Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: lazylizzy on August 02, 2008, 21:16:09
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I've just given up my lotty as with 8 month old I've haven't the time to go up there but making commitment to grow veg at home instead so wondered what I could plant now? I've ordered spuds which will be ready at Christmas, also shallots & garlic but wondered if anyone had tips on what I could start? Soil at home is heavy clay, boo.
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Sorry to hear about the allotment, but at least you have somewhere to grow veg at home. You can always go back to allotmenting when you get more spare time in future.
I've just sown radishes, parsley and oriental leaves.
Last year I did French beans and beetroot as well, on the recommendation of next door allotment holders, and they were great.
And even into Autumn you can sow spicy oriental leaves, and they will last you into the winter. you can use them in salads or cook - stuff like different kinds of mustard greens, and so on.
Do any of them appeal?
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hi, lazylizzie, welcome to the site ;D
have you any containers ? they can have lighter soil put in, makes growing some veggies easier,
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Hi Lazylizzy - here's a list of stuff you can get going now:
Chard
Chinese cabbage
Corn Salad
Florence Fennel
Kale
Japanese Greens (Mizuna)
Japanese Onion seed
Kohl Rabi
Baby Leeks
Lettuce (sow a hardy variety for winter use)
Mustard
Peas
Perennial herbs
Radishes
Salad leaves
Salad Rocket
Spinach
Spinach Beet
Spring Cabbage
Spring Onions (White Lisbon winter hardy)
Summer Radish
Turnips
Winter Radish (end of month)
Winter Savory
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Hi Lazylizzy - here's a list of stuff you can get going now:
I guess that about sums it all up - loads to choose ;D ;D
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You shouldnt have given it up as in some places there is a long waiting list and when your child is it at school you will regret it ! I was on my allotment a week before i had my first child. After she was born i used to take her with me usually in the afternoon when she was having her nap. As she got older i took her things to keep her happy the best thing was a pop-up tent! Good luck in your garden.
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hiya, bazzysbarn, welcome to the site ;D
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Hello Lizzy! You've been given a good list already, and the recommendation to grow in containers now is a good 'un - reduced prices around atm too at Wilkos, etc...
To your clay soil. I'm on heavy clay and started my garden plottie first by digging trenches and layering composted soft cuttings with soil...this gave a good base for runner beans/french beans/psb etc. in the 1st year, and I also bought in bags of soil to lay on top of the trenches to seed carrots, etc. in situ. So perhaps this autumn/winter you can dig your trenches (I went down 2 spits), bag up your soft cuttings in black bags with some holes punched in them, then leave them in a spot where they'll get sun....come spring they'll be ready to go in the trenches. All the best,
Lishka
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Is it too late for carrots?
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Is it too late for carrots?
No. You can still sow Autumn King 2. These are winter hardy and will stay in the ground until needed. They will be ready for Xmas.
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/344/1
There is also a new carrot, specifically designed for autumn sowing:
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/336/1
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Wow, thanks everyone for great advice. I've started clearing front garden in earnest and got a space already ready at back so will get on with buying seed. Haven't exactly given up lotty as shared it with a friend and kept letting her down so she's going to do it on her own now. I think if I cultivate front garden well it'll be plenty. It's lower than the pavement level and is in 3 terraces. It can't be anymore unsightly than it has been since we moved in 3 years ago. Also got a few containers in which I'll be looking to grow stuff. Can buy more from local charity shops and such like, in interest of economising.
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Great news. Glad to hear your plans and I think you're right to be realistic about what you will have time to do so you can enjoy it and not worry that you're not doing as much as you (or others) think you should. Happy growing! ;D
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Nowt! in answer to your question :)
Everything is in now for the following season, won't be anything going on until I manure the garlic plot and then plant them in the autumn. Too much to do looking after what is already in the ground! namely toms, carrots, corn, pumpkin, melons, beans, beetroot, potatoes, cabbages and broccoli, celery of various sorts, swiss chard and sprouts! I would like us to be relatively self sufficient over the colder months even if some has to be canned or frozen!
but good luck to those who find things to grow just now!
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Also got a few containers in which I'll be looking to grow stuff. Can buy more from local charity shops and such like, in interest of economising.
Many of us have stocked up on used black flower buckets from Morrissons supermarket -they sell them at 8 for a quid. If you see a reference to MBBs on the forum, that's what it means.
;D
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I thought I'd got the winter sowing sorted out Amazin.. but when I look at your list I realise I'm just a beginner... welcome to the site Lazy lizzy and Bazzy's Barn... ;D
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Amazin, I see you're in London. I wonder if all those will do well here in Yorkshire ?
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The list isn't London specific, Caroline.
Maybe you could do a trial in North Yorkshire and let us all know.
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I'm in my second year on mine and I'd like to grow some more stuff for and through the winter.
What spuds should I look for, so I can have some for Xmas?
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Beachlover,
I'm going to be trying Maris Peer for a Christmas crop grown in conatiners.
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I planted some Maris Peer last week. Got them from Suttons.
Never grown pots before so fingers crossed!
:-\
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Nothing at the moment - but pulling out plenty of weeds!
twinkletoes
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French beans (Dwarf and Climbing) will be leaving the comfort of their root trainers for the plot later this week (Yes, I'm an optimist :) )
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Are these all from seed ?
With all this rain we are getting and the cold weather at night (last night even down here it was a bit chilly) are these seeds going to germinate or should we be looking to plant small plants.Most of the gaden centres seem to have finished their veg season
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Mine are seedlings - sown into the root trainers a couple of weeks ago. I suppose one of the really quick dwarf french (e..g 'Ferrari') could possibly be sown now if you're in the south.
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Spring cabbage, greyhound... carrots Autumn King.... chinese Leaves/Cabbage... Winter Radish... and tomorrow overwinter lettuce like Stoke and Bronze arrow..
;D
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I have ordered seeds to sow next week. Will be sowing Deakin F1 cauliflowers, winter lettuce, over wintering spring onions, autumn king2 carrots, spring cabbage and radish.
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i was in a similar position when after 2 1/2 years on a waiting list my son was born and a month later i was offered a plot - i felt i couldn't turn it down and i knew i would be waiting much longer for the next vacancy.
In a way the awful summer weather we have had over the last 1 1/2 years since i got the plot has been a bit of weird turn - even if i had had the time to go there it has been always raining so i couldn't go anyway!! ;D
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I grew Potatoes at the beginning of the year, before I got my lottie, put them in to rubble baggs I hade about 15 of them spotted arround my garden they where brill and tasted realy good, I am thinking of not doing them on lottie next year and keep planting them into bags.
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I grew Potatoes at the beginning of the year, before I got my lottie, put them in to rubble bags I Had about 15 of them spotted around my garden they where brill and tasted really good, I am thinking of not doing them on lottie next year and keep planting them into bags.
since it appears you have had success with growing potatoes in containers, all be it large ones could you help me with a problem. i have been doing this for at least three years now but with very little to show for it. my harvests are small, last year my neighbour suggested i fertilise them as they may not be getting enough nutrients, so this year i added organic potato fertiliser as to manufactures instructions, but i think i didn't keep up with the watering as i have done in previous years. the soil was really dry at the bottom of the barrel. so could you divulge your secrets for successful potato growing in containers. i would prefer to keep them in containers and out of my beds as for rotating reasons cause i grow all my tomatoes outdoors and don't want two beds a year to be affected with blight when or if it strikes.
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My crop in bins were poor too this year (my first time) I failed miserably with the watering, which was the problem. Too dry....not good. Too wet...also not good. Mine were too dry :'(
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You do have to keep the soil at least moist. Put something moisture retaining in the bottom of the bag e.g. composted manure or growbag compost. Multi compost won't provide enough nutrient so once the haulms appear add a light amount of liquid feed when you water, or a normal dose once a week.
RHS advice here: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0506/potatoespots.asp (http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0506/potatoespots.asp)
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I've just put in some seed pots from Ebay, 10 in all. A complete experiment so I hope some of them grow and don't rot. Also still putting in lettuces and radishes to keep us going through September. I put in some purple carrots a few weeks ago which can be harvested up to December. I'm hoping for a home grown Christmas dinner!
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I'm fed up because I ordered some seeds from T&M on their free p&p offer over a week ago, planning to get them in this weekend, and now the site is saying no seeds will be posted until 26th Aug. >:(
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I would add some of the late chicories to the list - winter hardy, in fact the cold weather highlights the colours more :)
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I've got some more runner beans just coming through, if no crop then at least they are a green manure! ;)
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About gardening on clay:
I am helping my daughter with her Greenwich allotment, London clay, hard as concrete until recently with all the rain.
Eventually I drove there with heaps of bags of commercially produced "farmyard manure" and "compost" and smothered the few beds we had painfully dug out with both. Planted various things in holes after some haphazard "forking in".
Went back yesterday after a month away and was very jealous at her tomatoes and spinach. Runner beans a bit spindly but I think that is because of tree shadows (we'll put spinach and other shade tolerant things there next year).
The message is that if you can afford it, spread as much as possible of these things over small beds, and gradually expand them over a year or two.