You may remember that last year I had a go at growing Tomatoes outdoors in growbags and was bitten by the bug, so this year I have been growing allsorts in containers (the veg variety, not the liquorice ones ;D). (My garden just isn't big enough!!!).
Well.....I'm well and truly bitten now, and.........yes, you've guessed, my name is going down for a lottie ;D ;D ;D
I've roped hubby in to saying that he will help with the donkey work ;) I know that I'll probably have a long wait but I'm itching to get going now.
OK, where you come in :P
While I'm waiting for my name to reach the top of the list I'm going to be swatting up on what I'm going to grow, making lists etc... What I want to know from you is what is the one thing that you grow that you couldn't do without. I know that EVERYONE loves their potatoes and tomatoes, so I want to know your favourite tattie and tomato, along with ONLY ONE other thing, variety also, that you have to grow every year.
Also, anything else that a lottie holder should know ;)
I know you'll all give me all the help I need ;D ;D ;D
Jo.
If I can only pick 1 tomato out of my collection of over 200 now it wold have to be without a doubt, Big Beef, I grow the hybrid one but they have de hybridised it now(don't know what it is like though)
but..the hybrid one.. large tomato, small apple sized, perfectly round and blemish free, no green shoulders, prolific and reliable but the most important thing the taste is fantastic, it has every bit as muck flavour as the Brandywines. It is meaty with a thickish skin so keeps well. It is one of only five veggies that I rave about to this extent.
The second thing would have to be my squash ,again I have a huge collection , almost as big as my tom list, bit if I am only allowed one I would not pick my favourite which is Delicata Sugar Loaf, ( another one of the 4 mentioned above)I would take my second favourite which is Red Kuri simply because of the colour and I could use it in pumpkin pie which I couldn't with the yellow flesh of the first one.
Oh heck I know you said 2, but having mentioned 2 out of the 5 I rave about, I have to tell that the other 3 are Gypsy Peppers ,Kenyan Safari beans and Charlotte spuds..
I have seeds of all but the beans if you would like some.
XX Jeannine
The great thing about being on an allotment is that you'll never be short of advice - in fact, you try stopping them!! The only problem is that 10 people will tell you at least 15 different "only way to do it".
Here's my bestest general tips - stay on top of the weeds and do little and often. I've seen too many "newbies" with the Ground Force approach. They all turn up on the first Saturday (normally with a picnic). By 11 0'clock, the kids are bored, his back's gone and they've had a row. As they say in Ireland, 'When God made time, he made plenty of it'
My favourite spud has to be Pink Fir Apple - a late salad that gives you "new" potatoes right through the winter.
Toms. This is my first attempt at growing outdoors, I've tried Super Marmande and Brandywine but I'm not sure how good they will be.
As for the one other - oh, please don't force me to choose!!
I suppose it must be Broad Beans, or Early Sprouting Broccoli - or sweetcorn, or courgettes. No, definately runner beans - I mean French Beans - Mangetout. Carrots?
Whatever you grow will taste SOOOOOO much better than anything you can buy. Good luck, I hope you love your plot as much as I do mine!!
Tomato Sungold, the only F1 I grow!!!
Peas Magnum Bonum... tall up to 9' but excellent, heritage variety but I could spare you 20 to bulk up...
Potato... Red Duke of York... tough skin, excellent jackets and roasts and boils..
;D
tatties are a strange one as they grow differently for everyone as the soil is always different.
What i would suggest is that you find out from other plot holders what works and go to a potato day and pick 4 seed potatoes of lots of different variatys for your first year so that you get a feel for what works. Potatoes also help condition the soil so plant more than you need :)
Another vote for Sungold from me! :)
Spud - Arran Pilot (not spud adventerous! hard to get hold of spud varieties here!)
Tomato - Cherokee green Mmmmmmmm done taste tests with all the varieties grown here and everyones favourite is this one too!!!!
Rosie - can I be cheeky and ask you for some Cherokee Green seeds if you can be bothered to go through the process of saving them please? It sounds like a tomato I would like as I prefer my tomatoes to be on the green side. That comes from my time in Spain, where everyone seems to eat half green toms.
Tricia
My advice is to grow things you can eat raw on the plot - but grow enough of 'em so you still have some left to take home! Such as:
sprouting broccoli, sweetcorn, peas, and of course salad stuff.
Or get one of those little single gas rings that run on a canister and do your own stir fries on the spot. From plot to pot in seconds - THAT'S fresh!
As for favourites: I'll leave both the potatoes and tomatoes as I can't pick a favourite, but I'll give you three others: mini-sweetcorn, petit pois, and baby carrots. And broccoli.
Oops! ;D
and strawberries, i know you don't plant them each year but the taste, there's no comparison to the muck they pass off in supermarkets ;D
can't we pick 8 like on Desert Island Disks?
tomatoes - Gardener's Delight. I'd like to recommend another one, but they've all gone this year so I can't
potatoes - Charlottes. always reliable and pest free for us
for the other one - it would have to be something we love but would never buy from the shops, so it's a toss up between Beetroot, fresh Peas, Runner Beans , Purple Broccoli and baby Sweetcorn
it's baby sweetcorn
silverbirch is spot on with the Groundforce thing to avoid
to date
Tommie sungold
spud rocket
other sweetcorn
can I also have raspberries,garlic and sweetpeas?
Potato: Pink Fir (main crop)
Tomato: Santa F1 (small plum)
Other: I would say runner Beans but I don't have a favourite yet, so nominate Cavolo Nero (Black Kale)
Tomato- Golden sunrise. Taties- Desiree and Tropical Heat Chillies loads of em.
Thanks for your replies everyone.
I have just learned that there are 30 people above me on the waiting list ::) , so I'll have plenty of time to get my list in order of what I'm gong to grow.
I've found it really interesting finding out what everyone's favourites are. Please keep your posts coming, it will help with my 'list'.
Jo.
I don't really have a favourite tomato, but prefer the cherry tomato's. Probably more so because they cost a fortune and we eat tons of them. Daughter is always raiding the greenhouse.
Best potato without a doubt has to be Kestrel (2nd early). Reliable year on year, decent size, usually disease & pest free, store well, good all round spud that always comes through.
One other... hhhmmmm... A package deal: My Fruit.. Strawberries, apples & rhubarb.
30's not as bad as it sounds; by the time a plot comes up, a lot of them have lost interest or found one elsewhere.
I hope that's right. I know that allotments are the 'in thing' but I didn't expect quite so many on the waiting list. There are four allotment sites in our area so hopefully, some of the 30 will have found one elsewhere before they get to the top of the list.
Jo.
My brother-in-law was about 23rd when he put his name down for a plot on our site in January. He got one 2 weeks ago. You usually end up queue jumping if you are not too fussy about what you are given. Some people only want half plots, others want one in certain areas, others want one of the 25% that are licenced for livestock. He asked for one anywhere, in any condition. He was given a jungle.... But the vision of what it can become.... ;)
Your brother-in-law has done very well getting one so quick. I'm the same, I'm not fussy at all, I'd take anything just so that I could get sowing ;D ;D ;D
Jo.