Author Topic: Tell us about you Lottie (Read 29608 times)

micsmum · « **Reply #40 on:** March 29, 2004, 12:54:08 »

Hi all
Progress report on lottie.

The council rotavated it but the clay is hard going at the mo,
Dug out the bean trench and put in as much muck and compost (compost and manure free from Surrey Wildlife Trust!). Made a Rhubarb bed 2 of our own heads planted and son found another 3 growing on the path at the end of the lottie so they have gone in.

Put in 2 rows of Rocket and 2 rows of Pink Fir pots. Hopefully they will improve the soil as the rotavated dead couch grass is lying like hay on the surface of the soil at the bottom of the patch!

Got to start work on the rest of the plot ASAP. It looks as though compost was added at one time as we can see the dark patches bit there are lots of bramble roots/chopped of stalks.

good_life_girl · « **Reply #41 on:** March 31, 2004, 16:55:50 »

ooh, micsmum, how did you get free stuff from surrey wildlife trust? I've had a look on their web site but couldn't see anything, is this a special thing or available to anyone in surrey?!
My plot is very heavy clay (site's called Clayhill which kind of give the game away) so I sympathise on the heavy going!
(is your son too old to enjoy making things out of handfuls of garden clay, because I can assure you that my 31yr old OH isn't!)

Wicker · « **Reply #42 on:** March 31, 2004, 22:49:56 »

Hi there, I'm new to this site tho have browsed it frequently and now I've joied up. We have had an allotment for a few years now - a sort of early enforced retirement idea it was which proved to be the best thing we have ever done.

Site in Edinburgh has 26 allotments Council owned, our part has pretty heavy clay soil while others are better. Was a wilderness when we got it and my husbands quick solution was to burn the lot down as it was tinder dry - I nearly died with fright but luckily he lived to tell the tale!!

We grow all the usual veggies, gradually settling on the ones we know we will use as well as strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, rasps and now a cherry which I am hoping to train into a fan but which looks as tho it's been crucified :o. I keep pinching more ground for flowers and shrubs as I don't have a garden just a balcony trouble is I hate throwing anything away so they are becoming more and more crowded.

We have a shed, toolshed/leanto and the typical allotment greenhouse made of old windows ;D which has stood rock solid for years now.

Believe me I go thru that gate and I'm content - no need for tranquilisers and such with a lottie - tho alcoholic stimulants are still welcome :P!! The very best bit is the people on the other sites - such a variety of age, nationality and characters - life as it should be lived!

SpeedyMango · « **Reply #43 on:** April 04, 2004, 20:58:51 »

Hello,

I've just registered with this forum, having been told about it by a friend (who may or may not be on here - he didn't say!).

I'm a newbie at allotments, but have a bit of experience with veggie growing from the fambly garden, many moons ago.

My allotment is in Hampton Wick, which is near Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK. It's a private allotment association called Royal Parks Allotments (as it's on Royal Parks land - Bushy Park to be exact).

My girlf "bought" me a half plot (5 rods, whatever they might be) for Xmas, and it's got to be the best pressie ever. The site is great, and the ground is fertile, if the weeds were anything to go by. The plot was half grass and half 4' brambles when I started. I'm getting there slowly. Cleared the brambles, erected a little shed and garden bench (essential!) and dug out the first bed, in which I recently planted some onions and spuds. It's been hard work but great fun, and I'm looking forward to digging out some more beds and getting a load more veggies in soon!

Don't know if there are any more 'Hampton Wickers' here, I had a quick browse and didn't spot any. It's a great place, like stepping back in time when you walk thru the gates. Now the lighter evenings are here I am expecting to spend a lot of time pottering about down there after work!

Anyhoo, I'm going to have a bit of a browse around. Chat to most of you soon, no doubt!

gillianbc · « **Reply #44 on:** April 06, 2004, 13:53:52 »

Bit late to tag this on the end but I've only just joined. I only have a garden, not a lottie and there are none in the vicinity. I live in a village in Bucks with my hubby and 2 teenage children though we're originally from the north. Our back garden is about 50' square plus a bit up the side of the house with raised seed beds and alpines and a small woodland bit across the road. The front garden is just a small, shady triangle. I'm absolutely obsessed with gardening - which is why I'm writing this in my lunch break. If I'm not outside, then I'm thinking about it. I wish we had more space but at the time we bought the house, I wasn't getting home until 8pm so gardening wasn't as crucial as it is now. I find gardening the perfect antidote to my dreary daytime role as a systems analyst and would like to do it fulltime someday.

Chaz Hunter · « **Reply #45 on:** April 06, 2004, 14:26:11 »

I'm new here too (great site), I rented my allotment in December last year and it was in a terrible state! It hadn't been cultivated for seven years so you can imagine the size of the brambles, overgrown raspberry canes, twitch grass and general rubbish that the other plot-holders just dumped there.
I braved all weathers, on there practically everyday through wind, snow, fog, frost...you name it! however, three and a half months later its nearly all set..potatoes, broad beans, carrots, parsnips, onions and shallots are all in and the buds are opening on the 20 blackcurrant bushes I rescued from the debris.
My plot is in Tamworth, I've only lived here for two years, before this I lived in The Netherlands, I was surprised at the lack of willing takers for allotments in this town...there are several sites across the town, mine is fairly secluded, there are 47 plots of which only 10 are taken, such a shame to see all that land going to waste.
I've done all the hard work ..now just waiting for some dry weather so I get on it with my hoe!
Chaz ;)

Muddy_Boots · « **Reply #46 on:** April 06, 2004, 16:44:30 »

Welcome Chaz,

Almost tempts me to move back to Staffs but praps not! ;D

However, have vision of you in full wet weather gear, braving elements, all in the very best of causes.

We will look foreward to your tales of enjoying the fruits and veggies of your efforts. :P

micsmum · « **Reply #47 on:** April 08, 2004, 23:23:12 »

Hi Chaz
The trouble with any empty land in Surrey - the council want to build houses on it! We have a few empty plots full of brambles next to our plot and they have already been skewered with pink markers,
Our site, although now council, has a self help group who assist those who are in difficulties with their plots. As the ground is such heavy clay, people frequently feel like giving up and this group will dive in and give a hand.
(Good life girl, I THINK the compost and manure is provided by the Surrey Wildlife Trust)

I sought the advice of Bev, the leader of the selfhelp group as, although I had turned over a small part of the lottie, Ithought it was too lumpy to plant my onion sets , some of which had to be discarded as I bought them about 2 months ago and had forgotten to undo one ogf the poly bags!
She advised me to borrow one of the wheelbarrows lying around the plots and collect a load of compost as we were late and had nearly missed our quota. She suggested lying several barrow loads on top of the clay and planting the sets in that. Have tried this and they were all still just poking above the ground the other day. We shall see!!

Helen

Chaz Hunter · « **Reply #48 on:** April 15, 2004, 20:37:56 »

Hi Helen,
I hope you have success with your onions...they should be ok though, a lot of people just dump the soft sets but they grow just as well as the firm ones.
Our allotments are owned by the Council but are run by the local allotment association, if they can avoid helping someone they will...my plot was a nightmare when I took it on, the chap a few plots along from me says his was in the same state when he rented his last year..he created a fuss at the allotment office and they generously gave him 1 box of Weedol ::) I fear that with so few plots taken on our site its inevitable that the Council will see it as unviable, its only a matter of time before they sell it off for building land >:( Its such a shame because, once cleared, the soil is a deep rich loam, and of course the site is a haven for birds, foxes and wild flowers..an oasis in this concrete jungle :)

wolflike · « **Reply #49 on:** April 16, 2004, 17:53:28 »

Hi all.
I live in Derby with my partner(Shirley) and 2 kids(Rocky & Lincoln).

I don't have an allotment but I do have a large garden and have closed off the top of it to build a greenhouse and veg area.

All my knowledge on veggies has been passed down from my dad who helps run the allotment society where he lives(Hunstanton,Norfolk).
I had a go at a few things last year with some good results.

This year I am going for it with,
Potatoes,
Parsnips,
Carrots,
Sprouts,
Sweetcorn,
Tomatoes,
Cucumber,
Radishes,
Spring onions and ordinary onions,
Lettuce,
Pumpkin,
Runner,French,Broad beans,
Peas,
Brocolli,
and last but not least
Butternut Squash.

Majority of these I have grown from seed but have been given a few of them as seedlings by my dad.
;)

Len · « **Reply #50 on:** May 08, 2004, 21:30:42 »

Here is a picture of mine in Feb this year just cleared up and started the fires

kevinc · « **Reply #51 on:** October 06, 2004, 13:32:16 »

Had my plot just over a year after geeting the bug through a combination of my father in law who is quite a boffin on spuds and Monty Dons passion for all things organic. Spent 4 months digging up rotting carpets, clearing brambles and generally trying to do far too much too soon!.

Fortunate enough to have a shed on my plot along with a mature apple tree. Its quite a size, - 10 spit

The first year has been rewarding beyond belief although stuff like the mice tucking into my prized crop of sweetcorn was a bit of a bummer!

Alrready making plans for winter digging to get out all the bindweed. (why o why did I rotivate despite all the good advice of other plotholders!!).

Stumbled on this site by accident but very glad I did!

Kevin

Pixie · « **Reply #52 on:** October 06, 2004, 13:44:12 »

Hi Kevin - very nice to meet you so to speak ;D

Sam

micsmum · « **Reply #53 on:** October 13, 2004, 12:38:45 »

http://members.lycos.co.uk/washa/
Our allotments have a help group and this is their link.
They have been brilliant and have covered the top part of our lotty with black plastic. Bev and her team hoed the grass and brambles from under the plastic so we now have a huge mound which we hope to get away with firing on Bonfire night (not allowed fires).
They also hoed the bottom part of our plottie to define the boundaries and what we assumed was a path is actually part of our plot so it is bigger that we thought. 10 year old son now loves it as he can make 5
or 6 small beds to plant his own veg in (he wants suggestions. I thought strawbs, courgettes etc) :D

At last we feel as though we are making headway - even the Washa members admit that we had atough allotment.

The society threw its first BBQ during the first week in September and about seventy people turned up so it was a really good day!
Helen

jamie · « **Reply #54 on:** October 21, 2004, 21:08:24 »

New to this site but not allotments.

My wife and I got our allotment back in 1999. We were walking past the allotment gates and thought let's give it a go and 5 years later we're still here.

In the first few weeks I can remember some of the older gentlemen almost challenging me that I wouldn't be able to keep up the initial preparation of digging it all over. It was hard in August and we couldn't plant too much, however a lot of the other plot holders used to give us their spare veg, I think that kept me going. Once I had prepared the plot I planted as much over-wintering crops as I could (spring cabbage, spinach, garlic, onions, shallots, broad beans) to try and get some return, I've never got out of the habit, believing that if it fails in winter you can always plant again in the spring. Since then we've got another plot, next door but one. We thought about a third plot to plant just fruit but chickened out when we saw that the available plot had loads of bind weed.

There are hundreds of plots on our site (our plots are 182 and 167A) at the Moneyfield site. Across the road there is another allotment site (long meadow). Both sites have a shop and the plots have access to water.

We get free horse manure/straw/wood shavings delivered every week to the site and then it's case of wheelbarrow derby to see how many barrowloads you can get back to your plot before it all goes. There is also access to horse manure/bedding (from an adjoining stables and field. I prefer to pay for a delivery to the plot of a lorry load of well rotted manure around this time of the year.

Our plots are predominately clay based although over the years with digging and incorporation of manure and some chichester grit they have improved. They have always grown lots of tasty veg. I'll try and post some photos.

Jamie

Pixie · « **Reply #55 on:** October 22, 2004, 10:29:25 »

Hi Jamie

We would love to see your photos - welcome

Sam

jamie · « **Reply #56 on:** October 25, 2004, 19:49:32 »

Photo as requested.

PlotA

Here's one of my recent photos (05-10-2004) from one of my plots. From the carpeted compost bin, the plant to the right is horseradish, which needs to be contained. The runner beans, swede (inedible), lettuce and beetroot have since come out, so has the 2 french bean and 1 runner bean wigwam (visible) in the foreground. There are also 2 groups of leeks which are being harvested when required plus several spinach plants on this plot. The netted plants in the foreground are late planted calabrese, I'll probably take the centres out tomorrow before the storms. The white stuff on the soil to the right of the netting is Chichester grit which aids the breakdown of clay soil (it prevents the clay molecules from sticking together). Finally to the right, the tall ferny plants are 10 asparagus plants. They will soon be going yellow, that will be the time to cut them back. I've since edged with a spade all round this plot but I still need a final strim before winter sets in. I've prepared the soil between the far side of the asparagus and leeks for broad beans and will probably be planting shallots in this plot in a couple of months.

Jamie

Wicker · « **Reply #57 on:** October 25, 2004, 22:56:39 »

Good productive lottie, Jamie, and interesting to have the layout explained. I've started asparagus for the first time this year and am waiting to cut the ferns down - they aren't yellow yet. That's great having late sown calabrese - we havn't had any as late as this in the year so it may be worth our while doing a third sowing next year. Wonder why the swedes are inedible - I always think they aren't at their best until Nov/Dec when they ahve had some frost.

What a huge site (ours is only 26 plots) and so well supplied!!

rdak · « **Reply #58 on:** October 26, 2004, 09:04:46 »

Jamie,
I'm glad you mentioned the asparagus going yellow. Mine are sown from seed this year and in pots. Was a bit worried when I noticed most have turned bright yellow- I thought it might be a disease or deficiency. When I cut them, how much should I leave?
thanks
Ross

Wicker · « **Reply #59 on:** October 26, 2004, 20:40:01 »

From what I have read and been told they should be cut down to about 1 to 2 inches from the ground, Ross, so that's what I'll be doing ..

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Author Topic: Tell us about you Lottie (Read 29608 times)

rdak