hi guys! :)
first time poster, and first time with allotment! so i need major help please ;D
i am going to start digging tomoz with my best mate and my dad giving me a hand, but i need some advice.
i have decided to dig just a little area on sat and plant something on sunday - a little mad i know but i want to get something growing, so i can watch it when i am working hard on te rest of the plot :-\
2 questions;
what should i plant this time of year?
do i need to put anything into the ground first?
any help would be appreciated, as i don't want to look a numpty ;D
congrats, anton, both on your plot and finding this site, loads of brill people on here with lots of advice,
I think it's a good idea of yours, dig, plant etc..I'll leave it to others to tell you about planting, we're only planting under cloches at the mo ;D
is that because it is still 'harsh winter' up in manchester manic? ;) or is it to early to plant 'outside'?
Maybe just a bit early to plant out yet. what are you thinking of planting? would be a good idea to set a few things off on your window sill til it gets a bit warmer, will give them a good start.
Good time to dig the ground though, then you can add a bit of organic matter to enrich the soil ready for your plants. :)
no, I'm a bit cautious, we have broad beans, onions and garlic in but the early peas, cauliflower and cabbage are covered..by the way, someone on here reckons b&q have onions reduced..
we've been told monday and tuesday nights could be a bit cold
also, i grow lots of things in fibre pots and plant them out when they're bigger to stop the d*mn slugs getting them ;D
Hi Anton :) potatoes and onions are a good bet at this time of year - pots would be easier to start I think as don't need as much prep and/or attention, there is loads of really useful advice if you run a search, mostly though, take your time and have fun ;D
Hi Anton & welcome. You could plant some broad beans [though you might want to start them off indoors, onion sets or carrots under some protection. I'm sure you'll get lots more suggestions. Good luck. :)
hi anton,
We planted our early potatoes last week (Accent were the variety recommended to us have heard that pink fir are good too) to help protect from the chill we added some shredded newspaper around them. We also popped some shallots in too.
Hope that helps
Claire :D
Hi Anton
Welcome to A4A
Perhaps having a look at 'what to do this week' on my website might help to get you started. http://tinyurl.com/yn57zu
You don't mention where your from so specific advice is difficult, so get back to us and we will advise where we can.
edit; Noted you are from Leicester area so if you work on a couple of weeks before the dates shown on my website you should be OK
indoors it is then :( ihave some seed trays and might plant some lettuces and carrots, although i mght still put some onions in - especially as they are cheap at b&q! thanks manic :)
thanks tee gee.
my plot is ne leicester!
i have another post asking about good books - i think i better start some serious reading :o
the prob with me is that i like to get stuck in and i'm not very good at instructions - typical man? ::)
i may need to adjust my approach with this though :-\
cheers to all for the great advice ;D
hi anton...
most of the people on our site have already put their first earlies in, with others doing so this weekend! i say, get yourself along to your local garden centre or diy store and see if they have reduced their stocks.. may not have a lot of choice left for you, but it would make a start! of course then there is the question of.."to chit or not to chit"! you decide whether or not to plant them this weekend or wait a tad longer.
good luck anyhow and keep us posted,
Dee
cheers dee! you in the chat room later? :)
thanks for looking after me last night - first time and all ;)
Welcome Anton, Good Luck, XXX Jeannine
thanks jeannine :)
i think i'll need it :o ;)
If it's a new plot, it's probably going to be weedy. Spuds are a good bet since they shade most things out, and all the digging around gives you multiple opportunities to get the roots out.
Hi Anton, I'm up in the Wilds of Derby.... our spuds are going in over Easter, have most of the brassicas and leeks sown, up and pricked out... If you want to come up and have a look any time just pm me... we are in the yellow (NGS) book!
;D
We got our allotment in early March last year. Our "bible" was RHS book 'Growing Vegetables" by Tony Biggs but there are plenty of other books that are worth buying.
Have you somewhere warmish that you can start seeds off? If so there are quite a few things you can get going with now with a view to planting out in a month's time.
Direct planting: 1st & 2nd early potatoes should be ok to go in now; onion sets should also be ok.
i have a conservatory that is noce and warm - what seeds are best to plant now, and when do i know they are ready to plant outdoors?
Hi Ant and a big welcome from N London, plant out spuds, garlic, onions, broad beans, peas, parsnips,shallots and carrots, inside you can sow cauliflower, cabbages, tomatoes, leeks,beetroot, lettuce etc. Good luck and happy digging. ;D ;D ;D
When we got our lottie on 4th April 2003, we had a bed dug over on the first day (took us a couple of hours to clear the weeds and their roots).
Next day, we went to B&Q for a selection of herb plants. They look good in the ground, grow quickly, and spread nicely to cover the ground. We felt that we had got a good start, and every time my back ached on digging other beds, one look at the herbs made it seem more worthwhile.
Good ones to start with (hardy and useful in the kitchen) are sage, rosemary, lemon balm and thyme.
All the best with whatever you decide to grow,
Tricia :-*
Hi Anton, I am a newbie allotment holder this year too! So far we have put potatoes in (this weekend) but that is about it! We have leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, beetroot and in pots indoors. I have also planted a pot of 'alpine' strawberries from seed (did this in Jan). We also broad beans hardening off ready to go out on the plot tommorrow. Finally numerous varieties of tomatoes and chillis indoors in pots. I have shallots that really need to be out ASAP so hopefully will do that tommorrow. You will find plenty of friendly advice on this site and the best of luck with your new lottie!
Rachel
Hey anton & welcome (officially!) to the mad house - loads of good advice on here so you'll soon learn what & when everything needs doing.
We have garlic, onions and pots in the lottie at the mo, and carrots, leeks and salad onions sown in modules at home. Also tried some beetroots but think they'll end up being a disaster ::)
Best advice i've read is take it easy (don't try to dig the whole plot in one go :o ) and enjoy it! Also, take some pics before, during and after all your hard work to share with us all ;)
Good luck & happy digging x
Similar to Cornykev, I now have peas, broad beans, sugarsnaps, onions, shallots, garlic, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, turnips in.
Im new this year too! I hope all the advice I have been given is going to work! I have found there are so many options/answers to the questions I ask. I have to make a judgement-call and choose which I feel sounds most sensible. It appears there are no hard-and-fast rules. Probably will learn by our mistakes!
Anyway goodluck! Im in Bristol btw - has been warm for a few weeks now.
Hi Ant and welcome. I too am digging at the moment, our first time too, so I can identify with what you say. I have learnt so much in the past year.
Kind Regards
D
thanks for the support and words of advice guys!
backs a bit better today - might have to do some more digging this weekend :-\
come on the sunshine ;D
Got my plot just before Xmas.
I managed to get some broad beans, garlic and onions in and can wholly recommend getting stuff growing as positive reinforcement for when the going gets tough!
I don't know what your fellow allotmenteers are like, but mine are a great bunch and after the "here's a new boy.....let's stand and watch" they have turned out to be a mine of useful advice, help and encouragement, as well as a welcome chinwag over a brew when you have had enough of digging.
The bloke next to me has had his plot for 40 years. Who needs a book with a guy like that on tap?
Books last forever..... sadly neighbours don't, especially those with a head start...
:-X
Quote from: saddad on April 03, 2007, 18:57:38
Books last forever..... sadly neighbours don't, especially those with a head start...
:-X
Well, in the five months I've been there he has been more inspiration and source of information than any book I've bought and it's local, which no book can ake into account.
Hiya,
Just a quick note to say hello, I am a newbee too, and haven't even looked at my site, just got it.
I know what you mean about wanting some insiration whilst you're digging, I think I shall be the same. I was so impatient that I have onions already planted in a big box in my garden, and carrots and courgettes in seed trays on my bedroom window sill, they have just started to sprout. I have not even looked at a book, I just read the back of the packet. I think I need to pick up a book, and get studying. I shall keep watching with interest, and maybe we can learn by each others mistakes.
Lots of luck and support
???
I hope you have got started, with this mild dry weather you will have a good start. You are right to dig and plant straight away, if you look at my year-old site, that is exactly what I did. The main thing at the moment is avoid the plants that cannot go out until May, it means that they will not withstand frost. I live in Liverpool and work one day a week in Manchester and I know it is a lot colder there.
http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments2_my_allotment_in_liverpool.html