Hi All,
This is my 1st year with an allotment and in between having a baby & moving house I've been attacking the weeds and now have a usable space so here are my Q's,
is it too late for main crop potatoes?
I have some plug plants of sweetcorn & pumpkins, how well will they do seeing as its a bit late? will they catch up and do ok?
what can I do to prevent weeds from the other areas before I get a chance to plant things?
and finally, raised beds yes or no? theres mixed opinion on our site so wondering what the overall opinion was.
Thank you :happy7:
Maincrop spuds are generally reckoned to take 18-20 weeks so it is unlikely you will get a decent crop - you may get something although you would be better of with earlies or 2nd earlies.
Pumpkins and sweetcorn may do okay if we have a long end to the Summer but you have nowt to loose anyway so get them in!!
The best thing to cover you plot with is weed membrane but that wont be cheap. Cheap and easy is cardboard - weighed down with something and it will rot into the ground eventually anyway - You can even cut holes in it and plant through it..
Raised beds is up to you really but I have them and they work for me. Being unorganised I like to have set areas so I can remember what follows what and where. It also allows me to concentrate the application of compost/manure and gives me set paths to stop me walking over the freshly dug ground...
You'll find other people like an open field system for equally good reasons so it just has to be something that works for you.
Best of luck mate - welcome to the site and the world of fresh veg!!!!
EDIT to say that there are loads of things you can still plant/sow. Lettuce, raddish, beetroot, kale, chard, fennel, oriental brassicas (Pak choi etc), Kohl rabi, Dwarf French beans, carrots (early varieties), spinach, calabrese
Hi and welcome, I agree with Nick, I am still sowing late French beans, runner bean even, beetroot, autumn carrots, lettuce, you can also sow things like mizuna and rocket, coriander leaf for salad, winter cabbage (like the Durham spring cabbages) and soon you can sow lamb' lettuce.
Welcome - and well done!
I agree about the early new potatoes being fine to plant in july - they sell them as late-crop versions to be eating in the autumn and winter! You'd get away with a late crop of peas too if you can manage to keep them wet enough to germinate in this dry spell. I also agree with kohl rabi which I sowed about this time last year and got some massive sweet ones (variety Gigant) - they also store fairly well if you pick them once the weather turns really cold.
Chard planted now will give you some spinachy leaves in the autumn and if you let it stand over-winter then it will make you a massive early crop from spring next year - I used Fordhook Giant Chard and the plants are massive.
I'm not sure the pumpkins and sweetcorn will make much - but if we have an indian summer they will so it's probably worth giving them a chance.
If you have plants in the ground to care for I find that it gives you a better push to keep the area clear of weeds and it will be easier next year.
Hi
Thanks for your replies, I have been busy weeding and weeding and weeding and have cleared the site! :icon_cheers:
I had broad beans in and have strawberries in pots from our garden which I took up when I got the plot and seeing them ready to pick has also spurred me on so now I have broad beans, strawberries, sweetcorn, pumpkins, courgettes, and tomorrow I'm going to sow some spring onions, beetroot and radishes
I have a plan (kind of lol) of how I want it next year when I can get my teeth into it thats why I was debating raised beds with turf between but since taking to my plot neighbour he suggested hoeing is better than mowing so I will give that ago and see how that works and if not the following year I may do beds.
Im glad I found this site :happy7: