up that end.

Been very luck with weeds as not a lot of bindweed plus the marestail at edge of the site so far held at bay. Last spring it was incredibly wet so interested to see what it will be like after a season of cultivation.

Did garlic at home which was tiny and I didn’t dig most of it up so it’s sprout which has given me some to take down and more still to go

Popping on to say hello as I’ve just taken an allotment in a brand new site which is super near my home! Can’t wait! Absolute newbie at allotments so hoping to soak up the wisdom here!

Hello! Another new allotmenteer here. Very excited but have no idea what I'm doing and the plot needs a lot of work to make it usable so I guess that's what I'll be spending a lot of time on first

I've sorted my seeds today.

I've sorted into:
old - to sow in bulk and see what germinates
Stuff for direct sowing in the raised beds at the allotment
Stuff for sowing in modules, flats or pots [tomatoes, chillis etc] to go into the greenhouse, or grown in pots.
Stuff for the garden, mainly flowers.

My first sowings of the year, spinach and long red florences/ rose de roscoff onions are up.

We're off!

Welcome to you both. I am still a relative newbie, this is the third year I will have had my plot. I still think that's amazing that you can rent a bit of land for very little for the rest of your life, if you keep using it. I am really chuffed with the work I have got done this holiday. Boo back to work on Monday but February half term is not that far away and evenings will begin to get lighter.

Hello- love that there is talk of planting already. I’m hoping to sort out the mess in the greenhouse tomorrow and maybe start thinking about sweet peas and starting off chillies inside? I have started spreading manure round the fruit trees and need to move a plum tree out of a pot. There is still mess from the building work everywhere so hopefully I’ll get some clearing up done and start to make some plans.

I know from bitter experience that I just have to be patient with any planting. If I start any off now it's just too cold for at least a couple of months yet - northern suburb near the Pennines.
And so .... I plot. And watch the winter garlic grow. And see whether the spinach I planted in November for salad leaves really is perpetual! Maybe prune my fruit trees that are in a couple of pots .....

Morning all and welcome to new plotters!

I have been going up to my plot once or twice a week to take compost scraps up (bin at home is full and we don't have a food waste collection). Been keeping an eye on things but not doing much else up there. I have aome shallots still in that didn't thrive in the heat last year and they seem to be doing ok, as does PSB. I need a clear out of my shed/greenhouse, it has been used as a dumping ground for household clutter.

I keep my seed collection in the shed in summer and usually bring them inro rhe house over winter to protect from damp but forgot this year so might have to have a throw-out.

I have thrown some as well, which I usually don't do but they were old before i got them and I've had them for about 8 years now...

I am determined this year to just use them, and think of what is growing as a bonus, even if I have to transplant or give them away to a community garden or something...for example i was given huge packets of old seeds [ie thousands in paper bags] from an old seed library, where they were too low on germination rates to give out and I've been using them on and off ever since, but now I am not gardening for schools or community gardens I still have them and really really need to use them or lose them.

Morning!
and a glorious one too !
welcome PossiblyPFB and WistfulBarnacles - all exciting times, a whole new year starting to grow ahead of you . I am rather nosey ( as everyone on here knows!) - so would you like to let us know whereabouts you are - N/S/E/W . and a new site ,and an older needs work site . I would suggest going steady. Measure and plot out your space, work out where the sun comes, and any relevant info on hedges, trees etc. Check on availability of water, how easy is it to get things to your plot . That will help determine where and what you grow. Biggest advice is only grow what you like to eat ( though that tends to expand as you find out how different home grown stuff is to what you buy in the shops) Biggest mantra is - "It is a marathon, not a sprint" Don't go beserk and overdo it - pace yourself if possible.
I had a lovely couple of hours this morning. My asparagus beds are all clear , and ready to mulch. I picked the last ( autumn!) cabbage and some leeks. The spring cabbage are looking to start being ready in about another 7-10 days, so I will still have some to pick . Went to investigate my brussels sprouts, which are still small, but was gifted a whole stalk that someone didn't want! Riches :) . I have about 7/8 broad beans sprouted from the overwintering outdoor sowing I did so far , ( out of about 20 ) though one looks suspiciously nibbled but enough to get a few early small broad beans, ahead of the main planting .Plot is nearly there - another couple of weeks, and I should be done , fingers crossed with the weather. I have to finish spreading manure, a bit of general weed and tidy, and the last big things are to get my 2nd strawberry bed sorted, and put new membrane down around the gooseberry bushes.. I have been offered a load of chippings if I want them , so going to cover the membrane with that . I need to get it all tidy before I go away at the end of the month.
I got my new seed order just before Christmas, but I sorted all my seeds last year - I sowed all my odds and sods-carrots, spinach , lettuce etc so I am back to a tidy seed box .

Hi! Great info. South East here. It’s a brand new site & there is apparently water available for every 8 plots, parking & communal storage. I’m just going to have a nosey shortly and there is a meeting later this week to give us more info. It’s a 5 minute walk from my house so very accessible. Will feed back when I go have a poke around!

@bookbook - Went to the site this afternoon& it looks all ready to go. Couldn’t get in as it was padlocked but they’ve been gridded out with a tractor into rectangles and squares but left as virgin meadow grass inside each site. My site looks to be pretty near one of the water pumps as it’s near the back and the pumps are all around the outside. No trees inside and large ones near the perimeter are far away from my plot on the schematic. As it’s so near my house I know the soil is likely to be clay so will need to check and consider that. Completely blank canvas! My neighbour and good friend is hoping to get the other side of my plot & she works in horticulture so that would be amazing to have her alongside me! Really excited, can’t wait to find out when they’ll let us at the site!

Morning!
sounds absolutely great Possibly - total blank canvas. I know some on here are SE on clay, so will beable to give more specific advice. Its is so full of goodness, but hard to work . Lots ( including Sackrifice ) have done the raised bed idea on clay I know , others no dig , and others a bit more traditional . But you need to find what works for you. :)

Hi all.

I’m a new allotmenteer. I got my plot in north London at the end of last summer, put in a couple of no dig beds (not raised) so I could grow something - slug food mostly. The plot was abandoned for at least two years, more likely five. Couch grass and mares tail have thrived.

My lovely plot neighbour strimmed and burnt the long grasses for me and I’ve been digging it over since. I was going ‘no dig’ but when I’ve had to dig or clear something I’ve found all sorts of rubbish and “weed suppressant” so I’m just having to go over it to get out the rubbish and I’m pulling weed roots at the same time.

I only took on a half plot at first because I’m completely new to this but the people who took the other half turned up once in August and then quit, so about six weeks ago that also became mine. Haven’t even touched that half yet, 10x4m covered with weed membrane (all I had).

I have some old tools, seeds, a rickety shed, a compost dalek on the go and enthusiasm.

I go up for a few hours every week when my OH is off work to look after the one year old. I can’t wait for the summer evenings to be able to go up there more regularly.

I hope I haven’t bored you all, but that’s where I am now. I look forward to growing throughout 2019 with you.

Those sound like excellent plans for plotting and scheming. And actually plotting.
I have had pretty good weed suppressing experience with sheets of cardboard from Amazon deliveries.Worth a try at a pinch if you are short of materials?

Can I join even though I’m looking at a veggie patch in my garden rather than an allotment?? Got a great “Grow your Own” magazine with a yearly planner and tonnes of free seeds - all for things I love to eat, bonus!

Hoping to dig out my patch this weekend and going skip diving for pallets or planks to make edging / slightly raised to protect (a bit) from flying footballs!

There are allotments near me but I think ill save that until DC are older and I can commit more time.

I’m learning so much by being in a few Facebook groups and plan on stocking up on seed trays / propagates and compost soon to get ready for some indoor sewing.

I don’t have a greenhouse (yet!) but do have a set of sort of covered seed shelves?? Anyone know how effective they are or should I just stick to inside for now?

I personally would go slow @FusionChefGeoff . My "problem " at this time of year is that I am so keen to get started that my seeds come up before they are ready to be planted out. I have limited room indoors and they get leggy. I've tried putting pots in a crinkly foil lined old shoe box facing the sun with some success but there is not really the space for that in my house. Stuff planted later works just as well

Fusion, have you used YouTube for tips as well? I follow a few gardeners and it’s a really useful learning resource. Diary of a UK gardener (Sean James Cameron) and Tony C Scott are currently my favourite.

Evening !
Welcome Trenzalor and FusionChefGeoff - we welcome everyone who has enthusiasm for growing your own , however small a space you have. Whereabouts are you? N/S/E/W . Ask away on anything - someone will help :)
I have a greenhouse and a covered set of wire shelves from Aldi - they are always useful , even without the cover on - I tend to use them when I am hardening off seedlings.
Slow and steady wins the day as far as I am concerned. I am up in Yorkshire, and have found over the years that it is better to wait for slightly better weather for sowing, as bellini says , even if you have a greenhouse, one late frost can harm tender plants .
I was manure shovelling today - mulched one of the asparagus beds, and did some more tidying . It was a bit sharper today - about 3º this morning, but it seems to be all over the place at the moment.

Checking in from Melbourne, with the worst tomatoes I have ever grown: tiny and soggy or big and soggy. I will definitely go for the chance ones that green out of the compost next season (October). Lebanese aubergines are coming along, as are the cucumbers. The two satsuma trees in pots have lots of fruit, though will have to wait until winter when they ripen. The espaliered lemon tree has five fruit!!🍋

The warrigal greens are still going strong and I've picked loads of seeds to hand on to fellow veggie gardeners. I've also been trying cultivate purslane, having dug it out for years as a weed, only to find it's edible, as is the sun rose (aptenia cordifolia).

Spring was cold and dry, though the summer has not been too extreme, only now are we getting 29/30 degree days three in a row, which is punishing, and has had me busily constructing the shade cloth cages for the veggie patch.

Morning!
Grey and damp and nort particularly warm , but good weather for getting stuff done .
lovely to hear from you echt - sounds rather challenging weather atm .
Had the last two mornings at the plot - yesterday manure shovelling and harvesting leeks and a little bit of sprouting broccoli , today pulling up the old calabrese plants ( which have done a sterling job of sprouting after the main heads in summer/autumn) and weeding, ready for - you guessed it - more manure shovelling. I picked some kale , and put some runt savoys out of their misery and brought them home. They never really got going - but they were the left overs that I just planted up with some autumn cabbages . They were in the way, so with the kale , I have enough to make a casserole with some borlotti beans from the summer.
Getting there ....! .

Hey gardeners.

Got the stinky cold that's been going around. Bleurgh.

However I go have in my paws 4 varieties of Potato Onion...from a an off ebay.

Whoop. I used to grow different varieties and then at the community gardens they all mysteriously disappeared [after we gave out hundreds to people] and I was left with none.

So now my allotment is back in the game, I am planning on perennial onion beds and this will form the backbone of one of them.

If you have never heard of them they are like shallots but UK hardy.

I'll get them into trays I think and keep them in the unheated greenhouse, and pop them in the bed when I am feeling a tad better.

I love my onions.

Thanks Sackrifice after reading your post last night I've woken up with streaming eyes and lots of sneezing. I never knew computer viruses were physically contagious! I had planned to do so much at the plot this weekend I will still get there but will make steadier progress. Anyway a good blow of fresh air might have me as right as rain by this evening.

I'm feeling better now if that helps

Talking of tomatoes [and peppers], it is a fruit day today so I am sowing a few. Just a few to get started for putting in the greenhouse early.