Allotments 4 All

Please can somebody help me with my problem?

Have just finished my new allotment by setting out 8 modules or sections of 8 metres x 1.5 metres...and have planted Green manure in all but 2 of them so far [planted 4/10/06]..

Now I have not got a clue what is possible to grow in them and when...and what will grow with which etc. etc.

I now this is a lot to answer but anything would be a great start for a complete novice!

After having done all this manually cant wait to plant out!

Regards...

Which green manure's have you planted? I would leave the two beds that havn't done alone, or put in manure or compost, and use these for beans, peas etc (others). If you have used Tares, which I suspect you have, these are in the beans section of crop rotation, so you'd be best to use this area for Brassicas next year. I am not sure about roots. The normal rotation should be roots - brassicas - others.  You should get away with tares in the roots area followed by the others section for one year, but pick up the rotation next year. Have a look at this link which will explain in better detail.

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/pdfs/international_programme/GreenMan.pdf

hope this helps, Steve

Do you mean you have set out 8 modules within the 8mtrs ??? I can't quite work out your sums ??? But anyway there is not much you can do whilst you have green manure growing, correct me if I'm wrong but I think you will have to wait till spring by which time the green manure will be ready to dig in.

The two remaining beds could be filled with winter onions and garlic. ;)

Thanks Steve Great Link!

Thanks Roy......there are 8 different modules and are all 8 mtres x 1.5 metres in size!

Hi Estcourt, are those your beds in the pic? Cor! Well done you getting green manure in - will keep soil busy and weeds down over winter :o

I'd second Roy's advice to plant overwintering onions and garlic so you have veg growing straight away. You asked about what to grow and when? I wondered if you already had a plan - if not, winter is the time to be plotting and planning :)

Faced with the first year on a new plot:

What do you enjoy eating?
Which months do you want it available fresh from the plot, and what will you be lifting and storing?
What yield will your household get through? Yield estimates are widely available in good gardening books or on the web e.g.http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=gatepage&gate=GH_VegTipsAK
This will guide as to how much bed space to allocate to each crop.

Then you can work out where to sow/plant what. I wouldn't worry at all about rotation in your first year :D
IMO it would be worth thinking about any permanent areas - for e.g. asparagus, artichoke, fruit bushes and trees - and winter/spring is the time to plant them, before sowing time, and most take a couple of years to start cropping so you'll want them in asap.

Top tips

1. Sow little and often to get a succession of young crops (during the growing season I try to sow a sprinkle of salads, beet and carrot every three to four weeks). No-one will thank you for 8m of kohlrabi all coming at once :-X

2. As you harvest early crops, you'll be making space for later ones, so the ground need never be idle and you can use it continuously over in the season. For example, if you grow early peas or broad beans, you can put beet, autumn carrots, squash or sweetcorn plants in when peas/beans are finished. When they are finished in Autumn in go your overwintering onions and garlic. And so on.

Your plan will be a very personal one, depending on what YOU want to grow! e.g. I only grow a few early spuds (at desiree £3 per large brown bag from the country, the space can grow something else), very few brassica, yards of globe artichokes, and bedsful of leeks, onions, beans, and toms. One rule doesn't fit all, your household will be unique :)

I love working on the Master Plan over winter 8) - part of the fun is seeing how the 'perfect' plan changes once nature, greed, opportunities and surprises take over during the growing season ;D

Dick Kitto's Planning the Organic Vegetable Garden is a good book  - but almost all modern veg gardening books have a section on planning too.

...if this wasn't what you were asking, please accept me umbles :-[ ;) :)

Fantastic Supersprout!

Lots of information here to chew on ...just what i needed so will be off to browse them all now...

Once again thanks for your time and efforts and have good day!
Regards
Mark

If you like Broad Beans I would be tempted to put in a couple of Packets of the Sutton or an Aquadulce... they are the most reliable for over wintering..
::)

Quote from: supersprout on October 20, 2006, 07:26:30

1. Sow little and often to get a succession of young crops (during the growing season

Probably our biggest mistake this Spring/Summer (1st year) was not to succession sow: it's tempting to do it all at once but then it all arrives at once ???

you might also want to think about how you are going to move within each module. These are very big and you might want to sub devide them again internaly using bricks or wood.

Have a look at my plan,  these can also be found on my blog http://lakeviewallotment.blogspot.com/

I have done this with the rotation planting plan in mind have a look at this http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/gg19.php

This means that you can plant smaller quantitys of more crops over a longer period of time, I would suggest that you plant up modules in full which means once you harvest you can dig it over and leave it to rest....

I would push to get your paths estabished quickly :-)

Just looked at your blog cambourne7 and very impressive it is too.
Thats a huge seed list do you think you will manage to grow all of the varieties??
The reason I ask is because my o/h's list is even longer  :o :o and I'm wondering if we will have the room  ???

I am going to try and grow as much as i can... my beds are either 4ft by 4ft, 2ft by 10ft & 10ft by 4ft.

I am going to use the home make seed tape to grow some of it in situ.

But i am going to grow a little of everything..

I have my list in a spreadsheet ( sorry i am a techie so i turn to the pc first )

I have eveything broken down to genus then the crop rotation

A   POTATOES
B   ROOT
C   LEAF

FLOWERS   non edable
HERBS   herbs
Perm   PEAS, asparagus AND PUMPKINS

So if you look at the large beds the row of 3 at the back are A then B then C, the next row would be B, C then A, and the nearest row of 3 would be C, B and A. I am planting my winter onions in the row that will be B on the nearest row so that the onions will be harvest by the time i want to replant it.

I will plant into the rows on a monthly basis to stop gluts, with the exception of the raised beds listed as A which i will plant when i get the spuds.

There are 2 thin beds near the front which are 2ft by 10ft, one will be my asparagus bed and overplanted with flowers. The other bed will be flowers and any left over spuds ( i always order 2 much ) this might at some point become a seed bed and i have 2 old long windows that will allow me to protect the plants.

At the back is another 2 by 10 bed with has my rhubarb ( 4 crowns from 4 seeds i planted last year ) so i should get my first crop soon ( exciting ) and i have a flowering cherry planted in with the rhubarb.

There is also a 4 by 4 bed down there which has a Feijoa - Sellowiana ( NZ guava ) and a wisteria.  I have an old metal wheelbarrow there which i am going to get 2 old plastic milk crates and stick it on top and plant my strawberrys in which will fool the slugs! :-)

The rest of the 4 by 4 beds at the top are going to innitaly be hot beds in Feb and then will be pea and bean beds, 2 will have pumpkin, squash and courgette ( horse manure is already in waiting ) the other 2 beds will be tomato and salad crops :-)

phew!

If i go with the seed tape/blanket idea what i am not starting in my slowly disintergrating greenhouse, then the only problem i have is a ) remembering what i planted and b) the rooks so i am going to add wooden frames to all the beds as i go and add some netting to stop them. Someone has suggested that i get one of those rolls of tissue paper that they use in doctors surgerys to cover the beds as it will degrade quickly but i dont think i can be bothered.

Herbs almost forgot, i plan on adding a border around my patio ( where the shed is ) and adding a plastic liner and soil and using this as a herb bed which mean as i go into and out of the shed i will get all the nice smells :-)

In the far corner by the water butt i am going to plant a climbing rose, i have one that has a great smell and gives lots of pollen. The wind comes for 3 directions depending on the weather and the rose here will wind polinate in 2 directions so the plants will be happy and so will I. Anyone breaking in will not be impressed.

whew! <well impressed>
Love the strawberries-in-a-wheelbarrow idea!
What variety of climbing rose would you recommend for the plot cambourne, I'm looking for one this year :)
SSx

i got mine from david austin, if you search for clegg you will fond the climber i have.

am on pda at the mo so dont have my list 2 hand will post sunday.

SS: if you want a real sleeping-beauty's-castle rose monster, take a look at Albertine.
Graham Thomas described it as something like 'the variety for gardeners who like to fight with their roses'  :o

Being a real old rose, it only has a single flowering season, so don't choose it if you want lots of flowers lots of the time.
But do consider it if you want a big fast-growing vigorous climber, with thorns that will make intruders regret intruding  ;)

Mine has taken three years to claw its way over two walls and the roof of an ugly double-garage sized outbuilding at the end of our garden, and is now considering its next move  ;D
...
We used to get oiks climbing up there to drink beer etc.
Hasn't happened in the last two years  ;D

Quote from: supersprout on October 20, 2006, 23:07:17
whew! <well impressed>
Love the strawberries-in-a-wheelbarrow idea!
What variety of climbing rose would you recommend for the plot cambourne, I'm looking for one this year :)
SSx
[/quote


manage to google it

Mortimer Sackler Clg (Ausorts)
David Austin Recommended Variety
Category Climbing and Rambler Roses
 
(Climbing Roses)
Bred By
David Austin
Colour
Soft Pink
Flower Type
Double/Full Bloom
Size
Short Climber
Hardiness
Average
Fragrance
Old Rose
Medium
Repeating
Good
Special Characteristics
Extremely Healthy
This will make a wonderful climber, being extremely healthy and almost thornless Beautiful, open, soft pink blooms. Lovely fragrance. 8 ft.