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  • Hi folks :-)

    I've been lurking here for a while, reading and picking up a few hints and tips

    I took on an allotment for the first time in late November 2013 and have been busy getting it ready for this year to get a selection of crops growing.

    I'm not a total newbie though, I've had a greenhouse for approx. 20 years and have grown Tomatoes most years, various chillies and the occasional spring onion. I've wanted to grow more vegetables but our garden is strictly for lawn and flowers . . . apparently. So when one of my sisters moved back into the local area and got herself an allotment I investigated the options, I didn't want a full plot a half would do and I wanted something that didn't need too much work.

    I was offered this:




    as you can see it's not overgrown and was just what I had in mind.

    I've spent some time on it and it's almost ready, the plan is to split it into 6 distinct beds approx. 4m x 4m.

    I already planted some Broad Beans, 3 double 4m rows, and some Garlic, Provence Wight approx. 18 cloves. I've also planted two of the beds with Winter Field Beans - Wizard, as a green manure.

    I found 2 huge Rhubarb plants and had to split them to be able to remove the couch grass and what looked like ground elder, so far I have replanted 4 plants in one of the right hand side beds and will do the same with one of the left hand side beds, so I'll have 8 Rhubarb plants, it's probably too much but I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

    This is where I have got to so far . . .



    Im also planning for rainwater collection and have something designed but not yet built . . .

    http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...cting-roof.jpg

    There are more pictures, please see my signature.
    My allotment in pictures

  • #2
    Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse! Looks like you're off to a jolly good start there.
    All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
    Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.

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    • #3
      Hi Raptor and welcome Your plot looks fantastic - well done
      With your rainwater catchment design, why not put the tank outside the shelter and use the covered area for potting on seedlings or even, surround it with polycarb and turn it into a greenhouse?

      Comment


      • #4
        Welcome to the vine raptoruk,you off to a flying start there,all the best for the coming growing season
        sigpicAnother nutter ,wife,mother, nan and nanan,love my growing places,seed collection and sharing,also one of these

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        • #5
          Hi raptor, welcome to the vine. Your plot's looking great. Rhubarb is so useful, you can never have too much. You'll have plenty, to be able to force some each year, and leave previous forced plants to recover.
          Location - Leicestershire - Chisit-land
          Endless wonder.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Glutton4... View Post
            Hello, and welcome to the Madhouse! Looks like you're off to a jolly good start there.
            Originally posted by lottie dolly View Post
            Welcome to the vine raptoruk,you off to a flying start there,all the best for the coming growing season
            Thanks for the warm welcomes
            Last edited by RaptorUK; 05-01-2014, 03:21 PM.
            My allotment in pictures

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            • #7
              Originally posted by veggiechicken View Post
              Hi Raptor and welcome Your plot looks fantastic - well done
              With your rainwater catchment design, why not put the tank outside the shelter and use the covered area for potting on seedlings or even, surround it with polycarb and turn it into a greenhouse?
              Thank you

              I was trying to keep the footprint to a minimum, the green box is a 800L plastic compost bin, I have room in the greenhouse at home for putting on and it's less than a mile from home to the allotment
              My allotment in pictures

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by mothhawk View Post
                Hi raptor, welcome to the vine. Your plot's looking great. Rhubarb is so useful, you can never have too much. You'll have plenty, to be able to force some each year, and leave previous forced plants to recover.
                Thanks for the warm welcome

                We had Rhubarb in the garden when we were kids, we used to fight over who was going to cut it when it was ready to harvest

                I hadn't thought about forcing it, half each alternate year, thats a good idea, it won't be till 2014 though, it gets a year off as it has been divided.
                My allotment in pictures

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                • #9
                  Hi Raptor - Welcome - Do what I did and make plenty of posts with pics of your progress - you will get plenty of encouragement on here as I did and am still getting - Enjoy
                  Endeavour to have lived, so that when you die, even the undertaker will be sorry - Puddinghead Wilson's Diary

                  Nutter by Nature

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                  • #10
                    Hello and welcome. Great pictures - thanks for sharing.
                    Le Sarramea https://jgsgardening.blogspot.com/

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Sheneval View Post
                      Hi Raptor - Welcome - Do what I did and make plenty of posts with pics of your progress - you will get plenty of encouragement on here as I did and am still getting - Enjoy
                      Hi, thanks for the welcome

                      I will post more along with pictures, weather permitting I'll be doing a bit more on Tuesday, perhaps ereciting the posts for my "roof" (rain harvester), coincidentally, I was reading your thread earlier today
                      My allotment in pictures

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by PyreneesPlot View Post
                        Hello and welcome. Great pictures - thanks for sharing.
                        Hi and thanks for the welcome, I'll be posting more pictures when the weather lets me make some more progress shouldn't complain, December was very mild so I got a lot done
                        My allotment in pictures

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                        • #13
                          Hello and welcome to the vine Raptor

                          I love rhubarb mine gets used for crumbles and my favourite of all is rhubarb and orange jam.
                          Location....East Midlands.

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                          • #14
                            Hello and a very warm welcome to the Vine
                            Granny on the Game in Sheffield

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Bren In Pots View Post
                              Hello and welcome to the vine Raptor

                              I love rhubarb mine gets used for crumbles and my favourite of all is rhubarb and orange jam.
                              Originally posted by Florence Fennel View Post
                              Hello and a very warm welcome to the Vine
                              Thanks for the warm welcome

                              Orange jam ? isn't that Marmalade haven't made jam for a long long time, perhaps the rhubarb will give me an excuse to get reacquainted

                              While I'm here . . . a design I've been working on for a Brassica cage, it's approx 1.8m x 4m x 600mm high



                              . . . maybe a bit over engineered ?
                              My allotment in pictures

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