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Growing in Scotland

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  • Growing in Scotland

    Afternoon Vine!

    We started off last year in a small flat with nowhere but a window sill to grow (unsuccessfully attempted French beans and tomatoes). Then we got a house with a garden and an allotment within a month of each other! So we jumped in with enthusiasm but little else!

    The allotment is small (can't remember how big exactly, but I think it was 1/3 - 1/2 standard) but plenty to begin with. Soil is towards clay but wasn't too difficult last year. We're on the North East coast of Scotland. We were slow to start last year with the house move but we managed some potatoes, kale, peas, salad onions and strawberries which all produced a little, and sweetcorn, onions, leeks, French beans and pumpkin which did not. I also did some sunflowers, poppies and sweetpeas and there was a running battle with horsetail and other charmers.

    This year I hope to improve, by making sure I don't miss the boat with seedlings in early spring, improve/fertilise the soil, suppress weeds on the paths, begin the process of edging/raising beds so that there's less opportunity for weeds than last year. I'm also thinking of starting seedlings and planting them out, rather than being unsure which tiny sproutings are ones I've sown and which are interlopers! I also wasn't great at protecting crops once they were up so I know that's something I can be aware of. I'm going to plant more variety of fruit and veg and more flowers partly for cutting but mainly to attract pollinators and be wildlife friendly as that's important to me too.

    In the garden I started a little herb/salad bed. The main thing I tried was a plastic 'blow away' greenhouse. I hadn't realised it was a windy garden till it got dashed to bits. I really want to grow tomatoes (a favorite of mine to eat, and in memory of my granddad who grew them). I think I might try a grow bag or two in the garden as its south facing but I'm not sure how to protect them without it being blown to bits.

    I'm also planning to do a DIY raised bed/mini polytunnel at the allotment but it is windy there too so we'll see how that goes. I guess I might not be successful with toms until I can get a proper greenhouse/polytunnel.

    Anyway I've rambled on too much. So far this year I've done some tidying up at the allotment, planning and day dreaming with the said of seed catalogues! We've picked up some early seed potatoes and strawberries onion sets. Next step canes, strawbs for soft fruit and finding/buying wood to contain the raised beds and building them. And trying to get a decent amount of manure/compost and stuff to mulch.

  • #2
    Hi Molly, love the name - I'm a big fan of HP Welcome to the Vine
    Granny on the Game in Sheffield

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    • #3
      Hello Molly and welcome to the vine
      Carrie

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      • #4
        Hello and welcome to the vine Molly
        Location....East Midlands.

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        • #5
          Hello again Molly & welcome to the vine. Keep an eye out for posts by one of our residents AP (Aberdeenplotter) as being up your neck of the woods may be able to get some tips.
          sigpic“Gorillas are very intelligent, but they don't have to be as delicate as chimps -- they can just smash open the termite nest,”
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          Official Member Of The Nutters Club - Rwanda Branch.
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          Sent from my ZX Spectrum with no predictive text..........
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          KOYS - King Of Yellow Stickers..............

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Florence Fennel View Post
            Hi Molly, love the name - I'm a big fan of HP Welcome to the Vine
            Me too Flo although i do prefer a nice tom to a brown .)

            Welcome Molly ( seems the wizzardmasters now have a gardening gang ? )
            Last edited by jackarmy; 08-02-2016, 07:50 PM.

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            • #7
              Welcome Molly ,i'm still new and starting my second growing season and this is by far the most informative place to be ,better than any book ive read

              Enjoy

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              • #8
                Hello again Molly. Thanks for telling us about your garden & plot. Good to hear your plans Next thing we'll ask for are photos! I told you we were nosy
                You might like to join http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...dar_87848.html. At the end of the year, you can see how much you've achieved. Its always more than you think!!

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                • #9
                  Hello Molly, welcome to the forum
                  The best things in life are not things.

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                  • #10
                    Hi Molly and welcome from me inAberdeenshire
                    When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.
                    If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

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                    • #11
                      Hello from me too Molly. Only just starting to grow veggies myself with the help of the experts on the Vine!
                      sigpic

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                      • #12
                        And welcome from me too Molly.

                        The most important thing I will tell you is that you shouldn't pay too much attention to the guidance given in gardening books or on seed packets for dates for seed sowing. Up here, we are at least 4 weeks behind middle England where as a general rule of thumb the guidance is aimed at and at least another couple of weeks behind the far south of England.

                        Enjoy your growing and enjoy our Forum.

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                        • #13
                          P.S. when I say our Forum, you are now one of us, so it's your's too

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                          • #14
                            Welcome to the vine
                            Up north We like a challenge. Even if it's just fighting with midgies

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                            • #15
                              Welcome to the Vine Molly, enjoy your gardening, I will need to find out from SP what midgies are.
                              it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

                              Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

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