Allotments 4 All

Got them in today so thats another task out of the way.

Planted out;

20 Calabrese-Marathon,

20 Calabrese-Chevalier

20 Broccoli-Bellstar
(Trialing this never grown it before has anyone anything to report about it?)

12 Cauliflower-Candid Charm

16 Cauliflower- Snow Prince
(Trialing this never grown it before has anyone anything to report about it?)

4 Cabbage- Regency

20 Brussels Sprouts-Maximus

12 Brussel Sprouts-Revenge

This is one of the beds;

Nice.
Mine will go out as soon as we get back from a mini break for OH`s birthday-I love light soil but I do miss being able to grow decent sprouts and caulis.

My season is all confused due to my injury erlier his year-broad beans going in at the same time as runners and tomatoes only now ready for sale/planting.

And I realised this morning I had forgoten to sow any carrots

You do cram them in, don't you? What spacing is that?

Or are they really big?  8)

This year I have given more room between my brassicas in the hope of getting bigger plants.  Though my spacing was not the recommended 2ft last year, it is this year. 

Is that your usual spacing?  Does it always work, brassicas being so close?

No footprints, TG??

Is that lime TG. I didn't think I could lime whilst the plants were in. I did a soil test and the soil is acid. Wanted to put it right but as I said it was time to plant

A bit of anti-slug?

Not up with your numbers, TG, but trying!

Just looked on the box and it says you can put it between plants but not touching them. Will do it asp

tim, your garden looks so lovely! it seems so green and fresh!! and tidy too!

I am thinking that I am going to have to buy in plug plants again for the cabbages etc, I just don't seem to be having any luck with growing them from seed. They haven't all died but some of them are looking distinctly unwell...
:( I love broccoli but haven't managed to have any off the plot so far

I must clean my screen more often. Barssicas in!! looked like' Brassicas init' to me. I was a tad surprised at Tee Gee using chavspeak.

ayih siht si ym tsrif ypler. ecin tolp uoy tog. ym mum dna i did ton evah hcum emit ot tes up ruo desair sdeb. os ew renit retni detnalp ruo saep dna sacisarb ni a egral rewolfr deb. doog kcul enoyreve rof siht raey!!   :D

Sadly we dont have the sort of space that you both have TG and Tim, your gardens/plots look wonderful by the way. We are just growing what we can in a small (very) patch of garden and some tubs/hanging baskets/planters.

Good Luck to you also Mr Fuchsia Nut.

Quote from: Mr Fuchsia Nut on May 16, 2008, 12:58:18
ayih siht si ym tsrif ypler. ecin tolp uoy tog. ym mum dna i did ton evah hcum emit ot tes up ruo desair sdeb. os ew renit retni detnalp ruo saep dna sacisarb ni a egral rewolfr deb. doog kcul enoyreve rof siht raey!!   :D

renit?  rewolfr?  ???

You have too much time on your hands.......  ;)

Whfew!1 didn't expect so much interest :o

QuoteI love light soil but I do miss being able to grow decent sprouts and caulis.

My soil is quite light and I get good results I think the secret is in the preparation I dig in manure in Oct/Nov.

Then just loosen the surface at planting out time when adding fish blood & bone.

Then I puddle my plants in rather than firm them as some people advocate.

QuoteWhat spacing is that?

15" either way

Usually it is 15" between plants and 18" between rows but had a few extra plants so made space for them. This spacing allowed me to put in another 12 plants.

QuoteIs that your usual spacing?  Does it always work, brassicas being so close?

Yes! it works for me!!

I look at this way; Allowing two foot spacing is only to suit the leaves but as I don't eat the leaves of what I planted (apart from the cabbage) I say to hell with the leaves.

When I lift my plants at the end of the season rarely is the rootball larger than 12"diameter so again I don't see the need for wide spacing.

Plus I find the plants support each other so need for caning as a rule.

Then think about Sprouts! the sprouts grow in the leaf axils  and when the sprouts start to swell the leaves drop off naturally so again why concern yourself with the leaves.

QuoteIs that lime TG. I didn't think I could lime whilst the plants were in.

Yes it is lime! and why not put on afterwards? providing it doesn't touch the plants all is OK.

Some people put their lime in the hole! I have never seen the point in this because the new root tend to radiate horizontally rather than downwards so these root are no where near the lime. Whereas my way the lime percolates down as it rains or as you water (not that I water mine) thus coating the new roots.

Then as a bonus I find the slugs & snails don't seem to cross it.

QuoteNo footprints, TG??

I use a scaffold board to stand on and work backwards and rake the soil with my hand fork as I progress down the bed.

Coming back to spacing! I have read that you can plant closer on the deep/raised bed system because you don't normally walk on them, but I can't recall anyone mentiong how much closer. Over the years I have experimented and I find 15"-18" ample.

Quoteusing chavspeak.

What is chavspeak ???

And a word for Mr Fuchsianut- I think I will  stick to writing in a  forward manner rather than backwards ;D

Hiya to you Mr Fuchia Nut. Welcome again, nice to read your first reply.We are just building new raised beds in a small back garden so I can raise some veggies at home as well as the lottie. I am interested in interplanting now but didn't think of brassicas and peas, I shall be  very interested to see how yours grow together.

Tee Gee, in the new beds we will have to have light soil as we have to fill them with potting soil. Am I wasting my time trying to grow decent brassicas in soft soil, I know they like firm but will I get anything in the soft stuff?

Not my strongest point.. squash are so much easier!!

I see you have well limed too, can you advise me about liming if planting as above.

XX Jeannine

Quotewe have to fill them with potting soil.

This is the bit that concerns me with your beds.

I have no real experience of imported soil and on the few times I have seen it, I have found it doesn't behave like natural soil, the texture is generally more open.

But thats not to say you cant grow brassicas in it, after all, it is a growing medium and thats all they need.

How long has the soil been in the beds?

Whats on my mind is 'wind rock' this is why so many people insist on firming the plants in (except me)

Faced with your situation I would still grow them as I do see here;http://tinyurl.com/33loso but in the case of sprouts I would cane them up for support.

With lower growing stuff like Cabbage & cauli I would keep them quite close together and let them support each other e.g plant as I do 15" apart.each way.

I would say go for it!

Regarding 'lime' I just spread it about a ¼" thick in squares or circles (squares are easier) around the plants as you can see in the photograph.

As for the firming in, I'm either hedging my bets or conducting an experiment, depending on which way you look at it.

I've firmed half of each variety in and left the other half to their own devices. My soil is quite heavy clay, so 'twill be interesting.....

Thanks Tee Gee, these new beds are lterally being filled as we speak, John is out there now. Costing a fortune but there is no other way. We are putting some sand in too. The ground in my back garden is solid clay and the level is very low so when it rains there are puddles on the top, the garden is in a dip so raised beds are all I can think of. They are 15 inches deep.I had to have some bits to grow in as I can't do much at the lottie now so this was John's answer . It wouldn't even grow grass it is so low.

I did think of top soil but we can't have a lorry delivery as there is no place near enough to drop it, we go down steps off the road at the back.

Any help very much appreciated here.

XX Jeannine

QuoteAny help very much appreciated here.

Can I suggest you start looking to next year NOW!

If you don't already have one (or two) compost heaps/bins make or buy one and get making as much compost as you can.

Apart from saving money this will add humus and body to your your imported soil and then you will be able to grow most things!

I go for circles!