Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: chlodonnay2 on March 28, 2008, 18:13:45
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Just wondering what everyone is going to be doing at the allotment this weekend (if it is not raining!). I am wanting to plant my mange tout plants which are getting quite big, and also hope to put down some slabs to make a patio area. I also have tomatoes and chillis that desperately need potting on. Lets hope the sun comes out! :)
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Yes indeed, we are in need of some sunshine now. I am getting worn out putting shading up, taking it down and putting it up again........... ::)
I start a little part time job this weekend, so my gardening is only weekdays till the longer days really kick in, it won't be long ;D
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I'm hoping to get some potatoes in, and possibly some more digging done.
Re your mange-tout. It's a little early yet unless you're going to protect them with fleece. If they're 6-8" or taller and you haven't pinched the growing tips out do so. This'll force them to sprout side shoots and you should get a better crop. ie treat them like sweet peas.
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I'm going to give my lotty a good tidy up as it looks a mess and build a compost home for the manure Ive got then move all the wood down to the bottom and clear the place where the new hen house and run are going to be and if it stays dry do some digging or rotavate so i wont be home much this weekend i wonder if any one will notice ::) ::)
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getting the bean poles up ;D
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Prepare the beds some more and get some spuds in hopefully :)
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I will get my spuds in
I will get my spuds in
I will get my spuds in......
Flippin' weather!
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I am getting my hair done! Will hide my nails form hairdresser-definately have developed gardene'rs hands lately! Am planning a mad sowing session weds through to weekend as weather looks more promising down south according to met office long range forcast. Any one else? ;)
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I want to plant my potatoes but rain is forecast again. Missed out this afternoon we had an hour without any! When will spring arrive........
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Get the first earlies in .. I have my seconds in already but only because they were sprouting further!
Clear some space so I can start putting in the onions, shallots, garlic and million seedlings that are taking over the house!!!
Tomorrow looks wet and I am going walking but Sunday I think is drier.
Becky
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Tomorrow if the 60mph winds dont come then i will be having a marathon potato planting session.
Currently reading The Potato Book by Alan Romans to make sure that I plant them correctly ;)
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60mph winds are here already - nearly lost a plastic greenhouse earlier! I intend to buy some more compost (I will not buy more flower seeds, I will not buy more flower seeds, I will not buy more flower seeds - oooooooo pretties!!!! ;D ;D ;D) and plant some spuds in containers as it looks too wet to be going up the lottie. I will also sort out my plastic greenhouses into veg/flowers/sensory garden and repot my tomatoes. Then I will be reading all sorts of boring text books that I swore I'd be reading all week and haven't!
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Me. something sitting down,John dismantling a freecycle 8x10 Greenhouse to replace the rotten old wood one he had to knock down a couple of weeks ago.
XX Jeannine
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I too am hoping to plant some spuds - but am pretty sure the Midlands weather will try and scupper that plan. But i'll almost certainly get my titchy balcony cleared - to give myself somewhere to stick my seedlings once the window ledges start to bow.
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Im going to finish my potato raised bed. I had all day booked out to do loads but the weather was really bad. I am defenitly going to put some potatoes in large containers... I only just made my mind up after reading last post. Iam still in clearing mode and I have been working solid for two weeks but today it was so wet I got no where. I am still on the search for compost this wekend as well, I really hope the sun comes out at some point.
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Jeannine - SNAP - 9.30 am tomorrow hubby and I will be dismantling an 8 x 10 ;D
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I too am hoping to get some spuds in and make up two beds for the kids to plant whatever they like.
Please go away rain.
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A seed sowing marathon by the look of the weather!
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Seed sowing and potting the chillis on. Fitting a autovent to greenhouse on sunday.
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Hi Vortex- thanks for the advice. They have been outside in pots for a few weeks now- I was hoping I could get them in the ground...do you think not? I am in Brighton so technically warmer than some places. I can't remember when I put them in last year, but think it was around now (it was a lot warmer however and no snow last year!)
Happy weekend all ;D
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Sowing seeds.
Bonfire if it ever stays dry.
Planting shrubs & bulbs in my borders at home.
Anything else that springs to mind between now and getting there. ::) ::)
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QQQUUUIICCCKKKKK...
Everybody into your wellies,
the sun is out!!
(Spuds, spuds, spuds, spuds) ;D ;D ;D
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After 8 hours of repotting chillies yesterday, I'm looking forward to getting my garden fork out!! I'll be getting a tomato bed ready with canes and digging a trench for all my bush squash adding and some homemade compost, getting dirty today!! ;) ;D
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After 8 hours of repotting chillies yesterday
How many chillie plants was that? :o
cj :)
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Dare I say it! ...............oh...... go on then! 110 varieties have germinated! will take some pics!
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Wow, impressive ;D cant wait for the pics.
cj :)
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Defo grenhouse work today......far too wet to get on the soil :(
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The heavens have opened up here just as I am finishing putting the kids trampoline up. So now I will not get to start any jobs in the garden. :'(
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2 hours at the allotment today. 30 minutes digging and 1hour 30 in the shed drinking tea sheltering from the rain. We got to use our new gas stove...happy days! :)
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Hi all, :)
Its been too wet here, (Norwich) to be treading the soil today, so I started to put guttering on my greenhouse so I can collect and divert water onto my pumpkin heap later in the year. My battery drill went flat before I finished but it won`t take long to get the job done tomorrow weather permitting.
I`ve bolted the guttering brackets through holes drilled in the frame which seems to be ok. I`ve also drilled holes for fixing a mesh to the front of the greenhouse so I don`t put the wheelbarrow through it or my hand if I slip.
(I have dodgy hips and knees so I stumble when I`m tired on the plot).
I also put up a new piece of netting for this years sweet peas, and pulled out two weeds. ( I had two weeds :-[ ) Fussed over seeds in the greenhouse, had breakfast, drank coffee and chatted with friends.
Then I came home `cus it was cold and getting ready to rain again.
I hope to finish the guttering tomorrow, and I have a window opener to fit.
And a couple of yards of digging on the top plot, if the soil dries out.
Col
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I had hoped to get the asparagus in today, but I just sorted out my tomato planting instead.
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Well, my bro, sis and i met up at the allotment. Looked around a lot; pointed at lots of things; made lots of plans; then retired to the shed for a much needed break and to dry off. ;D 2 hours later we headed home - me and sis accompanied by a supermarket shopping basket full of strawberry plants to be potted up into hanging baskets at home. Spuds still sitting there giving us a guilt trip - maybe it won't rain tomorrow?! ??? ???
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I had several cups of tea a veggie burger and a packet of biscuits in my hut, only because it was raining... Yeah right!
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Finally got down to to the new lottie and started digging it over ;D
BACK ACHING BUT WORTH IT :D
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We did well today got 6 rows of spuds in , 5 rows of onions and the weather was fantastic ;D
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went to the lotty today as the sky is blue and the suns out.
Soil is really cold and saturated so i have abandoned the plan to plant spuds this weekend.
Came home and dig over some of the beds in the back garden cleared out the mini greenhouse and replanted the tomatos, pumpkins and courgettes. And i have planted up loads of peas & beans.
There all tucked up in the nice warm greenhouse and i am sure they will be fine while i am away in Denmark for the next couple of nights.
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8 x 10 greenhouse - dismantled and home (despite hubby's cracked windscreen - BIG favours for him coming up). Washed every piece down with disinfectant - now awaiting construction after the base is in situ. Pricked out lettuces and cucumbers and sowed some more melons. That''ll do donkey ;D
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Fantastic weather today. 2 raised beds made - one planted with early potatoes. ;D
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Planted the asparagus. You can see the size of the crowns; some of the roots were well over a foot long. The digging hoe is ideal for dragging the soil back into the trenches.
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Sorry to go off on a tangent but......
WOW, love the asparagus beds. How far apart does each crown have to be?
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A foot apart, in trenches 3 foot six apart. They said to put them six inches down, but this was very hit and miss.
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even though l should be down my lottie l will be in London so l will have to find some time in the week hope you all have a great time down the lottie and that rain stays away.
;D have fun
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Well after church on Sunday I was only suppose to go to the shop and fetch a few odds and ends and suddenly I found myself on the lottie. Thank goodness I was in long pants and sneakers! (I only went to water the plants in the greenhouse - she cried!!) :o :o
DH was not impressed as I had promised him a roast dinner at 14:00. I only got home at 16:00! Happy but muddy. I managed to get my gladiolas in (first time growing this year), I put all my dahlias in their new raised bed, planted out the broad beans who were making a dash for freedom out of their pots, built at tepee for my autumn sown sweet peas and planted them out as well so all in all the gloomy face at home was worth it!
Needless to say I now have to wash my sneakers as I did not have my steel toe boots with me! Next weekend, weather permitting I am going to plant my spuds!!!
;D ;D ;D ;D
Jitterbug
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Sneakers????? Dansneakers??? Are you a dancer? American ? or an Amaricanism(as my mom! calls them) that you've picked up? Just wondering as I get confused myself between English and American sometimes, worked on Cruise Ships for 13yrs! Dancer - hense Twirlie! ;D
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yes but it was a great day for your lottie jitterbug
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Half way through the week and I am planning the weekend ahead. Weather permitting (ie. please, no more rain before Sunday) the spuds need to go in (mid early), I also want to do some sowing and, as ever, weeding. If the weather does let me down :( then I guess I'll be sowing some more seeds in the greenhouse.
twinkletoes
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Hi Guys and Gals
I always make grand plans of what to do but my life tends to conspire against me so they normally go out the window.
Anyway, I plan to plant the last of my spuds. I have already got two rows each of four different varieties in (first earlies are up already) so just using up the spares for an extra row or two. Then I need to do final pre work on two areas of the plot for my root veg and brassicas. Root veg to be sown direct to soil while brassicas are currently hardening off/ being potted up. Final task is to plant out my pea plants into my raised bed, they are about 8" tall now and have been hardening off all be it during this wet mild period.
Thats about it for a weekend as I will probably not get on site for both days. The wife seems to divert my attention so I have yet to spend a whole day on the plot.
Fingers crossed for the weather.
Michael
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well I would like to plant the maincrop spuds but dunno if I will have time or if the weather will allow.
Otherwise I have to still do a lot of tidying up, weed the flower bed and sow the new flower seeds (just ordinary stuff like zinneas, marguerites etc, nasturtiums) and I also need to tidy up the bed for the carrots and beets.
I want to go get some more manure, it is starting to get urgent, and I also need to take care of all my little seedlings - they need pricking out. Especially the lettuce which is all long and floppy :(
I had also thought of making a little makeshift coldframe on my balcony with the showerscreen I picked up off a skip, since I know that I won't get down teh lot often enough to take good care of the seedlings.
This is all starting to look like a lot of work isn't it? :D
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Sorry "Sneakers" are like gym shoes. In South Africa we call them Takis - not sure what they call them over here in the UK - thought they were sneakers!!
Jitterbug
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Trainers?
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Plimsolls ??? Black or white, with laces or elastic ;D
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pumps??
and another vote for getting our spuds in and maybe making some carrot seed tapes if its too wet ;D
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Hi Guys and Gals
As predicted the weather was not too good in my neck of the woods this weekend. Heavy snow on Sunday and wet on Saturday (Early morning was nice though). Due to the demands of a demanding wife I only managed to water my greenhouse plants and pick up a trailer load of manure for my corn, bean and squash bed. I managed to throw on about 12 sacks and recon I need another 4. Once this is raked over the bed I will rotovate it in ready for planting. The manure is a little green but this did not seem to cause any problems last year and the plants all grew really well. Besides all that muck has got to be good for breaking up my clay soil somewhat.
The forcast for this week is also not good so it does not look like I will be getting last weekends jobs done then. Fingers crossed, and lets hope mother nature gives us an extra week or two of good weater at the end of the season to make up for it.
Michael
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Spud trenches dug... 3 and a bit done :) Another couple to do, but they are for main crops so no rush.
(http://bp1.blogger.com/_qHKPzDEdq6c/R_nYd4mv3JI/AAAAAAAAAJk/CBTJlud0pUQ/s320/plot4_060408_008.jpg)
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I got my asparagus mulched and a dozen barrowloads of soil from one of my piles distributed over a low patch where the onions are due to go in I had hoped to plant them, but didn't get that far. This time last year I was stuggling with a large area which needed to have perennial weeds dug out of it; that aspect of things at least seems to have got suddenly easier.
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Just wondering what everyone is going to be doing at the allotment this weekend (if it is not raining!). I am wanting to plant my mange tout plants which are getting quite big, and also hope to put down some slabs to make a patio area. I also have tomatoes and chillis that desperately need potting on. Lets hope the sun comes out! :)
My mange tout plants have been in for three weeks and are fine. The radishes are up and have not got frosted either.
Too early to plant out tomatoes and chillis, they need cover until the risk of frost is gone but a cloche or/and fleece will protect them.
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Ant
I have never seen potato trenches like yours - they look very good - so what do you do? How deep is the trench before you put the straw in? How much straw and why do you use it!
Loads of questions but interested to see other peeps ideas!?
Old Bird
::)
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Ant
I have never seen potato trenches like yours - they look very good - so what do you do? How deep is the trench before you put the straw in? How much straw and why do you use it!
Loads of questions but interested to see other peeps ideas!?
Old Bird
::)
The trench is dug to about a spades depth and each trench is 2.5 to 3 foot apart. The soil from each trench is put in this gap for later earthing up. The bottom of the trench is levelled with the azada (or spade) and then manure is sprinkled in. We have placed straw over the manure and then the potatoes are placed on that.
The depth of the trench to the straw is probably about 6" or 7". Once the spuds are in I covered them with a couple of inches of soil from the ridges. Once the plants are showing and a few inches high, it should be easy enough to earth them up :)
I bet I have gone to deep and end up digging a fair way down looking for spuds later in the year :D
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Thanks for that Ant.
They certainly are impressive! I may try the same but on a smaller scale as I don't think I have room for so many potatoes!
Cheers
Old Bird
::)