Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: hanraaa on February 24, 2005, 15:51:57
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BEING TOTALY NEW TO THIS LARK I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IM NOT REALLY SURE WHATOM EARTH I AM SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND WHEN!!!
I HAVE TAKEN ON A 20X8 METER PLOT MATTED WITH BIND WEED, SO FAR I (AND MY BAND OF SOMETIMES WILLING HELPERS) HAVE CLEARED AND DUG OVER IT OVER. MY GARLIC IS IN AND HAS BEEN SINCE LAST NOVEMBER BUT NOW IM STUMPED. I HAVE READ FAR TOO MANY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT AND THEY ALL SEEM TO CONTRADICT EACH OTHER. I WOULD LIKE TO GET PEAS AND BROAD BEANS IN. CAN I? APPARENTLY PARSNIPS SHOULD BE SOWN NOW? WHAT ABOUT ONION SETS AND SHALLOTS?
SEE IM IN A REAL MUDDLE WHAT WITH THE 10 TONNES OF MANURE IVE GOT ARRIVING TOMORROW!!!!!!
HELP!
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Oh, yes - very winsome. You won't be short of replies!!
Meanwhile, tap into the wealth of info in 'News' links. That'll help you formulate specific questions. There's not room here for the whole book.
PS Later - said very sympathetically, as usual!
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Welcome hanraaa!
Gavin's site is pretty helpful for beginners, I have looked at it lots - got my lottie in Nov last year. http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk/diary/default.html Also has a handy sowing calender page.
The Dobies catalogue has a sowing calender in it too :) Other than that, people always talk on here about what they are up to, so you can get a good idea from that, although heat-sensitive stuff like tomatoes depends on whether you have a greenhouse or not.
I've just sowed some broad beans a couple of weeks ago, and also planted some shallots. Sowed some autumn-type peas as an experiment, and also some carrots and some parsnips, but considering these an experiment too, all under fleece.
Seed catalogues are great for giving rough sowing and growing info.
At home I have sowed some more beans and peas, and some onion seeds and leek seeds. Have onion sets that I will be planting out in few weeks too.
Next month will be sowing more carrots, more onions and leeks, brassicas in modules at home, and getting most of my spuds in ;D
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My husband doesn't know what he's doing either so strides about authoritatively with a tape measure ;D As for horse manure he made a path through ours so he could come and go without getting it on his wellies. Doh!
There's a funny lotty diary on www.linkpoint.co.uk/allotment/
You won't learn anything but it'll make you laff :)
All the experts on here will put you right about things.
No, as you may have guessed, I'm not one of em ;)
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Thank you everyone for your links, just been frantically printing off articles to read over a long weekend of allotmenting. (no internet at home! have to use work time).
Im sure i will get there eventually. all very confusing.
ill let you know how im doing. so far ive picked up loads from the site
xxxx
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Hi hanraa,
I'm also new at this lark and haven't got a clue what I'm doing ;D
I have got Garlic & shallots in though. Just planted some bare root raspberry canes and some gooseberry bushes. I'm planning to put my onion sets in 1st week of march (snow permitting) and have sown leeks & cabbage in the greenhouse.
Dunno if that helps coming from a novice?
TimJ
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I'm a Novice Allotment Holder too. Started out with the books, found Gavin's website (link in an earlier post) and used that as the basis for all further info. Thanks Gavin :)
Decided what we wanted to grow - both base crops like cabbage, potatoes, onions and of course leeks.... & the mmmm really, really would like some of these: tomatoes, asparagus pea (yup, already heard the bad news on those), short season aubergine / pepper / sweetcorn, and broad beans, french beans, peas, leaf salads, fennel, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Anything we didn't especially like got crossed off the list, bye-bye celeriac, runner beans and so on.
Next came the... oh, rotation, what's that?
OK. Four beds. Alliums; brassicas; legumes; roots.
What bed system? Hmmm... ??? Like the sound of raised beds. Right. 4' or 1.2m wide straight down the width of the plot, each bisected by a wider central path. That gives 8 beds, 2 to each group, no access problems. All looks wonderfully simple on graph paper. Took seed packets in one hand, book in another, and, fortified by pots of Earl Grey tea, slowly figured out what went into each bed and when. Wrote all the vital statistics down, because I was getting terribly confused. Had another pot of tea. felt better.
Right. What's left. Permanent Beds. Strawberries, rhubarb, maybe even asparagus (but not this year, haven't even got all the rotational raised beds in yet). Mark in rough areas on trusty, grubby piece of paper. Double row of fruit down the east border, blackberry on the outside (hardier), raspberry on the inner: should give wind protection too, other boundaries more protected by trees and lie of the land. Water butt zone, Compost bin zone. Somewhere to sit in palatial splendour and gaze in admiration as flights of fancy take shape - and cook sweetcorn straight from the cob 8) Hmmm... maybe I'm drifting way into fantasy here! Who cares!
Is there any space left? On paper, it covers it nicely. in practice... no-one knows yet!
Have fun :D
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welcome gadfium.
all sounds very logical to me :)
i also hope my plans work out as well in practice as they do on paper.
divided the plot into beds last weekend, and what do you know? i did measure them oiout right first time, so they are actually the size and number they should have been according to my plan :) which is good. now i have hope that most stuff will fit where i have planned for it
svea
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Right now you're supposed to be keeping warm & dry -planning I think it's called ;D Best done in front of the fire with a mug of chocolate (rum optional).
To be boringly practical you could sow some stuff if you feel like it : Onion seed, artichoke, beetroot, chard are all things I'm sowing to go outside when they're big enough. I don't think it's been mentioned else where on a4a, but nows the time to buy your spuds & get them chitting::) If you want to plant fruit bushes or trees now's the time, last chance 'til next winter.
Really should put my shallotts in.
Jeremy
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Don.t worry,you have plenty of time yet,the soil is not nearly warm enough for direct seed sowing,just read and plan for two or three weeks..best of luck....Alan
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I'm not going to do any planning. All my plans usually turn to cack so I've stopped bothering. I like daydreaming about what I;m going to plant and where, oh and making lists is a pleasant pastime. My allotment only exists in my head at the moment. In reality there's one raised bed of onions. Very good looking onions they were too last time I looked. Hoped the snow hasn't squashed em ;D
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Hi, I'm new to this too. (Started last weekend).
Currently have print-outs of advice about crop rotataion (3/4/5 and 6!!), what come under which family (and discrepancies with onions and swedes in them all...) and when to do what. Too much info, me thinks. :-\
To make matters worse, my dad (retired) rings me constantly to say 'I've just bought some xxxxx seed - you did want it didn't you?' or words to that effect. This mornings contribution is a gooseberry bush. Yes i do want it all, but i've got an awful lot of preparation first. Might have to cheat this year and take him some produce secretly procured from local market... Just hope he doesn't want to visit the plot, or I'll be sussed! ;)
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just wanted to say welcome to you!
Jemma x
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Hello there Dawn :) Get your dad on the plot to "help" you. You know what dads are like - he'll be in there doing it for you as you won't do it the way he likes it. Before you know it it'll be dug over and planted ;D
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I fear he's a bit of an 'armchair gardener' these days - as my Mum would testify!! He's happy to potter in the greenhouse, but at the sight of a spade or fork he can't be seen for dust.
He also lives some distance from me (I'm in London, my parents are in Cambridge), but i think he enjoys this 'distance' gardening: he get's to potter round nurseries or such like, while i do the digging. Thinking of asking him to stay for a few days.... Advice is plentiful though!
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It always is ;D ;D ;D
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Hi, hanraaa, heres a couple of sites that might help you all
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/
http://www.crocus.co.uk/alanshowto/moreflowers/
http://www.turning-earth.co.uk/
http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/
http://www.johnsons-seeds.com/growing/guide.html
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/
hope you enjoy
windy
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The key advice, I think, is not to try to do everything at once.
If you have loads of help then you can (later) fill the plot with everything you want to grow (emphasis on want - don't grow stuff cos the books say it's now time to do so)
If you can't sow/plant everything and then keep it clean - the first bit's easy and fun the second goes on a long time and is not so much fun.
Then just plant up some of the allotment with your real favourites. Gavin's site www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk (http://www.keirg.freeserve.co.uk) will tell you how and when to plant/sow your selected items.
Sow green manure on the rest - that's a crop that will keep the weeds down by smothering them and then can be dug in when you get round to that bit of ground - it benefits the soil ready for the next crops.
Good ones for a short while (2-3 minths) are mustard, fenugreek and Phacelia. For a longer period leave the Phacelia to flower (it's quite pretty and attarcts beneficial insects) and crimson clover or lupins. Try Kings http://www.kingsseeds.com (go to "shop" and then search for green manure) or Tuckers http://www.edwintucker.com/Seeds/seeds%20index.htm (http://www.edwintucker.com/Seeds/seeds%20index.htm) (go to catalogues and then Flower and Veg section) for the cheapest seed
The danger of taking on too much is frsutration and stopping!
I hope you enjoy and continue gardening
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I read on Bob Flowerpoo (as EJ calls him) that you can use Poached Egg plant (limnanthes sommat or other) as a green manure. I've bought some seed to give it as try as it's ever so pretty and will attract bees. I'll confine it to one area in case it's a flippin nuisance. Anyone else used it for this purpose?
Wardy
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Hi hanraaa,
Myself and Nattyem are also asking the same question!! We've just acquired our plot and are clearing a huge amount of couch grass. We have planted the garlics and are preparing the beds for the potatoes. Apart from that we are just clearing and double digging, and still wandering where to put everything when it's warmer!!!
As for reading books, I'm not, just getting loads of friendly advice from A4A and trawling round the numerous websites most of which have been posted above!
Good Luck,
Louisa xx
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Hi Hanraaa
how did you get on with your 10 tons of manure? Was it such a huge amount? I had visions of you disappearing behind it never to be seen again!
Dawn
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I've never got Poached Egg plant to take very well from seed in our garden. Phacellia is really good at attracting bees and I'd guess it would be better as a green manure since it's taller and 'smothers' well.
Jeremy
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hey gadfiium - what's the bad news about asparagus peas ??? i bought some seeds cos i thought they looked interesting... dont tell me - they attract all kinds of horrible things that then eat the rest of your veggies! :'(
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Nope... not quite that bad!
I posted a message asking if you could freeze the little blighters. Turns out that they can be pretty non-descript in the eatery stakes. Cardboard-like...
But... I liked the look and description of them too, so they are still going in. The secret, apparantly, is to nab them straight off the plant as soon as they are about an inch long - you let 'em grow, and they form an internal parchment thingy-majig which promptly makes them less-than-desirable as objects on the dinner plate.
:)
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Geoff Hamilton always said that the best green manure is broad beans. They don't take over, they add nitrogen to the soil, you can dig them in whenever you want, you can sow them anywhere, anytime.
Oh, . . . and you can eat them.
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i have the same problems but i was so pleased and proud off my self when i got my potatoes and garlic in i was well made up
Did not want to come home (the wife would have been happy with that)
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I bet you're so proud that you just want to sit watching them grow. Very relaxing, especially with a drink of something. Tea that is :) Have you taken a photo yet? ;D
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As newcomers to this allotment business it's reassuring to find that lots of people are as confused as we are!!
We've been spending lots of time during this horrible cold spell reading and planning but I think we're just getting more confused so we're just going to go for it ( not sure what yet tho!). We're both working all weekend but next week will find us with our wellies on (weather permitting) doing something constructive (or destructive), as people always say the best way to learn is thru experience.
Keep your fingers crossed for us and good luck to all the other beginners out there.
xx
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Hi there,
It was my first year last year and I did not start until April... I still managed to get a load of stuff grown and was the healthiest summer I have had in years.. It is really confusing but you pick it up as you go along and coz I am a youngster compared to most of the ole boys at my allotment they seem to take me under their wings... I felt really guilty when I went up on Tuesday as I have neglegted my plot for a couple of months and all their plots are perfect and ready to go... I have all that hard work ahead of me again>.. Noooooooooooo..
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adam sounds great and all that luvverly veg did you good ;D It's not just eating the veg that does you good though is it, it's being outdoors in fresh air (howling gale usually), clearing your mind, etc. It's good for your whole wellbeing. Mind your back though ;D
Hello too to clarenpaul. Hope you get your wellies on this weekend. It doesn't matter if you don't get anything done but at least you'll be out there making plans and kicking clods of soil about. ;)