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The Start Of Something Beautiful

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  • The Start Of Something Beautiful

    Hello People,

    Couple Monthes back i was about looking at getting an allotment and starting the growing your own experience, yer many people think theres something wrong with me cause im a 19 year old lad who should be out getting pissed, but way i see it i know if i carry on doing this stuff ill end up getting nicked one day. So i needed some hobbies i have computer games, hunting (when i go) and now growing . Couple month's back i put my name down on about 6 allotments and couple months later i get a call (this week) asking if i would like to take on a 30ftx40ft plot (rough estimate) i was like hell yer, well i got my key friday and i started doing stuff today and my god i have a challenge on my hands . My plot has been neglected alot its basically a large lawn not to bad on top but i suppose due to the good soil the roots go average of about 4 inches down !!!!!! alot of digging for a plot that size covered in that stuff, but good thing its mainly grass i have a few brambles along edges and a little tree/bush to dig out but apart from that not to bad compared to some peoples experiences.

    So heres the plan for the moment:

    - Dig over whole plot and drag as much roots/weeds/grass out as possible (sieving will be in progress to get as much of roots out as possible)
    - Once weed-free i will be double digging haha now that will be fun
    - Then organise where ill plant what and where and make some raised beds in places
    - Build a shed
    - Get some water butts and compost heaps
    - Get a few mini plastic greenhouses just for seedlings and stuff




    Pictures of allotment at the moment (these were taken on blackberry so size and quality may be poor)













    Oh need some advice i do not have photos of these yet ill take tommorow i have 2 things i need people to check

    1. i have a few plants still alive here i beleive there something like cauliflower/broccoli/cabbage something along them lines, there liek green leafed with a slight pinky purples hint to them, and in middle they have like flowers forming white and pink colours

    2. i have some really nasty looking fungi on some part of my allotment plot its a real vicous looking orange and red colours and theres quite a bit of it by looks of it in that area anyone have ay clue what it is?

    thx
    regards
    ben
    Last edited by insy; 30-08-2010, 06:53 AM.

  • #2
    Also can anyone identify these shrooms please

    1.





    2.



    Last edited by insy; 30-08-2010, 06:55 AM.

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    • #3
      Hi Insy. Welcome to the Vine. Could you add your location to your profile please? Then it will show up on your posts and save us keep asking you where you are. Your photos are huge, too big for me to see properly on my pooter, but it looks as if you have some hard work on your hands. Good luck with it and I hope you enjoy yourself.

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      • #4
        Hello,

        Thx for the reply, i will go into my profile and put some details in now. But im from romford, essex and yer for some reason the roots of this ground have buried themselves like 4-5 inches underground there like anchors atm hehe

        regards
        ben

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        • #5
          Nice pix, but they are WAY to big to view... they even go off my screen and I have a BIG screen.
          Could you reduce them so we can all appreciate them? I use resizr.com myself
          All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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          • #6
            Thanks for that site for resizing pictures they are all now reszied and viewable

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            • #7
              Just had a look at your re-sized photos. Much better, but sorry I can't help with the mushrooms. Personally I would never eat wild fungi because you have to be precise with identification or you can make yourself extremely ill. As for the digging, you can cover part of the ground with old carpet, thick cardboard or something similar and the weeds and grass under it will die off. Will then be much easier to dig. That would give you time to do a bed at a time which will be much easier than trying to do the whole lot at once.

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              • #8
                Exactly what i am doing today rusty yesterday i bought 2 sheets funny material its made for just that starving weeds, today i may buy another 2 of them and ill cover the far end of the allotment so by the time i finish this end they should of died down.

                Only thing im worried about is i have some nasty looking red and orange shrooms/fungi on certani part of my plot and i hvnt a clue what it is and i need to know if it had to be treated a certain way otherwise it may spread.

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                • #9
                  don't worry about the fungi, they'll probably stop growing once you've dug the ground. The last ones are puffballs or common or garden button mushrooms, they ok to eat. Don't eat the first two,
                  Last edited by Nicos; 31-08-2010, 03:36 PM.

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                  • #10
                    I thouht it was a puff ball beginning
                    Last edited by Nicos; 31-08-2010, 03:37 PM.

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                    • #11
                      but seriously i work, go college, go gym, hunting now and then now i hve a allotment plenty of things to do now to keep my busy and off the streets
                      Last edited by Nicos; 31-08-2010, 02:22 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Welcome to the vine Insy. Looks like that plot has the potential to be great. It might seem odd to many people that a lad of 19 should want something other than getting p****d but so what! Prove 'em all wrong. Whereabouts in Romford is your plot? We are not far from Romford so sort of neighbours.
                        Last edited by Nicos; 31-08-2010, 02:22 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Im from harold hill about a mile or 2 from romford, and there seems to be alot of plot owners here but there all 80-90+ with double size of my plots and cant do the hard labour of deweeding them anymore so i believe there will be more plots coming up soon (ill try not to get to greedy hehe)
                          For the future im looking to have 2 plots at least one for veges and one for fruits i love fruit! and its sooo expensive to buy from shops these days for the quantity i eat so time to grow it all except bananas

                          But around here alot fo allotments are full, but that usually means there all rented but not looked after to well
                          Ill take some progress pictures at end of the day as im going gym then up there to donate some more sweat

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            We've got a couple of blokes on our site who are both well into their 80's and can still hack it! Bernard is not so pernickety about weeding any more, but he still gets great crops! I think it's great that a young bloke is into growing ... you're the future mate! The way food prices are going, everyone will need to grow some of their own grub, even if it's only leaves on a windowsill.

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                            • #15
                              susieq100: We've got a couple of blokes on our site who are both well into their 80's and can still hack it! Bernard is not so pernickety about weeding any more, but he still gets great crops! I think it's great that a young bloke is into growing ... you're the future mate! The way food prices are going, everyone will need to grow some of their own grub, even if it's only leaves on a windowsill.

                              ans: i agree with you about prices increasing and everyone will have to eventually, but this allotments looks real bad to many ive seen everything in pictures and videos alot of plots are like lawns now which is like mine peoples plots have slacked and r close to lawns and brambles, if kept reasonable maintenance then older people can do it yer but digging this lawn is back braking even for me
                              Last edited by Nicos; 31-08-2010, 02:24 PM.

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