Am I alone in wanting to clear everything?

[Shirley Sherriffs]

Naaa.. I'm the same. Once the potatoes were ready I lifted them, nicely dried and stored. Ate all the carrots and courgettes,froze half the peas and broad beans, jammed the berries. The flea beetles got all the brassicas, the pumpkins and squashes all rotted. My sweetcorn is 6ft high but our short season in Aberdeenshire will never allow more than one or 2 to fully ripen. Shame cos they look great. lightly dug most of the plot and an desperately looking for packet of mustard green manure. Have to send away for it I think. I like to see a tidy plot so I dont leave it till the weather is so bad you dont want to go to the allotment. I spend half my life there anyway..

[Nicos]

He means (?) that a true gardener is up there all weathers, utilising the land all year round, not treating the garden as a fair-weather hobby.
He wasn't been judgemental, and neither am I.

And neither am I....but I'm more than happy to have a few months off from the weeding , preparing etc to be honest!
We've just bunged in a pile of cabbage and broccoli and leeks.
Think some garlic will go in too this weekend.

I'd say we leave about 50% bare over the winter. One reason is that when we're raring to go in the Spring there's not much clear ground to plant out in. ..that's really frustrating when I'm waiting for my PSB whilst the onion sets and spuds are waving at me ready to be planted out!
If you need a break- well then fine- it is meant to be a hobby after all!

[Alison]

There is some judgement on here, not everyones requirement or situation is the same.
What can you grow over winter?
Brassicas? I grow alot, but I don't want half the patch covered with them as that will upset my rotation, I know you practice a 1 year free of any crop rotation, but that doesn't mean everyone does.
Beans and peas, tried it, useless overwinter, much better for me to wait until spring.
Onions, I've white rot, so don't overwinter alliums, it's a waste of time.
Perpetual spinach, or chard, like it, but we can only eat so much

Very good points. I have my plot on a 4 year rotation with most of my brassica space being mainly for winter and spring varieties. This means at the moment a quarter of my plot is dedicated to these. At the moment I have the tail end of the summer crops still going OK but as of next month I'll only have relatively small amounts of onions, leeks, garlic, broad beans, chard and a bit of winter salad stuffs and rather more carrots and parnsips still in the ground. I don't normally bother with the broad beans either but thought I try it again this year and sow a second set in the spring. I know some people frown on them but I also have some green manures. If I planted up any more winter veg I'd upset my rotation plan and be unable to plant up in the spring as I wanted.

[Snadger]

Ok,ok...........appologies if I ranted a bit but it's something I do feel very strongly about and like to beat the drum of 365 day a year ground cover. I pay allotment rent for that amount so would feel agrieved if I only used my plot for 8 months of the year. (Must be the Scottish in my blood!)

I realise that gardening is supposed to be relaxing and stress free and for me it is. Each and every one of us must do what we feel comfortable with. I am passionate about my hobby (and I DO have quite a few others) so I'm at the allotment EVERY single day sun,snow, rain or hail!

Possibly I am a bit of a saddo as I'd rather converse with chickens and talk to my veggies than to people! My interpersonal skills leave a lot to be desired but I still feel that the challenge of 'clump' gardening and giving my family a variety of fruit/veg and flowers from a fully planted plot, for 52 weeks of the year is an admirable one.

Sorry if I came over as 'holier than thou'

[piskieinboots]

Sorry if I came over as 'holier than thou'

you never come across as that Snadger, you offer superb advice.

I do get a little concerned though when I see some talking about 'you are only a true gardener if you xyz' - it could cause new gardeners to feel 'not worthy' and surely all gardening is subjective.

Advice is so helpful to newcomers, but judging what makes a 'true' gardener is not

[Snadger]

Advice is so helpful to newcomers, but judging what makes a 'true' gardener is not

Point taken... Yes,thanks for the slapped hands MIss..........my homework for today will be lines.......!

I must not be judgemental!
I must not be judgemental!
I must not be judgemental!
I must not be judgemental!
I must not be judgemental!
I must not be judgemental!

[piskieinboots]

Point taken... Yes,thanks for the slapped hands MIss..........my homework for today will be lines.......!

I wasn't referring to you moi luvver

[ginger ninger]

Is it safe to come out now. Can I come from behind the shed now the mud slinging has stopped please (she say's, peeping out). I pop some red clover in my bare patch's...there I've said it. But there only teeny weeny patch's.

[womble]

I realise that gardening is supposed to be relaxing and stress free and for me it is. Each and every one of us must do what we feel comfortable with. I am passionate about my hobby (and I DO have quite a few others) so I'm at the allotment EVERY single day sun,snow, rain or hail!

It's your passion that comes over and that's one of the reasons people like you, I suspect some of the laydee gardeners on here, like you for other reasons.



As long as everyone remembers that there are lots of different ways to do things and your particular thing may not be perfect for everyone, then we'll be fine.

[Pies]

Well, for what its worth, mine will be covered in cardboard and then either mushroom compost or horse manure on top. There will be some plants,broadies onions and galic.

There are two reasons the first being I only got the plot in June so was more concerned with getting the plot into shape.I was actually quite surprised as to how much could be overwintered by the time i realised it was a bit to late

The other and main reason is cos the daylight is going fast now but I know the weeds will still grow.As i work full time this will limit me to weekends only.I very much doubt I will get enough time to be able to keep the weeds under control,so I decided to cover.

I would like to plant alot more overwinter but I need time to see how much I can grow before it becomes too much,I guess thats what experience gives you

[weekendwellies]

I will be doing my bestest to clear the rest of the ground of grasses, bog weed and horse tail that I didn't get done this summer ready to get started early spring with ..... I don't know what yet
Season 1 - learning - done (almost)
Season 2 - improving - ready to get going

[FionaH]

This is my first full season growing and my second winter. I managed to get nack all in for last winter cos I didnt get organised. This year I have spring greens, chinese cabbage, perp spinach and leeks. Garlic to go in today. I will have a patch bare till march cos thats when the spuds will go in it, unless someone can suggest something to plant there that will be out of the way by then, that Im not already growing?

It's your passion that comes over and that's one of the reasons people like you, I suspect some of the laydee gardeners on here, like you for other reasons.

Are you suggesting we have a bit of a soft spot for Snadge?!

As long as everyone remembers that there are lots of different ways to do things and your particular thing may not be perfect for everyone, then we'll be fine.

True, and bless Snadge for having a judgemental, grumpy old fella moment and fessing up

[Rocketron]

Fiona, I over-wintered broad beans where my spuds were due to be planted. They hadn't quite finished producing when I expected, so I planted the spuds between them. They had finished by the time earthing-up was required.

[snakeshack]

I don't want a brown desert over the winter but am getting itchy spade syndrome for some of the beds,can't wait to getv out the pumpkins beans and bns so I can shove in 5 - 6 tons of manure .
new bridge will be complete by october so I can get the trailer over the river, last autumn I pushed 300+ barrow loads over a scaffold board balanced across the river in one weekend,never again.

[kentvegplot]

I think we all get to the stage where all we can see is what's finished, and sometimes don't remind ourselves of what is to come....to that end, I've cleared some beds (and they will have compost added and then be covered for the winter) and others will remain in production for the winter - brassicas, winter salads and garlic.

You have to decide what fits best with your interests. I don't think it matters if you only work your veg patch in the summer, as long as you tuck it up well for the winter, so that all you need to do in spring is to whip off the covers (or pull up/dig in the green manure) and get planting.