This might seem a bit of an odd question, but reading on the forum here I've been wondering if you're more likely to be suffering from diseases and pests on a lottie than if you're growing in the back garden with no other food-growers in the neighbourhood? Until this year I've just been growing in the garden and apart from the odd bit of tomato-blight I haven't had any problems with anything that hasn't been firmly my own fault (lack of weeding/watering/tlc...) and I am trying to work out whether I've been simply tremendously lucky or have been given a helping hand by my non-food-growing neighbours. It's certainly nothing to do with skill! ::) We've just started up a community gardening group in our area and have been given a piece of land by the council (quite large, and the soil is probably good - or would be if it weren't for the fact that it mainly consists of bramble and bindweed roots...) and am trying to gauge whether we're likely to have more problems with diseases on a larger area.
Or am I barking up completely the wrong tree? ???
People on our site bring in plants from all over the place. Friends and relatives gardens, garden centres, car boots sales etc etc. Plant have arrived from Portugal and Poland. It is not surprising that there are varioous bugs and diseases about.
There is already carrots root fly, blackberry reversion virus, around. Blight started in the middle of the site from garden centre bought stock.
We only grow toms on the patio as they get blight at the lottie, however we only have a small garden which is the designated residence of my 2 much loved med. spur-thighed torties!!
So for us it is a case of needing the space that our 2 plots give us in order for us to grow the variety and quantity of fruit an veg that we like.
I guess if you have a big enough garden there are lots of bonuses over a lottie, but for us, and I guess many others, it's not an option, maybe one day........
Now, where did I put that lottery ticket?!
Weed-Digga
I'll just muddy the water... my lottie backs onto the garden... :)
I used to grow at home and had far more porblems with cabbage white than I get on the allotment! I do not understand why :-\
Quote from: pumpkinlover on June 15, 2011, 08:01:24
I used to grow at home and had far more porblems with cabbage white than I get on the allotment! I do not understand why :-\
THere's a whole bunch of cruciferous garden plants that Cabbage Whites can eat but generally don't do enough damage until near the end of the year so they still flower OK..... on an allotment the only thing for them to eat is your cabbage......
Saddad I am so envious of you & also Goodlife. It would be heavenly to walk from the home garden to the lotty.
I have often had the same thought about growing at home. Are we less likely to get carrot root fly as no one else is growing them?
Hmm..I haven't noticed any difference to diseases which away place crops are grown. Not that I can compare to my back garden..like GrannyJanny there already mentioned my garden backs to my lottie..
But I also grow veg in other peoples gardens..miles away from allotments and/or farmers fields. And still I have to result exactly same protection, prevention, remedies etc. to combat pest and disease.
When I turn up to work, I've always have people coming up for a 'chat' (road side gardeners question time) and 'same time' just dropping odd enquiry about problems.. ::)
Actually I could almost say there is maybe more variation for the problems in garden situation. That maybe because there is such a range of plants around in different gardens. In lottie it is more of the 'usual' things.
I think people should have an awareness of what pests and diseases are around, and how to manage or contain them. I know that parts of our site have white rot / onion rot. Which is very difficult to contain and manage. And I'm very conscious of that.
Blighted toms and potatoes should be burnt or taken off the site, and not composted
My biggest pest in the garden are snails....... the "joy" of a walled garden, and therefore loads of hiding places :-X And I don't have a problem with pigeons at home (too many seagulls around) but I do at the plot.
Swings and roundabouts springs to mind :)
Good luck with the community gardening group :)
1066 I came across a tip for safely getting rid of slugs & snails. Put the slug pellets in an ice cream container with the lid on. Cut a hole in the side. Leave them near your most vulnerable plants. The little critters just go in so you don't even have to worry about the birds & hedgehogs eating them. Just empty every few days.
You know I've read that tip before and never got round to doing it. So well prompted! Thank you :)
So all in all a conclusive "well..." ;D
Looks like I've basically just been jammy so far then - I've probably now used up about twenty years worth of luck and will have nothing but pests and diseases from now on ;)
Quote from: 1066 on June 15, 2011, 14:27:52
Good luck with the community gardening group :)
Thank you! I think we'll need it... but even if the gardening might be a bit sketchy at times we are at least all making new friends in the neighbourhood, so whatever happens it's a winning situation!
Our site has very fertile soil, and has been allotments for nearly 100 years, and I am told was market gardens before that, and my crops are attacked by almost anything one can reasonably expect unless protected by ladybirds, frogs, nets, and an air rifle.
My back garden soil on the other hand despite forty years of manuring really is not as good for veggies, but it is excellent for fruit. The whole area was an orchard in Victorian times, and most of my neighbours have ancient fruit trees, so my fruit is attacked by almost anything... etc (see above). There are over 1000 pests and diseases of the apple.
Allotment sites are likely to become a reservoir for blight with all those spuds around. Not everyone gets rid of their accidentals. Once someone introduces white rot or club root it's only a matter of time before they're spread to every plot. Aphids spread other diseases. With so many juicy veg around, the're a magnet for pests like pigeons. After 170 years, we've got everything on my site!
The biggest problem I've experienced on an allotment is having stuff nicked.Netting, barrows etc etc. >:(
Now I've retired and moved home I have my back garden almost all down to veg and fruit and the only stuff that goes missing is in a pigeons crop. Slugs. carrot fly. blackbirds and blight all do their stuff but is much easier to chase up when you only walk out the back door. Mind you I really do miss the nice company you get on a lottie which is probably why I blogg here. ;D
Quote from: hild on June 15, 2011, 18:32:30
Thank you! I think we'll need it... but even if the gardening might be a bit sketchy at times we are at least all making new friends in the neighbourhood, so whatever happens it's a winning situation!
I think it's a really important aspect, I've learnt loads, made some new friends, and generally had a great time and all because I got an allotment. ;D
Quote from: green lily on June 15, 2011, 21:03:19
Mind you I really do miss the nice company you get on a lottie which is probably why I blogg here. ;D
A4A's a lovely place isn't it ;D
I'm liking my new garden. This is my first year of growing a wide range of veg in it after dabbling back in my home area up North and it has been going so well that I've been waiting for my luck to run out.
The downside of not being on a lottie is as green lily said I don't have anyone to advise me on what I should be doing and when or a better way of doing things which is where the forum comes into it's own. Plenty of nice people who will keep you on the right track as well as just being friendly.