Hobbit Allotment!

[horticultural_hobbit]

The plan that Ma will probably ignore....

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater
This has been in my lovely log book since before the summer, whilst I was still dreaming of a plot. No, it is not perfect. There are probably a thousand things wrong with it, but I am staying true my curiosity as the main reason I wanted to be a horticultural hobbit.

Chances are that potatoes won't just be in that little section. Will try and get them everywhere, as that is meant to help the soil get better.

[snohare]

No, it is not perfect. There are probably a thousand things wrong with it, but I am staying true my curiosity as the main reason I wanted to be a horticultural hobbit.

Chances are that potatoes won't just be in that little section. Will try and get them everywhere, as that is meant to help the soil get better.

No plan, perspective or action is ever perfect in all respects. It all depends on the paradigm by which you judge it; and as soon as you have anything other than complete Zen-like acceptance, there will of neccesity be some aspects that are inferior to others. The act of judgement imposes a perceptual filter. ("Zen and the Art of Allotment Maintenance". )

Hate to burst your bubble, but tatties don't actually "clean" the ground. What makes the difference is all the digging and earthing up of soil that you do while you are growing them. But yes, growing tatties is great fun (IMHO) and you will get through a lot. Old-timer farm workers used to devote HALF their growing area to potatoes every year - and the statutory size of an allotment is based on how much land such a family would need. You only have half that...good job you don't all do labouring for a living !
I have heard that planting turnips will clear an area of couch grass though. This may be apocryphal, I have never met anyone who has done it, just come across it in books. I believe Gerard cited this, and by all accounts he was a pretty fair gardener - for the 1600s.

[Two_Sheds]

potatoes ...meant to help the soil get better.

As Snohare says, they don't get the soil better, in fact they are greedy things and take a lot of nutrients out.
They are good for shading out annual weeds (because of their large foliage canopy) but they won't have any effect on couch grass or bindweed, etc.

However, if you eat a lot of spuds, then plant a lot.

Otherwise, use that valuable ground to grow crops that are unusual or expensive to buy.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Am glad I mentioned it. Though I keep getting told different things! Want to make the most of hobbit land. So having a small patch of spuds suits me, really. There's a lot in my seed box that I would like to play with

[dave_norm_smith]

What about one of these then! Seemed somewhat appropriate when I saw it. I'd love one for the kids.

A Low Impact Woodland Home

[horticultural_hobbit]

That really would be quite apt. Looks very much like The Hole.

[Two_Sheds]

I keep getting told different things!

Yes, you will. Some things you'll just have to try yourself

[snohare]

A Low Impact Woodland Home

Hmm, just what I've always wanted for a house. Yes, really !! <nodding head emoticon>

Great way to dig a soakaway and employ the spoil usefully, while avoiding the cost of a normal allotment shed and creating a new raised bed...this could be worthy of a reporter's visit !

I keep getting told different things!

I believe there is someone on this forum whose signature says, "every gardener knows best" or words to that effect. That's pretty accurate, the caveat being that doing it wrong does sometimes constitute an unmistakeable rap on the knuckles from Ma Nature.
Everyone's experience is different, and seen through different eyes; you are just beginning to create your own prism of experience...

[Two_Sheds]

I believe there is someone on this forum whose signature says, "every gardener knows best" or words to that effect.

Lol, that's mine !

[snohare]

Lack of declarative memory strikes again !

[Aberdeenplotter]

Although the spuds don't in themselves clean the ground, as my good friend Sno Hare says, the growing of them does. By the time you dig the ground, then set up the ridges, plant the spuds and then rake the soil back over, then earth them up as they came through the ground and again and a again as they come through further, you can see that the soil is constantly being kept on the move which is sufficient to sort out the most resillient of weeds and by the time you disturb the soil finally by lifting the spuds, you should have a nice clean bed to plant next years crops in. I advocate that anyone taking on a new plot which is very weedy should grow spuds in the first year.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Progress report

Evening, my lovelies,

As it stands, with the end of week two, 6/8 beds have been dug over. All as suggested, were outlined with coloured string. Have had to do that three times, as squirrels keep chewing clean through it. Luckily, grandad mike got wise, and used some strong stuff. Havent had any broken yet.

Wormery arrived, and was set up. Having to keep an eye on the inhabitants with the current heatwave. They won't be fed properly for another three weeks.

Composting bins ordered and anticipated.

I'm hoping to go play tomorrow, I have a long list of things to do. Have to clod bash, as two beds have loads of them. Will be putting in some chicken poo, I think. There are some broad beans I'd like to sow, with some lettuce and mustard. Onions, garlic and shallots are awaited and anticipated. Onions meant to arrive in a week. Then I'm just waiting for garlic. Potatoes, will be ordered soon and will only take up one bed.

Have set up the mushrooms at home, so waiting to see.

Will be trying to get the final 1 1/2 beds dug up, before letting the winter frosts break down any nobbly bits. At least three out of the eight beds (each one is 4 x3m) will be cultivated by the end of the year. There is a plan, and im am continually playing it.

It is hard work, and I'm trying to keep going whilst being positive. I really don't want to get overwhelmed and have that get the better of me.


Happy thoughts, my lovelies.

[Two_Sheds]

Potatoes, will be ordered soon and will only take up one bed.

You know they can't go in till spring don't you? What with being tender an' all

[horticultural_hobbit]

Yep just trying to have an organised approach.

[snohare]

Sounds like impressive progress. Compost bins on order, yet ? There's posh, now ! And mushrooms ! You are indeedly advancing at a goodly rate, young hobbit, zipping past arthritic old tortoises such as I.
Squirrels, eh ? You might want to invest in some wire mesh (the stiff, fine mesh stuff that the garden centres sell in small, expensive rectangles of about 80cm x 50cm) to stop the little blighters digging up your lovely seedlings in your raised beds. I've never had the problem myself, but I gather the little darlings can wreak havoc once they start thinking of your area as a fast food outlet. If you can only get chicken netting, try folding it over so that you decrease the size of the holes, but be warned - they will use it as a climbing frame, and find any gaps pdq.
The secret to not getting scunnert (as we Scots say) is to allow yourself some wriggle room. Some things will fail; the weather will screw things up, as will lack of materiels, time or energy.
In my mind I always have a mental timeline for each job and goal, and as it progresses I imagine a green line going from step to step, inching along to 100%. There are of course many jobs and goals, if I can't progress on one I usually do something connected with another, that cuts back on frustration and leaves me with a feeling of achievement. I swap priorities as much as possible, this makes things flexible. (And chaotic ! )
Of course I have never been organised enough to actually put this on an impressive chart a la wallplanner, but you might be differently inclined...