Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello... I will be signing for my first allotment next I think I got a bit carried away and will be taking on a 10 rod allotment. Fortunately, it has a shed, 2 water butts, compost heaps and rhubarb is growing on it!!!

I have read through all the advice on raised beds,etc and have found it all very helpful. However, I am nervous about planning and growing in case I completly mess it up!!!

I plan to put a greenhouse on my allotment as it is too big for my garden and was wondering where was best to locate it?

I would also appreciate any advice on things that I need to be getting on with now - I dont knwo where to start!!! Have read a few books, and they talk about testing the soil,etc and I have to admit I have come away more confused now than before I read the books!!!

Looking forward to hearing from anyone who can help

Thanks

The first thing is - the most damage you can do is lose a packet of seeds (unless you tred on the wrong side of a rake of course.)
I've found Joy Larkom's book "Grow Your Own Vegetables" very good. But I've only just started and I've decided to experiment a bit in the first year and see how things turn out.
As for the greenhouse - apparently keeping it cool can be harder than keeping it warm, bearing in mind you're not necessarily going to be on your plot every day. So there may be a case for putting it in slight shade.
I've found the people on my site very helpful and generous with plants and advice so have a chat with them.
Good luck!

Gawdambugs....Well..if you go to the garden centres, they should be selling off spuds at a reduced rate pretty soon . Don't bother chitting them, just stick then in the soil 1-2 ft apart in rows 2ft apart and leave that area alone. In a few weeks you'll be digging up new spuds and feel as proud as Punch (whatever that is meant to mean!!!! )The rest of it will need some weed control , and a small area you could dig and prepare for June planting of seedlings. If you are unsure of growing from seed, then just buy a few seeding plants and plant out at the right time (preparing the soil according to what you want to grow) keep a plan of what you do, where and when , and next year you will feel much more confident in your own abilities. Nexy year we wil be asking for your advice!! Just keep it very eas this year , and you will be very pleased with your results.

A note of caution.

Does anyone else on site have a greenhouse?
If so talk to them as they are a magnet for stone throwers and other vandals.
There seems to be something about the sound of breaking glass that excites yobs.

Other than that you should go for the north-south axis, so the longe sides catch more weak morning and evening sun and the shorter end (+ sloping roof) prevent quite so much noonday scorching.

Regards, Peter.

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I got my first allotment in October - it is HUGE 60' x 30' but i made some raised beds, have 2 compost bins, a water butt, shed and a colleague has offered me a greenhouse for free! I would recommend getting to know the other folk on the allotment - some on mine have been there 25 years!
As others have said - just start with a few things and enjoy.
Sometimes its nice to just sit and survey!

That's true - you need a seat as well!

You might think that 10 is too big but we have 4.5 & thought that we would never need it all until now!! I wish I had more space. Good luck & have fun.

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Our plot is 10 rods by 1.5 (finally managed to work back from old money to prehistoric!!!) It's roughly 170 ft by 25ft. Yes it is big, but we have created a lovely grassed orchard with a greenhouse and shed in the top 1/5. We only mow it once a fortnight and it needs very little looking after. The rest we fill with no problem! Better to have an area a little too big than running out of space.

Best thing to do is have a chat with some of the fellow plotters at your site. They will tell you what your soil is like & most will be helpfull. Ask the secretary if theycan get loads of muck delivered, if they can, get one & stackit for 12 moths & it'll be ready for next year.

Sit down with your partner & family (if you have one, if not talk to your self) and see what sort of things folks like - no point in growing 40 rows of parsnips if no one likes the damn things !

When you've got your list split them in to groups. Roots, Legumes, Brassica's Fruit & perennials

this will make your crop rotation easier (you can further divide them if you want) then draw out a plan. so you can see what goes where. Once you've cracked the plan draw 3 more just move stuff on a bed - rotation sorted.

Joy Larkoms book is good. Caroline Foley did one called the allotment hadbook that's good too. & the vegetable Expert by Dr DG Hessayon is good as well.

Can't remember if there is a shed on your plot, if not get one if there is install gas stove & kettle, man cannot survive without Tea (or coffee) & once you get in to this gardening lark, you can dig up some new potatoes & other veg & have a cook out on the plot - you won't get fresher than that !!!

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I started out with five rod, within a year aquired another three rod further up the site, then within a couple of months got the rest of the ten rod plot the original five rod was cut from.

This year I managed to consolidate my allotments to two adjacent ten rod plots, but I still do not have quite enough room for everything I want to grow.

What always happens is I plot & plan, sow and plant, then find I have not enough room for the cabbage family.

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Thansk for the great advice guys.. went up to my new allotment today and started shifting the weeds - its knee deep - AAAHHH!!! However,amongst the weed I discovered 2 rhubarb patches - some of them are red and some are yellow - when will I know when they are ready to be pulled... Also,my partner wants to rotavate it because of all the weeds - but am not sure if this is the right thing to do..... garden centre ran out of potato seeds so I bought carrots,cauliflower and parsnips...

Have started digging up all my weeds... I knwo I cant put them in my compost bins - so what do I do with them - there are so many

Rake all the weeds into a pile and let them dry out. Then set fire to them. That is the way we deal with ours. Our rhubarb has been ready now for ages so I would imagine that yours would be ready to pull.

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If you can't have a fire, GDB, take them home & put them in your green bin if you have one,let the council deal with them.

They compost @ a higher temperature than you can acheive because of the volume.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

another way is to put them into plastic bags for a few months until they are unrecognisable sludge, then put them on the compost heap as usual

thanks for the advice Nick... why is some of my rhubarb yellow? I had to wqater it as it was looking a bit floppy...

sorry - me again - I bought cauliflower seeds today and it said to plant them ina seed bed, then plant out when they are ready.. do I have to grown them indoors to start with or can I just put them straight in the ground - my soil looks good..there are lots of bugs living in it!!!

It sounds as though you have two different varieties of rhubarb which will be why one is yellow and the other red. If it is starting to go floppy pull a few sticks and that usually gets it going again.

With cauliflower seed I find it best to sow the seed in a seed tray or cells indoors and then plant out when the plants are big enough.

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Hi GDB
I'd go with LJ's advice on the cauliflower too and sow them in cells or small pots - look on it as giving them the best start in life you can. I've currently got caulis and three types of cabbage in pots in my unheated greenhouse - will plant them out next month - after I have shot and eaten the wood pigeon who has set up residence a couple of metres from my veg beds.

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It hasn't been covereD over with something has it GDB? The leaves go that colour when you force it. Failing that it may just be slow to get going. Give it a bit of time & if it still looks sickly try some Maxicrop or other seaweed based liquid on it that may help.

Another thought, have you but some muck on it recently? (much better with custard)

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Nick I thought Gawdambugs meant the colour of the sticks on the rhubarb not the leaves.

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i do mean the sticks..... the leaves are all the same colour but the sticks are red and on other plants they are bright pink and on others yellow...... also, do you think it is a good idea to rotavate the rest of my plot or do it by hand

Not sure LJ so Ithought I'd cover all possibilities

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/