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Hello from deepest, darkest, Dorsetshire

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  • Hello from deepest, darkest, Dorsetshire

    Hi all.

    Well, not really deepest Dorset, as the Hampshire border is just down the road....

    Freshly signed up newbie that has just come into possesion of my first allotment. It's only small (7m x 9m), but comes complete with a shed, water butts and some blackcurrants, raspberries and strawberries.

    So far I have measured up and tried to figure out where all of my seedlings will go when they are strong enough. 3m long beds seem the way to go as that will tie in with the fruit which is already established. The rows will run North to South.

    My plan is a 3 year rotation with:

    Broad beans & peas (1.5m row of each)

    Runner & french beans (1.5m row of each)

    Asparagus (10 crowns in a 3m row)

    Brussel Sprouts (2 varieties 1.5m row of each)

    Cabbages (2 varieties 1.5m row of each

    Kale (2 varieties 1.5m row of each)

    Cauliflower (if I can fit them in)

    Carrots (3 varieties 1m row of each)

    Onions (2 varieties 1.5m row of each)

    Beetroot (2 varieties 1.5m row of each)

    Leeks (if I can fit them in)

    I'll also have a 3x1m bed with Gooseberries, Rhubarb and Blackberries.

    The plot seems to have been well looked after until recently and although I'll need to weed and dig it over, the soil looks good (my garden is really heavy clay, so a nice crumbly soil is a blessing) so it doesn't look like a huge job to get it productive again.

    I'll be looking through the forum to find useful hints and tips and no doubt I'll be asking lots of newbie questions too.

  • #2
    Hi there and welcome to the Vine!
    Very first lottie eh?...how exciting!...bet you can't stop grinning!

    Do check up on planting distances for a realistic number of each variety you can fit in...it does sound very compact with the brassicas if you don't mind me mentioning?

    Still...Very exciting..
    "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

    Location....Normandy France

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    • #3
      Hello and Welcome to the Vine
      I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

      Outreach co-ordinator for the Gnome, Pixie and Fairy groups within the Nutters Club.

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      • #4
        Hello and welcome from me too. 7x9m is a bit bigger my second plot. You can cram an awful lot in there, even with the space taken by the shed, fruit and asparagus!

        I agree with Nicos on the brassica spacing, it's very tight.

        What are you planting in the gaps where the broadies and peas will have been? If you haven't got anything planned, that would be a great spot for your leeks, which can hang about in a deep tray till you're ready to plant them out.

        Structures and tall or climbing varieties are an enormous help on a little plot - your shed walls are great for achocha or peas, munty frames let you use the space under climbing beans for beets etc, tall varieties of peas give you a better return and arches are brilliant for using the space taken up by paths.

        Very exciting!
        http://mudandgluts.com - growing fruit and veg in suburbia

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        • #5
          Hi and welcome to the vine

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          • #6
            Hi and welcome to the madhouse - mad because ITS RAINING and I can't get on with anything Doh!
            sigpic
            . .......Man Vs Slug
            Click Here for my Diary and Blog
            Nutters Club Member

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            • #7
              Welcome along... have fun
              sigpic
              1574 gin and tonics please Monica, large ones.

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              • #8
                Hello and welcome to the vine Thargor
                Location....East Midlands.

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                • #9
                  Thanks for the warm welcome.

                  I have to agree that the brassicas especially will be a bit tight on space, but if I've got it right I should just about be able to get 10 plants in a 3m row.

                  @ sparrow - what's a munty frame?

                  @ Cadalot - I'm sure there is something you can be doing in the rain. When we were out on Sunday we only sheltered in the shed whilst it was hailing, the rest of the time we were out measuring, marking and forking over from a path. :-D

                  I have started a thread in the Allotment section and I'll try to update it when I have some progress to report.

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                  • #10
                    It's shaped like a football goal, with the high end facing south. Mine's 5ft at the back and 7ft at the front, with 7-8ft between them (depending on the length of bamboos I have for side supports!). Tie polytwine at 6inch intervals from the front to the back, burying a small section of the twine at the foot of the back. Sow 2 seeds at the foot of each piece of twine and they will grow up the twine and over. It means you give hte plants a lnger run to grow, beans hang down for easy harvesting and you can plant in the sheltered south-facing space beneath the frame. Use strong battens for the cross-pieces - I used bamboo in hte first year and they bent into U-shapes from the weight of fully loaded bean vines!
                    http://mudandgluts.com - growing fruit and veg in suburbia

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                    • #11
                      Welcome Thargor. Look forward to seeing your progress reports

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                      • #12
                        Welcome from me too Thargor, enjoy your plot!
                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Thargor View Post
                          @ sparrow - what's a munty frame
                          Sparrows description is excellent, here's a link to some pics if you're interested:
                          https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mu...wuC5AQ_AUICCgC

                          Munty used to post on another forum.

                          Welcome to the Vine

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