I have just gotten my plot, and there is about 2 weeks work to get it weeded and a first turning and as it is a fenceless completely empty play (excluding the glass/soil ant hills) Would people advise I spend the winter/autumn building good raised beds and getting the soil well composted for early next year, or try to get some stuff in as early as possible.
And I will post some pics so you can have a look at it.
T5000
I would suggest planting up a couple of beds now, a couple of beds for winter onions/garlic later in the year and then spend the winter clearing the rest getting out all the roots, adding some manure/compost and getting it all tidy. We did this after taking on a plot and it made a big difference. The plot has been pretty easily to keep under control this year mainly because we spent so long on it over winter.
Plant it up. Why do you think you need raised beds? If you suffer from waterlogging, or you have trouble bending, there can be real advantages. Otherwise, it's just extra work.
good point thank you, i am just taking advice from the older gardeners on site one told me to make beds to plan out the garden better, another told me no beds and minimun digging. i am just trying to get my feet so i am listening to everyone.
I would say choose the system that works best for you.
I started out with all raised beds and then decided that was too fiddly for things like potatoes, so now I have a mixed system which gives me flexibility, I can maintain crop rotation but I can still work on one area at a time and feel like I have achieved something.
I'm actually planning a raised bed system at the moment, after suffering a lot of damage from waterlogging. I'm gradually coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to do all my beds, but it's going to be a matter of a few per year. I'm going to have to buy in topsoil (that's the next thing to ask about), and there's only so much I can do at once!
Welcome to the Forum, Toker.
You could dig it all over then lay down planks as paths that you could subsequently move around if you wanted to change the layout. Or similarly create some large beds subdivided by planks just where you're not sure of your plans.
Once you've decided on the final layout you can make the paths more permanent/raise the beds etc. You may end up preferring the flexibility.
- Subject to the availablility of planks of course :)
i like the idea of being able to move and change the layout.
i think i will weed, give it a very good turning and use some planks for laying it out. my council provide the gardeners with all the wood chip they want, but rather then lay a solid path i might use temp paving slabs (there are some buried in the allotment)
how harmfull to the soil would it be if i had beds in for a year, decided to move around and mixed the soils, as i know some crops prepair the soil better for other crops and vise versa (if that makes sense)
t5000
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on August 04, 2009, 15:16:52
I'm actually planning a raised bed system at the moment, after suffering a lot of damage from waterlogging. I'm gradually coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to do all my beds, but it's going to be a matter of a few per year. I'm going to have to buy in topsoil (that's the next thing to ask about), and there's only so much I can do at once!
Freecycle for topsoil.... OK you generally have to bag it up and take it away but all it won't cost "real" money..... I'm off to pick up more tonight........
chrisc
Quote from: Toker5000 on August 04, 2009, 09:24:11
I have just gotten my plot, and there is about 2 weeks work to get it weeded and a first turning and as it is a fenceless completely empty play (excluding the glass/soil ant hills) Would people advise I spend the winter/autumn building good raised beds and getting the soil well composted for early next year, or try to get some stuff in as early as possible.
I was just about to ask the same thing!
I dug over in Feb but due to other commitments and then a knee injury, I haven't done anything else to it except watch it over the Summer. Turns out its quite a shady plot and its damp as well. I'm thinking of asking the guy who's garden it is if i can dig another bed in a more sunny part of the garden but in the meantime I'm itching to just get something in. If I re-dig the shady, damp garden is there anything i can put in for winter when the trees aren't shading it and that won't mind a damp soil. I'm thinking that garlic wouldn't like that...
Any advice appreciated.
Welcome to A4A :)
If I could jump in to this post please, this is my first year and all I have got is an area of spuds (pixies) the man in the pub called them and a few onions.
The potatoes seem to be doing well, I put them in the last friday in may,the onions are not doing as well.
I purchased too many seed potatoes and so left some in the wrapping paper in my shed. A few weeks ago I read about planting in pots and boxes etc. I have a plastic bath and decided to plant some more potatoes in it.I got my soil and compost ready and yesterday went to my shed to get a few of the seeds..and found that each one had about 50 white shoots a couple of mm long.
My question is ,am I wasting my time planting them now ?
i would say plant them they will be donw for christmas, well if the farmers almanac is anything to go by,
i have some planted in an old recycling box in my garden (not allotment) and they are doing really well.
almost time to eart them
toker5000
thanks toke
Welcome to A4A Clockster... hope you have some drainage holes in that plastic bath... :)