Allotments 4 All

Took some pictures of my allotment today and it is a veritable dust bowl see here;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Slide%20Shows/Allotment%20100623/allotment%20100623.html

Lovely photos even so Tee Gee. Lets hope we get a good downpour soon. Through the night would be good.

Where are the weeds?

To be sure, they are on my plots...

Did you have a cover over your carrots?

2 b sure it is looking far healthier than my allotment!! you should be very proud!

Smashing..a plot to be proud of.

XX Jeannine

One word.........WOW

That must take a few hours(days) a week?  Not a weed in sight!

Tee Gee you must spend every day all day and some of the night up there.  What a garden!!!

I am desperately envious - I know it can all be achieved by hard work but the planning as well!!

You should be very proud of your garden!

Tell me what is the squared white powder round some seeds? 

Your peas really make me sick - I have still only got 9 plants (singular) out of 4 sowings!!!  I really am now into eating pea shoots - which are really delicious in salads and taste as good as raw seed pods!

I think - now - that you have made me depressed!

Old Bird  ;D

Yes it is very depressing! he is way ahead of me!
I wondered why TG do you have celery in pots? I have been unable to grow it, which is a shame as I love it! Do you have any tips for celery?

Wonderful Tee Gee, as always.

Ninny

QuoteDid you have a cover over your carrots?

No!

I am trying a couple of experiments this year and they are;

1) The ones you see have been treated with 'Bromophos' [yes I know it is a banned substance ::) ] and watered in with Armillatox to manufacturers specification.

I don't plan on covering can't abide all the phaph!

The Bromophos was minimal I only used it as a seed dressing i.e. I put a teaspoonful of it in the seed packet prior to sowing gave it a good shake then sowed in the normal manner.

That is;shallow drill watered with armillatox prior to sowing, then sowed seed and lightlly covered finally watering again with the armillatox mixture.

When I thin them I will water the disturbed row again with an armillatox mixture!

2) I have grown a few seeds in plug cells and transplanted them into a couple of forty five gallon drums I have filled with a fine compost/sand mixture.

These have been covered with fleece.

QuoteThat must take a few hours(days) a week?  Not a weed in sight!

you must spend every day all day and some of the night up there.

I don't think I spend a lot of time on the plot. I started weeding both plots on Monday morning for around 3-4 hours and the same on Tuesday & Wednesday.

This is the first weeding since planting out over a month ago. I like my plants to settle in before I start weeding as I find there is less disturbance (and accidents) this way.

OK it is quite a task waiting this long but I find it is easier, apart from the odd bit of hoeing I will do very little weeding now for the rest of the season.

QuoteTell me what is the squared white powder round some seeds? 

Lime!

Quotewhy TG do you have celery in pots?

They are bottomless pots like you I learn lots on A4A too and I was given the following advice from a A4A contributor! ;

There is a little trick to growing cellery apart from manure, water and slug pellets, when you plant the cellery out and it gets established put a 12"pot over it, this is not to draw the plant but to support the outer stalks to stop them from flopping then about 8 weeks before you want the plant you then collar it. I use an 2 collars inner and outer so i pull up the inner as it grows and keeping two thirds of the plant covered.

I have changed it a little i.e. my pots are smaller diameter (6") and they act as collars rather than covers. When they get about 6" above the pots I will collar them with a black plastic sleeve to exclude light. The sleeves are made from strips of 70L compost bags.

So you see I too take advice on board from the many knowledgeable people that are about in A4A, and I am not adverse to adjusting the advice to suit my situation.

I'm going to have to give your celery trick a go TeeGee - thanks  ;D

1066  :)

Ah I see! I tried growing celery and failed, but I have realised this year that I do not water enough and I think I did not water them properly. But maybe I will try growing some from seed next year. It is nice to have a couple, to flavour things with a few stems.
I will note that trick, I guess you can use other containers like plastic bottles cut open? This keeps teh celery well buried I presume, so it doesn't go green and keeps its moisture.... *notes down carefully*
Thanks!

Fantastic allotment. Lovely to make comparisons with how your stuff is growing to mine. You are far far on in a lot of things than I am, and like everyone else I was so impressed with your lack of weeds. It is  a losing battle with me, as once I have done one bed the others have grown more weeds and I have to start over again. We desperately need rain soon. My spinach has all bolted as I don't think I have kept it watered enough. Brilliant job Tee Gee thanks showing it to us.  :) busy_lizzie