Allotments 4 All

Did this last year but we have some newbies on the block so I reckon it's worth a second look.
Buy plant rings if you wish, but make your own and save a bob or two. These are made from lino off-cuts. Dead easy.

These are round my strawberries.

....and has anyone noticed in the pic a good use for film cannisters?

They're good for keeping seeds in as well Ken....the canisters not the lino.Good idea stops you poking your eye out. Like the idea of the lino round the strawbs. You can use it round cabbages to stop the root fly too. Won't it give the slugs a nice easy run up when the strawbs come through?

Ah! But the slugs hiding underneath are easy bait and you can smear 'gel' on the lino which stops 'em.

Yes ..OH bought a big tub of grease I use it round the bottom of the fruit trees..they are still young trees and it stops the ants going up and farming the aphids.

what about watering?  Do you remove the collars?

No just water round it, it will seep down to the roots, you don't have the collars huge.

I have been using corrugated cardboard and cut out cereal boxes (double layer) as brassica collars.

I have loads of cardboard so will get cutting.  Will also try it round my rasberries as the weeds are really bad but I was worried about putting something round them incase they didn't get enough water - now I know the solution!

Haven't any lino so am thinking of using cardboard but Paul can get some thick black plastic from work that they were going to throw away - does anyone think this would do the trick?

I'm sure it would, as long as you water well first - the rain won't get through the plastic

I'd go the cardboard route. It's biodegradable so can be dug in when it falls to bits. It should still last most of the season.
Your black plastic could have a hundred and one other uses on the plot.

thanks - they forgot we wanted the plastic and tidy soul has thrown it away so guess whose going to be cutting up lots of cardboard... :)