Grow Your Own Magazine

My name is Bobby, I'm a woman married with 3 children. I made a new friend at a networking event and we got talking... both of us had considered allotment gardening, carried on talking and finally we have got ourselves a 50/50 share in an allotment. signed up this week and I visited again today to get my barrings.

So far, I have propogated some beetroot/carrots/lettuce/spring onions bought just one bag of late desiree wondering when to put them all out (and how ie should I take the shoots off the potatoes or leave them on?) I just have a hard time knowing if they are big enough... or what kind of realistic distance to give. we want to grow as much as we can but not make it overwhelming for the first year

It just seems so big, yet if we ignore some of it the ground will go to pot and we will waste the start it as been given! I got the history ... the previous person retired back to the Caribbean but loved his plot for years before he went.... Here is the dilemma - don't want to ignore the fact that the ground is ready to be productive and we are happy to purchase enough to fill the ground but as newbies we don't want to 'do it wrong'

Have purchased the last two Grow Your Own mags which have been great, and the small booklets have been so informative... planting in batches.

here is our 7 rod plot
ALL ADVICE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AND APPRECIATED

Hi mrs bobbgirrrl fisrt of all welcome it looks from the photos that your plot just wants tickling over with a rotavator and then planting lots of new plot holders would be very envious of you it looks good to go potatoes leave the shoots on put them about 18 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart this may seam very wide but the more room you give them to grow in the bigger they get as for the planting out everything you have in your list can go in now
carrots lettuce beetroot onions in rows 15 inches apart GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM ps and water good luck

Thank you so much. (Have resized and edited)

and thank you Jacob, shall get out there tomorrow then

Hi BG and welcome to the vine! You've got a super plot, in lovely condition (compared to most of us who take over sadly neglected plots!) Looking forward to seeing your photos of how you get on - I would suggest getting the following book:
The Vegetable and Herb Expert by Dr D G Hessayon ISBN 0903505460 - it was my bible last year - and still is! You can get a copy at your local B&Q or garden centre.
Also don't pull the growth off your tatties - its called chitting (potato growing term!) and is good. When you plant them, make sure this bit is pointing upwards.

Bernie aka Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Hi ther Bobbygrrl- and welcome to the Vine!
Looks like you've got a smashing plot!!
Look forward to seeing how you get on!

hi Bobbygirl. How I envy your weed free level plot with good access. Mines like the north face of the Eiger, full of stones and is the only one of 35 on the site that cant get a load of manure delivered near it so have 3 days of wheelbarrowing every few years,

Sound advice about planting spuds and courgettes as always a good low maintainence crop altho courgettes need loads of water to be at best. Beetroot is always good for me too and is usually easy to grow. Still tijme for a few runner beans as well look nice and prob tastiest crop i grow. Good for soil too as roots fix nitrogen. Happy gardening

Yo BG, the only way you can 'do it wrong' is if you don't enjoy it! OK grapes, hands up anyone who hasn't made a mistake or 6....... see - no hands went up.
The best advice you can get is from other lottie holders. They will probably have been growing there for years and know the soil and weather conditions to start growing stuff.
Not only will they be pleased you've asked them, they'll BREAK THEIR NECKS to give you all the tips they can. If the other holders are like the guys and gals where I garden, they love to see EVERY plot doing well. It makes going in so much more enjoyable and rewarding.
Good luck, eat well and enjoy.

Welcome Bobbysgirl, a plot like that to take on is a reare beast indeed. There are lots ofcrops you can grow and its amazing how quickly you will fill up the space.

Things like peas can all so be sown a row every few weeks, then there are french beans (dwarf and climbing), blocks of sweetcorn and lots of salads for a starter.

If you keep an eye on the "what I did today" thread in the vegging out section, you will get a rough idea of what people are doing and when, just to give you some more ideas.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Thanks Piglet, that's a great tip for me...Lauren


"If you keep an eye on the "what I did today" thread in the vegging out section, you will get a rough idea of what people are doing and when, just to give you some more ideas"...PigletWillie

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"A good gardener always plants 3 seeds - one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself.” - Leo Aikman
Lauren

Welcome to the Vine Bobbygirl. Looks like a great plot you have there. If it seems big - divide it up into areas, even if only mentally. You could have a section for growing flowers to give you cut flowers for the house. A section for soft fruit - rhubarb, strawberries, fruit bushes. Maybe a section for square foot gardening for herbs and other things you want in small quantities. Oh jings - you'll soon wish you had more sections. Enjoy your plot and hope you enjoy the Vine.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Welcome Bobbygrrl - lovely plot you've got. as to your question about spuds - DON'T break off the sprouts - this is the growing point (or points) for you potato plants. Plant them about 6" deep with the sprouts uppermost and when they peep through the ground, rake some more earth over them. You'll then end up with v-shaped trenches between your rows and inverted vs on top.
I only grow early varieties of spud but the later ones you can plant further apart - I'd suggest 2ft apart in the row and maybe allow 2ft 6" between rows.
Best wishes, and keep us posted.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake)

Thank you so much for the overwhelming welcome, its lovely to see so many nice people with such great advice.

I shall definately go look for the 'what I did today' section and purchase the vegetable and herb expert book at the weekend. That new mag out on 25th looks good what with all those seeds!! I did put out some onions and garlic in my little back garden but I'm not sure they will grow as they are under the black material and bark, do you think it would be okay if I dug them up and transferred them now or just leave them to see what pops up?

We have decided to divide it up into 8 equal plots and are of the same mind regarding what we want from it... just need to consider the partnership so that we can hope rotation at least... is on our side /turn over/propegating/turn around for... cabbage; carrots; cauliflowers; Green beans/peas; sweetcorn; courgettes; marrows; sweet potatoes etc. Your right, where we are panicking about the size being so much we will probably run out of space!

Section 1: My friend Sue spent an hour and a half digging out one corner that the green beans will go into. She met quite a few fellow lotties and she said they were all lovely and helpful.

Section 2: we hope to put potatoes in here this year (start tonight hopefully).

Section 3: planning - suggestions welcome

Section 4: planning - suggestions welcome

Section 5: planning - suggestions welcome

Section 6: salad

Section 7: section for herbs... I'd quite like to do this on a raised bed.

Section 8: I got there around 4 and there was no one around for me to introduce myself to but I made a start on this corner last night, it still has some rhubarb in it. We can make that section the soft fruit area as suggested (rhubarb, strawberries, fruit bushes)

I would suggest that you make a list of every type of veg that you both like to eat and purchase from a shop and then find a place to grow it on your plot, you will soon realise that the plot is not half as big as you would like it to be!!
I am using my plot like a kitchen garden by growing something of everything that we like as a family. Obviously there are some 'greenhouse' exceptions, but not many. Anything that will freeze I am growing more than enough of so I have a glut to keep and other stuff that has to be eaten/used fresh I will be growing as successional crops or at least trying to get the timings right so that the crop is getting picked and not wasted. Don't forget to bung in the companion flowers that will brighten up the plot as well as encourage the good bugs to come and feast on the nasties. HTH's

Yo BG. Before you go out book hunting at the wekend, have a look on ebay or amazon. There's usually loads on there and they're cheaper than garden centres or waterstones. I got DGH's fruit expert from a bankrupt stock book shop at the beginning of the year for £2.

A belated welcome Bobbygirl! Looks like you have a great plot.

"If you keep an eye on the "what I did today" thread in the vegging out section, you will get a rough idea of what people are doing and when, just to give you some more ideas"...PigletWillie[/quote]

Guess whos only just twigged that I could use the info as advice as to what to be doing!

Bernie aka Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Hi Bobbygirl,
Just picked up that you. like me are a new member and learning the game.
Hope we can be of help to each other.
I am 54 (soon to be 55) Married with a grown up family. I still work full time as a teacher, so I can't spend as much time as I would like on the plot. I aquired mine last October. I only wish it had been as good as yours! It was a complete bomb site and hadn't been worked for over 10 years. The soil is acidy heavy clay, on a slight slope. There are just three other plots besides mine, but I rarely see anyone. (one is a real mess) I've now managed to clear the site and have got a 6x8 green house and the same size potting shed (complete with very neccessary kettle etc) and a cold frame
So far I have planted direct, salad early potatoes, onions, peas, broad beans,
and a variety of carrots, of which there is no sign yet. I've also put in Rasberrry canes, two varieties of Gooseberry, a red current and a black current bush.
The green house is bursting with trays of all kinds of stuff, as is the cold frame.
Hope to talk soon, must get ready for work now.Parents evening tonight!
Bye for now
Julia

Dear BG,welcome to forum.i also have 3 kids and believe me my plot (a share in a plot) is already full and i am back on waiting list for a bigger plot.raspberrys are very easy to grow and kids love to pick them (treat it like pick your own farm and they will love it)any area you dont want to cultivate u can sow annual flowers or something like poached egg plant which can be treated as green manure like bob flowerdew advice.good luck

Hello everyone i'm Sue who is sharing the allotment with Bobbygrrl. Our first time every doing anything like this. Went over yesterday, started about 10.30am didn't leave until 6pm last night. I could just about move today but fill great that I managed to plant our Potato's and beans. Bobby and I will be going back tonight we'll put some more photos on as we want to divide the ground into 12 small plots. do you think that might be too many.

Hello Sue - and welcome to the Vine! Looking forward to seeing your pics. Can't answer your questions about the number of plots, but I'm sure someone will be along very soon!

Hi Sue & Bobby Girl
Welcome to the Vine and well done on the new Lottie. When you talk about sections do you mean raised beds or just an area?

I’ll await your answer & just blether on anyway. I would go for a 4 year rotation system so you want 4 area’s roughly about the same size ( it makes it easier then) an in these you grow

1) Spuds
2) Roots ( Carrots, Parsnips, Onions, shallots & leeks - plant in alternate rows then the onions confuse the carrot fly …. Well that’s the theory.
3) Brassica’s – Cabbage Cauli’s, Brussels
4) Legumes – Peas & Beans

Added to this I would have a separate area if you like squashes, marrows & courgettes if you only want a couple of courgettes like me, I stick them in with the peas & beans usually

I think no allotment should be without a bit of colour so have space for a row or two of Chrysanth’s and/or Dahlia’s, a wigwam of sweet peas ( look good with the runner beans and help pollination) and maybe sow a row or two of cut flowers too so that make 5 sections.

What you do then is move them on one section every year so spuds move to section 2 etc etc. The Herbs will love a raised bed as the more sun they get the stronger the flavour ( most are Mediterranean somewhere along the line, but if you want mint grow this in a tub or it will run all over your Lottie.

If you have space on this one for some soft fruit that’s another area, Your Rhubarb will need lifting & splitting every so often but that’s easy to do, Raspberries are good for 15 years so make a job of it at the start but strawberries need to be moves after about 3 – 4 years but you can root your own runners and plant them up then destroy the old plants just un case they have any virus’s.

Any questions …. No Good, time for tea

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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/

Hi sue and bobbygirl welcome to the grapevine.

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

Dont forget to leave room for all the peripheral stuff you will need in time and may not yet have - like a shed/greenhouse, water butts and a well positioned manure or compost heap. Last but not least you need a south or west facing seat so you can reast your weary body at the end of the day and survey all of your land. Dont forget that evry good toolshed has a bottle opener in the toolbox.

HAPPY ALLOTMENTEERING