Allotments 4 All

That is a bit extreme Adam ...  :o

Derekthefox :D

Well, I've learnt to try and trust myself more and not text books, trust you lot of course, to have more fun, be more adventurous and give things a whirl, the worst that can happen is it dies, and that kids will eat veg happily if offered ( bar Dan, but he's getting there), and my OH doesn't actually notice when eating lettuce/stinging nettle mix.... Ooo yes, and veg taste just as good, even better, when not perfect.....

Yes lottie, even rude looking carrots ...  ::) ? ? ?

Derekthefox :D

Just a natural talent, Derek....... ;D ;D ;D

Quite a talent that then he he he!

Derekthefox :D

What would I do differently........  ::)

1.  Relocate runner beans as the vole family of Chelmsford have moved in and are rather partial to the stems of the plants....just as beans are setting!  >:(
2.  Grow the sweetcorn plants on a bit more before planting, and don't interplant with pumpkins as the pumpkins smothered the young corn plants!  >:(
3.  Don't bother with spring planted onion sets...the white rot finishes them before they even start to grow.  >:(
4.  Employ someone to do the weeding...a fit young man maybe........ ;)

;D ;D ;D ;D

seriously now, i think i would pot things on a lot more, i was being very tight with the compost and then thye were to small and the snails had them or the ground is that poor that they dint get much bigger.

Also start lots more off, always looked loads in GH but once thye ahd moved outside, there was nothing there!

I'll have one of those as well EJ - perhaps we could get a BOGOF! ;)

Remembered another thanks to Adam:

- get plants potted on/planted out quickly, not leave them sitting around waiting = check in growth = weaker plants I think... 

well this year i think i might grow sumthing cos it is my first year all i have on the plot is 2 goosegog plants i got off of undercarraige plan

I have the same good intentions with weeding every year, and I always get snowed under ...

Derekthefox :D

That's what I was meaning about making the rows wide enough to hoe between as my plants were very weedy this year as well. I think I will mark the rows with string so that I know just where they are. I am planning to hoe,hoe,hoe (to the tune of the seven dwarves)next year!

I think I am probably getting slightly better each year, but this last summer was a disaster for me, and all my plans just disintegrated ...

However the plot is now half dug, and it is looking promising again ...

Derekthefox :D

1. Make sure i spend more time pulling out bindweed roots when digging this year.

2. Grow more shallots for pickleing.

3. Grow more broad beans, cause they're nice.

4. Space my sprouts out a bit more, and stake them up earlier.

5. Plant some new strawberry plants, as the old ones have had it.

6. Dont eat brown snow.

My summer was a disaster too, but I'm ahead of myself now, and I'm managing to get everything mulched as I go. That'll save me no end of weeding next year.

There's no point growing all the weird stuff if nobody eats it, however much I like to grow it. It's far better to use my resources on things that will definitely get used

I agree Merry, about 80% on staples, and then the remain 20% should be on speciality crops that will be EATEN !!!!

Derekthefox :D

I agree.  It's tempting to plant exotica that are interesting to grow, but no-one wants.

I'm also going to change my quantities somewhat in favour of things that can be most easily stored or preserved.  So, based on what I threw away this year, fewer lettuces and more carrots, fewer cabbages and more beans.

I'm also going to try to be a little less dependent on chemical weedkillers and insecticides.  I'm going to try using a flame gun for weeding, and to try companion planting for the first time.

Ha ha ha don't talk to me about carrots !!! My crop embarrassed me this year, I still have carrots in the ground because I have nowhere to store them ...

Derekthefox :D

 ;D  But it's a bit of an occupational hazard, isn't it?  You carefully plan and carefully plant, and then either you get almost nothing OR it's like an avalanche of produce.

It was runner beans with us this year - they were so prolific I had to use guy lines to stop the canes falling over.  But the leeks? Pah!