Allotments 2010

[grumpyoldb]

I've made a start. My spuds are in the spare bedroom chitting, I have a dozen garlic cloves planted, and got my broad beans sown in newspaper tubes. They'll go in the ground in about two weeks.
I still can't get on the ground as it's too wet.

Anyone else made a move yet?

 

[Tin basher]

Bit more than a start Grumps all the raised beds in your pic must have taken you some time to prep. As for me Garlic and onion sets went in last Nov. Overwintering beans (Aquadulce claudia) went in at the same time but this prolonged cold spell has done for most of them so that's a resow in the spring. As usual I have run out of patience and sown some things a bit early so some of this lot perhaps should have waited but. Spuds are chitting, peas (Early onwards) in cardboard tubes just showing through when 3" to 4" high they will be going out. Shallots put in last weekend not doing anything yet. Turnips (Snowball) and sprouts sown in trays yesterday and placed in an unheated greenhouse along with leeks (Musselborough and Autumn mammoth) and spring onions (white lisbon). My plot is as ready as it's going to be just waiting for mid march when I have some leave in to really get cracking.

 

[grumpyoldb]

I must admit that I haven't lifted a finger on the plot yet. The raised beds are just as I found them. I am indeed extremely fortunate to get this plot. The only problem is that the beds are all diferent sizes and make it difficult to work out a crop rotation plan using the same quantities each year.
I'll just use it as is this year, then at the end of the season have a make over to leave me with three same size beds for rotation and a permenant bed for rhubarb, straws, comfrey etc.

 

[Tin basher]

Got started at last, peas and beans now they are 3-4" high are in. Parsnips, carrots sown under cloches. beet root sown and spuds going in tomorrow. Brassica seeds just poking through so they will be out soon as well. Trying copper wire round my raised beds as an anti slug measure, two rows about half an inch apart to make a slimy circuit as they travel up the timber. Chap on the next plot did it last year and reckons he had minimal slug problems. Still not got any comfrey though.

 

[grumpyoldb]

Blimey, you've been going some. DT_Xtremez_14:
I'm still digging as I only just got the plot, but I'm half way through it, and it's getting dryer and easier. Spuds are still chitting, broad beans in newspaper tubes are in the cold frame, garlic are just starting to show, and my onion sets, "Hercules" have just arived. Big planting week, next week.
It does tend to give a good nights sleep................ DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Tin basher]

Blimey, you've been going some. DT_Xtremez_14:

Amazing how much you can get done with a weeks leave during term time.DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[grumpyoldb]

Some of my neighbors have allready got their first earlies in. I'm leaving mine untill the end of the month.
Got a new mate today. A big fat toad was waddling over my spud bed as I was digging it. Obviously waiting for me to uncover his lunch. DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Harry B'Stard]

Spuds

Spuds

Got my spuds chitting on a shelf (Pentland Jav's and something called a King Edward!).

I've also managed to get myself a couple of tyres to plant them in over the past couple of weeks.... one was a puncture, the other an MOT failure.DT_Xtremez_32:

Bloody expensive business this gardening lark!

HTB

 

[Tin basher]

On another forum I use for gathering allotmenting tips (Thanks Vim) I posted this.

"The leaf miner pest could be an issue for me this season. I have got no protection at all over my garlic, onion sets or shallots, luckily my leeks are still tiny and in litter trays, phew. A few bits of info here http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=19405.0"

hope the link works especially for midlands growers

TB

edit - link was duff try this one

http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=19405.0

 

[Tin basher]

Okay allotment types spring has sort of sprung what have we got going now things are a bit warmer?? I am currently doing a fantastic crop of sycamore seeds which seem to be sprouting all over the plot, literally dozens of the damn things. But it's mostly planted out now, so we start the slippery slope downhill. As my plot was grassland last year the wire worms are going to have the all spuds the slugs and blight miss, as I am in the West Midlands my leek, shallots and onions are doomed to die because of the allium leaf miner. The cabbage whites will do for my brassiacas and the dreaded fly with do for my carrots and parsnips, well the ones that have avoided the canker anyway. The french beans will be too early and a late frost will have them, the broad beans will be okay until the black fly get to them. Beetroot and Turnip will be fine once the seedlings are past the slug munching stage and the sweetcorn will grow as high as an elephants eye but to far apart for effective pollenation.

 

[grumpyoldb]

One tip I got from our site manager for dealing with wireworms is to get a few shop bought spuds, cut them into chunks, skewer them with a stick and place them just below the soil surface close to your spuds. The stick is for pulling it back up after about a week, complete with a bunch of wireworm inside it.
They can smell the cut spud stronger than the one's growing.

 

[grumpyoldb]

Best keep an eye on the weather forecast for next week. A lot of area's are in for torrential rain and snow.

 

[Tin basher]

Best keep an eye on the weather forecast for next week. A lot of area's are in for torrential rain and snow.

Spot on Grumps, perhaps winters last blast snow and frost for some areas. Fingers crossed for my plot it's to late to dig stuff back up again.

 

[grumpyoldb]

Spot on Grumps, perhaps winters last blast snow and frost for some areas. Fingers crossed for my plot it's to late to dig stuff back up again.

Have you got any fleece or polysheeting?

I picked up 5 rolls of fleece 1.5 mtrs x 8 mtrs from my local B & M store last week. £1.99 a roll. OK it's cheap stuff but it'll do to get me started this year even if I have to bin it at the end of the season.

 

[Harry B'Stard]

Okay allotment types spring has sort of sprung what have we got going now things are a bit warmer?? I am currently doing a fantastic crop of sycamore seeds which seem to be sprouting all over the plot, literally dozens of the damn things. But it's mostly planted out now, so we start the slippery slope downhill. As my plot was grassland last year the wire worms are going to have the all spuds the slugs and blight miss, as I am in the West Midlands my leek, shallots and onions are doomed to die because of the allium leaf miner. The cabbage whites will do for my brassiacas and the dreaded fly with do for my carrots and parsnips, well the ones that have avoided the canker anyway. The french beans will be too early and a late frost will have them, the broad beans will be okay until the black fly get to them. Beetroot and Turnip will be fine once the seedlings are past the slug munching stage and the sweetcorn will grow as high as an elephants eye but to far apart for effective pollenation.

Yeah, but at least my weeds are doing well!DT_Xtremez_30:

HTB

 

[Tin basher]

Plot update

Plot update

Pretty mixed bag at the moment.

Doing well - All spuds 1st and 2nd earlies, mains. Turnips, radish, onions, garlic, leeks, caulis, cabbage, calabrese and beetroot. Mint just grows whilst sticking the proverbial two fingers to what ever weather happens to turn up.

Doing okay - Peas, rocket, parsnip, spring onions, sprouts, Aquadulce beans in flower and the bees seem to like them but very small plants.

utter rubbish - Lettuce, sweetcorn both varieties (no sign yet) beans various. My french beans have yellow foliage and look weak and feeble, runners they sprout, grow for a bit then curl up and die, broad beans hiding in the soil and refusing to show themselves.

TLC applied and things cared for, netted against pidgeons, cabbage whites and carrot fly, chicken sh!t pellets used and nettle tea plus gone nuclear with slug pellets. DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[grumpyoldb]

Pretty mixed bag at the moment.

Doing well - All spuds 1st and 2nd earlies, mains. Turnips, radish, onions, garlic, leeks, caulis, cabbage, calabrese and beetroot. Mint just grows whilst sticking the proverbial two fingers to what ever weather happens to turn up.

Doing okay - Peas, rocket, parsnip, spring onions, sprouts, Aquadulce beans in flower and the bees seem to like them but very small plants.

utter rubbish - Lettuce, sweetcorn both varieties (no sign yet) beans various. My french beans have yellow foliage and look weak and feeble, runners they sprout, grow for a bit then curl up and die, broad beans hiding in the soil and refusing to show themselves.

TLC applied and things cared for, netted against pidgeons, cabbage whites and carrot fly, chicken sh!t pellets used and nettle tea plus gone nuclear with slug pellets. DT_Xtremez_30:

I know your a tadge further south than me TB, but I'm not going to risk French and runners untill the middle of this month as they are a bit suseptible to frost. My broad beans are doing great although I raised them in the coldframe and they have been in the ground for about a month and are fleeced.

 

[Fairynuff31]

Garlic - advice please

Garlic - advice please

Hi all

I planted garlic to over winter and its doing well, I think. I was expecting the cloves to sned up loads of shoots - like a shallot, but they have each out up a very strong robust looking 'stalk' with leaves.

What am I expecting to harvest later in the year - a single head of garlic or a clump of heads, per clove planted?

Your sage (ahem) advice please from those who have planted & harvested in the past.....

 

[Tin basher]

Hi all I planted garlic to over winter and its doing well, I think. I was expecting the cloves to sned up loads of shoots - like a shallot, but they have each out up a very strong robust looking 'stalk' with leaves. What am I expecting to harvest later in the year - a single head of garlic or a clump of heads, per clove planted? Your sage (ahem) advice please from those who have planted & harvested in the past.....

They will be ready when the tops go over around about June July time. You are correct they do show leaf and stalk structure like an onion and not multi shoots like shallots. What you harvest will look like the supermarket garlic with luck. That is one bulb about the size of a small onion with a papery outer cover inside of which should be 6 or 7 usable cloves of garlic. They keep very well and some of the more frugal people I know save the best two bulbs for next years planting giving them around a dozen cloves to plant. Some have not bought new stock for years and years.

 

[needsabiggerfuse]

Hi all

I planted garlic to over winter and its doing well, I think. I was expecting the cloves to sned up loads of shoots - like a shallot, but they have each out up a very strong robust looking 'stalk' with leaves.

What am I expecting to harvest later in the year - a single head of garlic or a clump of heads, per clove planted?

Your sage (ahem) advice please from those who have planted & harvested in the past.....

Be prepared for the difference between 'supermarket' and 'home grown'. Let's say that mine cleared my nasal passages and blew the wax out of my ears!