Hobbit Allotment!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have located my seeds. Will sow in modules in the morning

Then transfer late mayish to the beds with a squash to keep them company.

[Feral007]

I sowed only two rows of corn last year and it's so windy here HH, none of them fell down. I was amazed at the strength of the roots!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Woo-hoo!

Have filled all of my raised beds.

Tis gonna hurt in the morning, but where did I Aunty Tish's saag seeds....

[horticultural_hobbit]

any words of wisdom please?

I have sunk a few varieties this year. Last year, me and tatos failed miserably, now didn't we. So of course, I had to go bigger and better didn't I.

Any advice for these please? I am a complete hatchet job, when it comes to tatos, so please pass on your pearls of wisdom

�Orla� (First early)
�Kestrel� (Second early)
�Sante� (Early maincrop)
�Cara� (Late maincrop)
�Lady Balfour� (Early maincrop)

As well as Maris Piper and King Edwards

[horticultural_hobbit]

picture painting a thousand words



I realise that I don't describe things very well. I need a diagram. Attached, is the view from the rear onto the plot. I've tried to annotate it, for a better outline of what I would like to do. Like, in that it is no good making concrete plans. We are working on hypothetical may be's.

What dawned upon me yesterday, was where exactly do I plan to put things. The amount of space that I have is 88 square metres, and in being told repeatedly that folks feel sorry for me; it gets very, very wet.

Organisation, is being applied very, very loosely whilst working with the conditions. Wanting to play with dwarf French Beans and runner beans, I've failed to figure out where they are to go exactly. One of my lotment neighbours-a nice one, yet to pity me-has advised that if the soil in a particular area appears challenging, throw beans at it. I'm taking up that advise. As best I can, in that I have put onions, shallots and garlic all over the shop. Should I see a small bit of dirt, I would like to sow DFB's or runners. I don't think I have left enough wiggle room for a bean frame, so may think about wig wams dotted around for runners. Peas are sat there looking at me.I have yet to think about those, to be fair. Still too early anyway.

There was a pleasant surprise in planting potatos. The beds indicated have poop in them-the stuff Pops kindly shovelled for me-so it was beautiful. Job done. My worry is of sante and cara tatos just failing in the open ground clay.

The rest of the beds, as ever, need topping off. I am mindful, that i don't need to fill them entirely. Will work on those bed by bed.

With it being too early, I will sow squashes and things later this month. Not quite sure which ones. These I do envisage going into any of the as of yet unallocated beds. There are lots and of DFB's in the seed boxes. Yellow, green, purple. I might, start with paper pot babies. Comparing them then, with direct sown ones.

Celary, died some time ago. Cauliflower, died some time ago. Purely as they got leggy and I didn't react as quickly as I should have. I can hear the seed wasting lobby....

Will try again, with further reflection.

Sweetcorn! Now where do I start with this. I know that they have to be sown in a block. The plot is windy, very windy. Just look at the carcass of the wendy house-it will be re-covered at some point.

[horticultural_hobbit]

Progress

Made some strides today. Because the star came out.

Cara, orla, kestrel, Maris piper, king Edward, Sante and lady Balfour sunk into three pooped raised beds. Cara and Sante were sunk as a risk into open ground.

Transplanted broadies- i could hear aunties in my head as well as James Bond theme.

Direct sowing of another, fava de something.

Red Baron sunk-again-half a bag of golden ball. Have a bag of mixed onions.

Sooooo liberating. But if I get another 'we felt so sorry for you' I might have to blow a raspberry. I do generally have my earphones in, taking them out should someone walk past so I can be polite and say hello.

James Bond themes, amazing for playing on the plot.

[Two_Sheds]

you could always use a bamboo can as a stake for each one - but they have really good roots

You can earth them up too, and they'll put more roots down to really anchor the plant in. You can't be windier than me HH: my sweetcorn stays up but the sunflowers usually cop it

[Hazel at the Hill]

I agree, Hazel, it would be ace. Alas, it's the issues of where to put it, where it won't drown, will it be productive.

I have the seeds, and I would love to sow them. Would need to figure out where and in what square formation. Would put them in raised beds as my patch is so low and miserable.

If you wanted a dozen plants (4 x 3) You could use buckets (I think the 2gallon buckets that I use for my tomatoes were 89p each from Wilko) and half fill with your soggy soil & half mpc; and plant out per bucket. You'd need to keep them watered, and drill holes in the bottom of the buckets. You could half bury the buckets if you were worried about stability. A sort of movable raised bed!

[horticultural_hobbit]

I agree, Hazel, it would be ace. Alas, it's the issues of where to put it, where it won't drown, will it be productive.

I have the seeds, and I would love to sow them. Would need to figure out where and in what square formation. Would put them in raised beds as my patch is so low and miserable.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Haven't even thought about corn. Not sure it would make it on my patch. Other people have it-our site is windy-but I don't feel so brave.

I've never had problems with corn, HH (apart from the year that I caught next door's cat eating the seedlings in the pots in the courtyard I wondered why they were looking a bit scrobby...)

I sow them in pots like the dfb's and plant them out mid/end May in a block about 12" between each one. I wouldn't have thought you were overly exposed on your site on south of the City, but if you were really worried you could always use a bamboo can as a stake for each one - but they have really good roots, so I don't think it will be necessary.

Nothing beats munching on the ripe cobs fresh from the plant!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Haven't even thought about corn. Not sure it would make it on my patch. Other people have it-our site is windy-but I don't feel so brave .

Partly, because folks keep telling me im wasting my time grrrr.

[horticultural_hobbit]

I would have too! But nope, I shall listens to my aunts and uncles.

I shall hold my fire then. Need to make more paper pots anyway. Not much has survived my temperamental classroom. The cacti are still there, one is in pretty bloom. Chillies are on a go slow. In sunshine on a warm sill. As are toms, but they are growing past their baby leaves. Leeks getting wiry.

Will be interesting to see what the students make of squashes as well as the DFB's, runners and peas.

[Two_Sheds]

My teacher has planted them outside. In the sleet.

I did tell 'im.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I sow my dfb in pots in mid April and leave them in the courtyard garden where it is really sheltered. They are all ready to plant out at the Hill in mid may.

[Two_Sheds]

Yep, same as all* tender (half-hardy) things: start them a couple of weeks before your last frost date




* when I say all, I mean all the things that grow like stink: beans, corn, squashes. Not the slower movers like toms & chillies, which can be managed on a windowsill during the spring