Thought that title might get me a few interesting comments!
We've just 'acquired' an old metal bath, and have put on the 'lotty'. I want to put it to good use by planting into it. Any ideas?
Julia
My neighbour at the allotment has put a bath at the end of his greenhouse and is growing peppers and tomatoes successfully.
As there is only one plug hole you must make sure that there is plenty of rubble/crocks to allow drainage and avoid blocking it up.
The drain needs to be put over a hole that you have dug and filled with the same drainage material,
do not just dump the bath on the soil.
Also remember to place something under the far end of the bath to allow a slope down to the plug hole!
Good luck
we have our carrot planted in 2 baths that we have on our lotti. they are doing fantastic and much better than most other around our lotti site.
Thanks for the ideas, think I might put some extra broad beans an carrots in for now, then go and raid the reduced plants in my local diy store for stuff to over winter. If they do ok will prob do the same next year. BUT might just put extra fruit bushes in. Ah I dont know yet!
Quote from: Julie Bean on July 09, 2009, 12:34:52
If they do ok will prob do the same next year. BUT might just put extra fruit bushes in. Ah I dont know yet!
Try blueberries as it would be easy to fill with the appropriate compost and keep the conditions right for them.
I grow strawberry,s in my three......to keep the slugs and snails out i put a covering of grease all the way round the underside of the top lip of the bath, no rain gets to it so it does not get washed off
dont do it! Pet hate of mine - baths and toilets on plots! Eyesore!
Good luck though ;D
Couldn't disagree more, baths and bogs look great on lotties as long as there's something growing in them. Bath's are great for growing carrots and easy to put the fleece across the top to stop the carrot fly. ;D ;D ;D
I've got two baths behind my shed to collect the rainwater. One is slightly higher than the other and they're connected via the overflows so that when one is full it overflows into the other.
our bath at the plot is a pond :)
I was left a bath on my plot when I took it on. I haven't done anything with it this year, but as Kev said, carrots sound a good idea to me as it will be much easier to protect them from the dreaded carrot root fly if they're planted in the bath.
Let us know what you decide.
Jo.
Agree with the no bathrooms on plots.
We made a rule not to allow them some years ago, got a skip and removed all those that were on. We put nothing on a plot you would not have in a garden.
No need for plots to look like shanty towns and tips.
thank you, part of our 'shanty town' ;D
Thats the whole idea of allotments, having lots of different recyclables and making good use of them, love the shanty look Scousers. ;D ;D ;D
That sinks better the one in our house Manics.
Quote from: PurpleHeather on July 11, 2009, 08:02:02
Agree with the no bathrooms on plots.
We made a rule not to allow them some years ago, got a skip and removed all those that were on. We put nothing on a plot you would not have in a garden.
No need for plots to look like shanty towns and tips.
To me that just goes squarely against the ethos of allotments. For one - sinks and bathtubs are often used in gardens so why not down a plot? They are just containers after all. Secondly you are reusing otherwise unwanted materials instead of tipping them. Third who are you to say what plots should and shouldn't look like - surely it's down to the individual to decide what to put on their plot. We keep our rules minimal to allow people to express themsleves as they see fit and consequentially have a huge range of different looking plots which, to me at least, are a delight to wonder around. I cant believe sites actually make rules like this.
I don't think it's right for anything to be banned unless it does actual harm. We have all sorts round the site - sinks (wonderful containers!), steel water tanks (I have two), God knows what. We have a skip now and then so people can dump anything which is too far gone, and it works fine.
I too recycle it stops the dreaded landfill, I have a bath in the garden which is a still water garden where the children can see the plants and water snails etc. The loo is in the frount garden with seat planted up and has given passes by lots of laughs from the 8 to 80 year olds. Remember a laugh is better than any tonic? the cysten is by my frount door as a alpine garden so all used. None of them are mine but aquired so I saved the planet just a little. So down lottie a loo would be great for controling mint, bath yes have seen strawberries and carrots growing happy.
These days I cannot take my car down lottie so I use the pushchair I got for the grandson as my lottie wagon. I get some strange looks and people stop me and ask then we have a laugh ( they say what have you done with the baby) but can take the tools plants even water down with me saves me carrying it. Its called recycling and if I give one a good laugh along the way I am well happy. :-*
You don't have barbed wire and search lights on the lottie do you. :o :-X ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I would just like to see the reaction of the neighbours if I put a loo even full of flowers in the front garden. ;D ;D ;D ;D
We are not allowed anything like that on our allotments, and they are being used as an example of just how attractive, neat and tidy allotments can be. The rather dishevelled look of some allotments may be the cause of reluctance to create more.
What's wrong with a bog full of flowers in the front garden? Our site is seriously dishevelled - maybe you wouldn't want to be seen dead there - but the waiting list is longer every time we hold a committee meeting, so there's nothing seriously wrong!
I don't personally have a problem, but I know there would be a riot about toilets round here.
The look does not stop people who want an allotment applying but it is not popular with people who might potentially have them next door. It is a major turn off for people who are considering allowing their land to be used as allotments.
Allotments now are the in thing to have, everyone who is anyone wants one. We see them come and go on our lottie some dont make the first year out they find it is hard work and with pests mother nature nothing grows acording to plan. I do blame gardening programs for making it sound so easy to do, even giving away free seeds.
Its fine if you want a perfect manicured lottie all lotties matching and all plants in straight lines or set perfect squares. perhaps with a no shed policy ( would have helped me as mine was burnt down last year) and with mains water at every plot.
Or do as they do abroad, they have summerhouses with lawns in frount and then the vedges. Where the family spends the weekend cooking and sleeping on their lotties. Above their summerhouses they fly flags of their country.
Perhaps this would be the way to go? for the uper classes to grow their organic vedge or perhaps manure would not be allowed either?
our allotment is being included in Wigan in bloom..we must be doing something right, 15 plots, 14 on the waiting list. been told it's the best site in the area :o
anyway, we don't care, we quite like folks being able to be themselves, allowed to use their imagination, to make their little piece of paradise ;D