The Vegetable Patch Mark 2

[MereDintofPandiculation]

A continuation of the thread for those of us growing edibles, to share triumphs and failures, swap expertise and solve problems

I resisted the urge to plant so far but only because the temperature has dipped in the south , predicted for the next two weeks so with that takes me to a mid/late march sowing time( which is what I should have done last year but went too early )
my plot is ready, but I’ll sit on my hands and resist 😬 hope everyone able to enjoy getting out today ?

I've tidied up the seeds, DH gets dozens of packets with a magazine. We need white and yellow beetroot. Otherwise, I think I'm sorted.

I found the root trainer stuff and set it up in the conservatory. Have planted one mixed tray of chard, beetroot and turnips.

Found lots of dried peas so have sown four pots really densely and am hoping for some pea shoots to make lovely spring time salads.

Took some cuttings off the perpetual kale, quite a few plants keeled over in that cold snap before Christmas.

The seeds might not grow but I do feel I have been productive and got a start on the season.

My aubergines and peppers have been evicted off the heatmat and under grow lights. I've sowed tomatoes (on the heatmat) and some True Potato Seeds.

@AdventFridgeOfShame @PoseyFlump you are doing well then !

I've been and paid my allotment rent today and guilty had a look at my neglected plot. It's actually not too bad. I have a childfree day off work tomorrow so I'm going to get to work. I think in a few hours and I'll have it in reasonable shape. I have bought a couple of raised beds that I need to build.

We've been to the garden centre & bought seed potatoes for Charlotte, International Kidney, King Edwards, Rocket & Sentanta. Will chit & plant out in a few weeks in potato bags.
Also rescued a reduced miniature climbing rose from the reduced section.

@APurpleSquirrel was it busy?
Was everyone there busy trying to buy food plants?

It was busy but most weren't buying food plants. Not many in yet, most bulbs or fruit bushes. Many were there purely for the cafe I think

Hi all, just joining this thread 👋

We just signed the paperwork for an allotment - poor timing as our DS is 4.5months old but been on the list a while. Thankfully it's not in too bad shape and only 11ft by 66ft. No buildings though so will have to source or build a shed and poly tunnel. Only 15min walk from the house and right next to DS future nursery.

Previously we have always just grown in the garden and I have had hens but will give livestock a miss for now.

Excited but nervous

Hello everyone another newbie in the thread.
How exciting @DogsAndBirds . I had a 4 year old and an 8 year old when I got a patch of solid couch grass 12 years ago. I just cultivated 1/3 in the 1st year and moved along gradually. My allotment has kept me sane through some tough years.
Can we talk tomatoes? I have had to change my usual varieties as 1)I found my usual Black Russians for some reason were doing less and less well and the flavour was no longer that special 2) my faves Ferline have been discontinued 😢. So I went to the Real Seeds website and have bought Costolutto Genovese, Dr Carole, Estate and Stupice. If anyone has done any of these I’d love to hear. Put my broad bean plants in today, garlic yesterday and planted strawberries last week. Feels good to be back!

Great to get the gardening year off with a start. I finally indulged and bought the Huw Richards book Veg in One Bed (I have 2 1/2 beds) but they’re not that big.

So I’ve sown some radish in the bed and weeded and enriched the soil.

Inside, I have some broad beans started and some peas for pea shoots. Also my first lot of potatoes chitting. I couldn’t find many small packs - last year I had too many to cope with.

Weirdly my celery is still growing from last year - any ideas if it will be ok to just keep growing? I’m in the South West if that makes any difference.

Ooh is it really time to start growing in the beds? I thought it would take another month? But then I’m in NI.

Inspired by you guys I went up to my new plot and did a lot of tidying and marked out six new beds. Keeping them quite reasonably sized for now. Should be able to do another six on the other side soon. Will have to strim the grass paths this week!

Celery will flower this year as it is a biennial so cut it regularly to try and stop it from flowering. I've got celtice up, and stocks and the first tomato seedling showed today. Mange tout in modules so will put that in the beds this week and sow another batch.

So planning out our little (11ft x66ft) NE allotment. Would you guys go for a small poly tunnel or a small greenhouse?

We plan to have another wander about the site to see what other people have... I'm very worried that a glass greenhouse will shatter in the first storm and we will be picking up glass the rest of our allotment lives...so if we went down the greenhouse route would more than likely go for polycarbonate.

@DogsAndBirds i would just check in with the allotment provider as ours has moved to no glass allowed on site for this very reason!

I had a glass greenhouse 8x6ft, and a First Tunnels polytunnel 8x15ft and the cost was about the same.

I got multiple more crops out of the polytunnel and grew in it year round. I think once they are up they are less maintenance [wash it down once a year]. And if you put guttering up you can save just as much water. I'd always go with one over a greenhouse just for ease of use and flexibility.

Thanks both - no rules about glass :)

Was leaning towards a tunnel anyway so will have a nosey about how others have faired in the winter weather :)

Done a bit of tidying, pruning & planting today.
Planted a few new strawberries in our strawberry bed, removed some of the wild ones to make room.
Planted a new raspberry in the growing raspberry bed.
Pruned the blueberries, mint, blackberry hybrid, & buddleia.
Did a bit of weeding but hot too cold!
Planted a plum tree.

Trimmed my rosemary bush. It’s really got too big for its boots. Applied second winter wash to damson and apple trees. Hoed around the plot then went for a reconnoitre around the site to see what everyone else is doing. Our lovely site grandfather died last winter ( he’d had a plot since the 60s). In fact he had 4 plots and a brave person has taken 2 of them on. I’ll miss him.

I started decluttering my shed/greenhouse last weekend, got rid of a lot of rubbish and I have huge pile of plantpots that I want to clean out and see if I can recycle, I saw that Dobbies garden centres take them and I will be passing one next weekend, I also need to get seed potatoes. Unfortunately I lost most of my potato harvest to the freezing weather before Christmas, they were in the shed and all froze then went rotten.

I haven’t sown anything yet we are in the south but can get frost till the end of May so no real rush. Been to the plot today and cut all the autumn fruiting raspberry canes down, I have a lot of them so it takes ages.

Hi everyone - new on this thread. Got my allotment last year which me and DD share with another mum and daughter. Last year went ok but we’re trying to be more organised this year so I’ve been enjoying reading about everyone’s plans.

We’ve got a couple of pink blueberry plants - as the kids loved tasting some they were given by another plot holder last year. We’ve already got a couple of standard blueberry plants there. Do I need to plant both of the pink type on the plot to support fruiting? Asking as might be good to keep one at home.

I think blueberries fruit better if you have more than one plant. I only had one last year and only got a couple blueberries, this year I have bought a 2nd plant in hope to get more, they also like acidic soil and rain water (not tap water), blueberries are the one thing I seem to struggle with, blackcurrants went crazy last year so I am hoping to get even more this year.

I haven’t done much this week other than plant seeds which was a silly idea as they now give snow, I have just moved them all into the house from the greenhouse and now my living room looks like a garden centre 😬. Let’s hope the cold snap only lasts a couple days.

Bought what I hope are some fruit plant bargains today: two summer raspberries and a redcurrant reduced to £1 each.

I’ve sown some more Broad beans inside and also some Apero tomatoes. Bit disappointed that there were only 5 seeds in the pack. I’ve also sown some salad leaves outside.

I have large cats which destroy my veg beds so this year I have a tunnel on half of one of the beds (lengthways), but it seems quite dark. It will be interesting to see which half does better.

I have had a single blueberry bush in a pot for about 5 or 6 years. It fruited really well until last year. Think I’m going to repot next weekend.

I was watching a YouTube video yesterday about melons. The guy said the first vine to grow only produces male flowers and the female flowers come on the side shoots (and to limit the plant to four vines) He went on to say it's the same for cucumbers.

I've never noticed this before about cucumbers. Is this true?

I've just ordered some Minnesota Midget melon seeds (like a cricket ball size cantaloupe)

I’m roping in the teenagers to help me today since it’s Mother’s Day and I have power! I have to transplant everything in our kitchen garden since it needs to be levelled after some building work. I think it might take quite some time!