Allotments 4 All

It's true everyone does have their own "way" - we are same area as grawrc but won't plant until the end of March at the earliest but deep down and earthed up in the same way.  And guess what - bet we both get great crops  ;) ;D

Normally I'd agree with you Wicker and plant later. It just so happens they arrived early and are going to deteriorate if I don't get them in by then. So I'm going to give it a go.

Good news is that the weather forecast says will be getting milder from the middle of next week, as a rain front moves in  from the atlantic. So we might soon be able to get our 'extra' early spuds in fairly soon.

Speaking of potato planting, i was watching an old Gardeners World the other day (on Satelite tv) with the late great Geoff Hamilton. On it he showed veiwers a rather interesting method for growing extra early potatoes in the garden. He had the soil ridged up, the ridges 1 foot high and 2 feet apart. This was then covered with clear plastic to warm  the soil. The reckoning was that the ridges gave a greater surface area of soil to warm up, which makes sense. The bit i couldnt make sense of was that Geoff planned to plant the seed potatoes into the ridges rather than the furrows and then cover to protect from frost. Now surely the potatoes would be more vunerable to frost  on top if a ridge than they would be in a conventional trench?!! Isee where hes coming from with warming the soil (wish i'd seen the item before i prepared my spud bed!), i just dont get the idea od where to plant the seed tubers.

Is anyone familiar with this method?, if so could you explain how it works please?

I'm with you on that one GC. Get the soil in the ridges nice and warm then plant the pots in the furrows and cover with the warm soil.

Watched the repeat of Monty Don visiting B'ham allots 2 years ago - anyone else see it? Anyway.....the chap who grew superb Pentland Javelin prepared his trenches, lined with a layer of leafmould, then 3 sheets of newspaper, then a layer of grass clippings & set his pots on that...grew beauts.

How deep into the ridges was Hamilton planting his pots, Richard?

I've always put my leafmould on top, as a mulch. I might try his way as well, and combine them.

Beginning to wish I hadn't dozed off during the Monty Don prog. ;) How deep would you dig the trenches before putting in all the leaf mould etc?

About a spit I think. I've just put my spuds in with a trowel before, and mulched over the top, but I think I'd do better to put them deeper.

Quote from: Alishka_Maxwell on March 04, 2006, 11:18:55
Watched the repeat of Monty Don visiting B'ham allots 2 years ago - anyone else see it? Anyway.....the chap who grew superb Pentland Javelin prepared his trenches, lined with a layer of leafmould, then 3 sheets of newspaper, then a layer of grass clippings & set his pots on that...grew beauts.

How deep into the ridges was Hamilton planting his pots, Richard?

I am afraid we didnt see that in the programme in question. I dont think the soil was ready (and there was snow on the ground!). I think he was just showing veiwers the method with planting left until the soil was warmed up. I am hoping to catch the programme where he actualy plants the potatoes.

PS the programme was from 1996.

No it wasn't; it showed my allotment gate, which I put up in 1999. My hedge was well grown too, which dates it to at least 2003.

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on March 04, 2006, 19:51:19
No it wasn't; it showed my allotment gate, which I put up in 1999. My hedge was well grown too, which dates it to at least 2003.

I don't think we are talking about the same programme Robert. I am talking about a Gardeners World with Geoff Hamilton, which would make it 1996 or earlier. I don't know what programme or photo your allotment gate and hedge were shown in ????

As an update I tried laying my potato bed out as Geoff had done in the programme, but unfortunately my beds aren't big enough. I kept on filling in the previous trench with soil from the next one, which is no good at all, and any way the plastic sheeting i am using wouldn't fit over all the undulations. I have now gone back to how the bed was originally, flat soil covered with clear plastic. When i come to plant I shall put in deeply in trenches, then mulch and fleece them. And we shall see how they fare that way.

Hugely unscientific in my world - the bulk of veg go in around Easter weekend whenever it falls, as it's usually the only way to get two whole days in the garden uninterrupted by work or "life".

Seems to work fine most years, but if it's really early and or cold, get the plot ready over Easter & then plant on the first May bank holiday for the reasons above.

Roll on retirement & I can spend proper amounts of time outdoors.....

Couldn't agree more! ;) ;)

With the roll on retirement that is. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Someone at my plot has his first earlies in and the ground is freezing.  Mine are still chitting in the shed (I say "still chitting, they aren't doing a lot yet  :().  Think I'll have a go next weekend if it's dry as it's definitely turning milder now.

Andy

If you want to take the plunge but are scared of loisses if the weather turns, why not plant half your earlies now and the rest in a couple of weeks time? Then if the first batch fails you have the others to fall back on.

Good advice GC

Mine went in today  :D Ok - a day early on the Grandad's Birthday date... but it's forecast for downpours tomorrow.

We also planted broad beans, shallots and onions, plus sowed beetroot, carrot and radish (under the Lidl finest Cloche).  I know I said I was going to wait, but I just couldn't...... 

Alison