# Any Allotment Holders/Veggie Growers Here??



## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi

I know there's a gardening thread on here, but I thought I'd start one for people with allotments and those who grow veggies rather than just lovely flowers.

I've just got an allotment, very excited by it all.  We expected to be on a waiting list for ages, but one came up within a week.  We've also been very lucky as the previous tenants did all the prep and digging work and then gave it up, so bar a bit of weeding, we're all set to go!  

I know we've missed the main growing season, but I wondered if anyone had any hints and tips to keep us going throughout the autumn and winter.  I've lots of questions, but will save them until I know there are others on here.  

Claire
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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Hiya Claire!

Ohhhh I wish I'd of taken my allotment now   

What veggies are you growing?

xxx


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## Stalyvegas (Oct 14, 2007)

Hi Claire

Well done on the allotment - not jealous at all    

I know nothing about growing stuff properly and just randomly planted stuff in parts of my garden and they mostly grew - I got beetroot, red onions and lovely little cherry tomatoes - they were Tumbling Toms that I just planted in hanging baskets, looked so pretty! I didnt even start planting til mid summer but they still seemed ok.  My carrots were only big enough for a barbie doll though  

I think trial and error can be quite fun! Good luck with it
Rach
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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Oooh posts already!  

I've been growing some veg in pots in my garden - carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions, spinach, radish.  Everything is growing really slowly and toms are going a bit yellow, so not sure if they're getting enough light/food etc?    My lettuce leaves feel really slimey too - very strange.  

For the allotment, I've just planted some cauliflower seeds in trays, which will hopefully sprout a few plants to transplant.  I've tried growing cabbage too, but only 1 seed has sprouted and from talking to a few people I've been told it's quite difficult and much easier to buy them as plants and take it from there.  I've also just bought some swede seeds.  I'm hoping to plant out the rest of my carrot seeds and am going to try to get some broccoli before the season's out.  No idea whether to fertilise the soil etc first though.  I've got a Runner Bean plant to plant out too - don't really like them either, thought they were the little green beans rather than the bigger ones - bet they'll be the only plant that does well.  

I'm on the hunt for all my allotment equipment from Freecycle - I need everything even a shed!!  

Claire


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello!

This is so great - we can swap ideas about what's working and what's not and grumble about the weather!!  Hurrah!

It's definitely not to late to plant peas (although mine are rubbish so far this year) and in fact there are loads of things you can plant in  June assuming you have a nice sunny patch.  You can plant winter turnips quite late in the year too.  I've got an excellent book at home that tells  you what you can plant when - will have a look!

I'm growing peas (doing badly) runner beans (doing better after a slow start due to very cold spring - in past years we've had way more than we could eat!), onions (doing fine - one of the easiest things in my opinion), cauliflower (odd), purple sprouting brocolli and brussel sprouts (just starting but doing fine so far), tomatos (in pots and struggling to be honest) and squashes (just planted out and starting to look a bit happier I think   )

I also have strawberries, rasberries (both threatening to take over the garden) and one each of gooseberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant and three fan-trained apple trees and a normal damson tree.

Look forward to hearing more about your plans

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi J

Ooh I forgot about fruit trees, I think I've time to plant them too!  

What book do you have? I'm after one exactly as you've described, one to tell you what to do every month etc.

Claire
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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

My peas are doing fabulously   Lots of pods on them!!

I bought some canes from Big W and WIlkos but they are sat in a pot of compost doing nothing!  

xxx


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

Only been gardening a year.  Last year was a washout, we had just moved in , so I got my garden in very late and then it rained, and rained.  This year, I got my garden in reasonable time, but it still looks like it will rain, and rain, and rain again.  When are we going to a long spell of hot weather, with clear, cloudless blue skies, and no wind?  Then my garden would go Whoosh!

If I was starting at this time of year, I would go to every garden centre, and buy plants. and throw them in the ground.  Something will grow, but not everything will grow.  This time last year, you could still buy some plants on line.  I haven’t looked this year, as I have no room to plant anything else.

I got a Marshalls seed catalogue, through the post a few days ago.  They have a lot of oriental veg, that are supposed to grow quickly.  I know Chinese cabbage is fast growing crop,  but Marshalls have baby Chinese cabbage, which I might give a go.  Chinese cabbage tastes delicious out of the garden
If I remember rightly, lots of baby veg is fast growing.  Check on that, I might have it wrong.

Anyway in the Marshalls catalogue, for oriental veggies, I liked the idea of the spicy greens mix of seeds, which can either be used for salads or stir frys, and the stir fry mix of seeds.  They have also got purple spring onions, which I can use in salads, or use for cooking with.  The catalogue, had more traditional veg like cabbage, as well.

You supposed to be able to plant first early potatoes in the summer, and ones like Swift are ready in 7 weeks.  No I haven’t tried this, I am swimming in potatoes, at the moment, so I won’t be either.

Other quick growing crops, Turnips(brassica) - taste fantastic and Kohl Rabbi (brassica) – waiting for mine to grow.

You could try spinach, but I find leaf beet, and Swiss chard easier to grow, and the plants go on and on and on.  Might be just me, who has problems with spinach

Endless variety of salad stuffs, are also obvious quick growing veg.  Oh and you are supposed to be able to roast radishes, and eat then as a veg with your main meal.  Again I haven’t tried that.

Those are the ideas off the top of my head, and might get you started growing something.  Only trouble is, you might end up like me, totally hooked, and drooling over seed catalogues.

Lorna


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Lorna - Wow!!  I've ordered the Marshall's seed catalogue, my dad has an allotment and recommended it.  Mind you, hoping the Autumn one will come out soon as it looks like their website is getting geared up for Autumn stock - lots of their summer veggie plants are out of stock now.  You mentioned spinach - that's the only thing doing well in my garden at the moment, although I think it's flowering - I never knew it would do that, should I chop the flowers off to encourage more leaves?

I've just been into town and I went to a market stall that the allotment holder next to ours recommended.  Plants galore!  I've bought 12 cabbage, 12 cauli's, 12 sweetcorn plants - all for £4, a raspberry bush for £2.50 and a butternut squash plant for 80p.  

Wilko's have most of their seeds on for half price too, stocked up even if I'm too late for this year, they're all OK still until 2011 so that's next year sorted.    Managed to get some beetroot and bean seeds which I've just planted this afternoon.  I really wanted to quickly pop down the allotment this afternoon to chuck some fertiliser on before it rained, but never quite made it.  So much to do now I've got some plants sorted.. now I need to decide what will go where. 

Claire
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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello ladies!

Claire - the book I find most useful is the Readers Digest 'Fruit and Vegetable Gardening'  It answers my questions has lots of pictures, and a month-by-month calendar of things to do.  Sounds like you are really getting going.  I expect someone has told you about crop rotation when it comes to planning things out?  I'm trying to but it's a bit chaotic as I have a sort of wedge-shaped strip of garden and I'm trying to pack so much into a relatively small space but I make sure I keep a record of what was where so I can avoid planting the same things in the same place.

Lorna - gosh, where are you based?  We've had very little rain at all this year and I seem to have been doing loads of watering!  I think yesterday was the first time it had rained properly in nearly two months (ie more than a 5 minute shower).  I'm with you on the spinach - the stuff I grow is called 'perpetual spinach' and is basically a type of leaf beat and totally delicious.  It is trying to flower (didn't help that we were away for two weeks in May) but I just pick those shoots off and it grows more leaves.  I planted it in October under cloches as my book said you could, but it grew to less than a mouthful in the winter months, but it did mean I had nice early crops, so I might try doing the same next year but in a sunnier part of the garden!

Anyway, according to my book, in June you can sow from scratch French and runner beans, beetroot, brocolli (calabrese), carrots, lettuce, marrows / courgettes, peas, radisehes, swede and turnips.  That said as I'm in a fairly northerly clime and half way up a hill I wouldn't risk marrows and courgettes now as the frost would be bound to get them betore they have time to mature.

Must get on ...

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Pol

That books sounds just what I'm after - I'll have a search on the net and see if anywhere is selling it.  

Thanks for the tip on spinach, I'll nip of the flower buds today.    I have heard of crop rotation, particularly for brassica's.  How long can you leave it between replanting them in the same spot or is there anything you can do to avoid the problems if you do (re)plant them?  As we've no idea what's been where in our new allotment, I've no idea whether a brassica has been planted in the soil so could be planting my ones where one was before..  

Ooh, I thought I was too late for courgettes.  I love them so would love to get a couple of plants going.  My seeds say plant in May though - wonder if I need a different variety.

B&Q were selling off long plastic cloches the other day - only a couple of £, so I'm off to get a few today.  

Claire
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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello again

Yes, I have three of those long cloches (they were by 2 get one free ...) and they are great not only for protection from weather but also cats   only thing is you have to remember to water under them!

I don't know if it helps, but the ISBN number is 978-0-276-44205-6 and you might try the website www.readersdigest.co.uk.  I got mine in the local bookshop (we have three in quite a small town so I do try to support them!)

If I were you I'd get the courgettes in and if they don't work you've nothing to loose - but it's only a couple of weeks late, and the weather is so variable year to year that they are just as likely to work as not would be my guess - am assuming you aren't in Scotland though  

With the crop rotation - I guess you just have to go for it in the first year and keep fingers crossed!  The idea is that you split the plot into 3 or 4 and then a particular type of crop is only in one place every 3rd or 4th year.  I am only trying brassicas the first time this year - my mum had put me right off trying as she said they were so difficult, but looking at the allotments here which are just over the road and round the corner, people seem to do really well with cabbages and brussel sprouts, so I thought I'd give it a go!  I tried growing the sprouts from seed in little trays, initially indoors and then moved outdoors with a plastic cover over.  To be honest I was very doubtful as they looked really spindly, battered and slightly dried up and generally unlikely, but moved them into bigger pots jsut before we went on holiday mid-May and when we came back they were looking like the ones you buy as plants so that was really surprising!  I planted them out into position last weekend.  The purple sprouting broccoli I planted where I want it to end up, but now looking at the instructions I'm not sure what to do, as I'm supposed to thin them out to every 10 cm, which will only leave me with about 10 plants, and I hate killing plants (it's an IVF thing I think - I really feel I have to give them the chance ...   ) but then again there isn't space for all of them!  Might try seeing if the local charity shop fancies selling them, and then I could pot up the ones I can't use and take them down ...

Anyway, the three main groups are brassicas, legumes (peas and beans) and root crops incl onions, and then potatoes, squashes etc go in the 4th bed ... apparently!  I assume that means that tomatoes go with the potatoes and squashes as they basically are the same thing as potoatoes, but as I don't grow potatoes at the moment (no space) it's not really an issue for me.  What I do find difficult is that different crops need different amounts of space.  I've got loads of space taken up by peas and beans for instance ...

By the way, Saila - I'm very jealous - mine are barely a foot tall, and of all the two lots of seeds I put in only about 6 plants have come up!  The first year I had my garden the peas did fine, but then it got too hot and they got mildew.  Then last year they were doing really well until we had all that rain and the wall at the end of the garden collapsed into my neighbours garden (we're raised up from them) and so I couldn't get to weed the peas until the builders had restabilised it all, by which time the peas had totally given up   so what I'm doing wrong this year I really dont' know, but I guess it's a different packet of seed and a less sunny part of the garden ...

Jx

/links


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

Hrumph
I did a really long post at work the other day and sent it (or so I thought) and I'd be wondering why I'd not had any updates on this thread - now I know why!

We don't have an allotment but quite a big garden - we keep turning more of it over to veggie growing as that's the bit we seem to get a kick out of - I like the flowers etc but it's not the same as eating what you've tended and grown is it?
We've been growing various things for about five years now with varying success - the year after D was born (when she was about seven months) and the following year weren't great - we just didn't give it the time. So this year we've gone for it again - and Daisy lurves gardening and gabbles on about it all the time. Anyone who comes to see us is given the tour and told to be suitably admiring of our growing crops!
This year we're growing main crop pots, strawberries (yum!) onions, peppers, cucumbers, toms, lettuce and rhubarb. I think that's it. So far so good.
I spent a very boring morning weeding between the onions - not satisfying at all - took flipping ages too and I just know I'll have to do it again in two minutes time. Still it's worth it - we had some of our strawberries for tea and they're just lovely so much taste!

The book you mentioned sounds good - I might see if I can find it - we do have one but tbh it's not very user friendly and a bit advanced for us I think. We also have a Bob Flowerdew one that my Mum bought us -and it's rubbish - so full of himself - it's more for a coffee table than for anything practical.

Anyway - I'm wondering about slug/snail remedies (to get rid of you understand) They are trying to decimate my cucumbers - it's a nightmare. We've tried with eggshells before but I think they need to be knee deep in them for it to work. We don't have real coffee enough so no coffee grounds either. TBH I've given in at the moment and I'm using slug pellats but I'm not happy about it - I'd much rather be organic. 

Looking forward to hearing all about your allotments - I'm always impressed by those who take them on. I'd love to want one but I suspect that I'm too lazy to do it - at least in our garden I can do a bit, then put the washing out, then do something else etc. Do you feel obliged to be there for ages?

Take care

Poll


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello Poll

Is that short for Polly? I've never met someone else called Poll ... mind you mine is just a pet name (short for Jolypol, which is long for Joanna ...  parents, eh?)

I just wanted to say that I've been using nematodes on my garden for the slugs for a couple of years now and it's made an enormous difference. We still have a bit of an issue with snails (we have a stone wall at the foot of the garden and they hide there during the day and come out at night!) but the slug population has been steadily reducing. I get them from an online company called Greengardener and their version is called Nemaslug, but I believe other people do them too. It's very easy to apply, and I would say it's made a vast difference. Obviously like many things it's not cheap but I think worth it for the difference it has made The link if you want to have a look is http://www.greengardener.co.uk/slug.htm

Very very windy here ... my poor raspberries!!

Jx

_This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.UK or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites_


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

What is one of those? Might try them!
We now have blue and green bottles loitering around the dead slugs/snails at the foot of the cucumbers if we don't clear them away quickly enough.

Yep - I'm a Polly - christened and on birth certificate and everything! I really like my name now but OMG it was hard being called Polly at school!

Poll


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

I can imagine!  

Nematodes are some type of parasite (not quite sure what technically) that kills slugs - the clever bit is that they die below the soil, so you don't land up with dead slugs everywhere (YUCK!) and it kills the really little ones that do loads of damage but are almost impossible to catch as they are active below the soil. It comes as a sort of loose powder a bit like yeast, and you put a spoon or so in a watering can, add water and water it over the garden.  You then water it in with about the same amount of water and bob is your proverbial uncle.  You are then supposed to keep the soil fairly damp for a bit.  It's totally safe for wildlife and pets etc as it's an 'organic' solution to the problem.

We had our first broad beans of the season for tea tonight, with home-grown spinach - fabulous!  Potatoes and sausages came from a shop, but you can't have everything!  

I'm definitely thinking my peas are not coming to anything - has anyone got any ideas of something good and easy but quick (ie will mature before autumn) I could try - and not beetroot as that doesn't seem to work in my garden sadly not sure why!

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Morning

Well the cabbages, cauli's and sweetcorn are planted in the allotment.    They look tiny compared to everyone else's however snails and slugs were doing so much damage to them in our garden that I thought they'd have a better chance planted out.  I've put some fleece over the cabbage but not sure if I should change it to netting instead.  I also did a row of carrot and swede seeds, so we'll have to see if they come up at all.

I've just planted tonnes of seeds at home too - broccoli, courgettes, beetroot, pak choi and some dwarf beans - all for the allotment if they sprout.  The problem is I don't think our plot is going to be big enough - it's only a 1/4 plot so by the time the big stuff has grown there won't be much room for anything else. We might try and plant the beans and pak choi in a couple of large pots we've got on the patio and find room for the rest on the allotment. We're already thinking of asking for a second 1/4 plot for fruit trees and things that are pretty permanent such as rhubarb. 

Our neighbours have caught the bug off us too - I went down last night to do some watering and there they were admiring their own new plot - we'd only told them about our plot on Friday and they were so inspired they rang the parish council straight away!!  

Poll - If you do want to try the coffee granuals, see if your Starbucks is giving them away.  Ours does - bags up all their used stuff and gives it to anyone that wants it.  As for allotments - I've just got a book called the Half Hour Allotment and it really does tell you how to do your allotment with little time.  The principle is not to take on a huge plot, only grow what you'll eat/need, keep up with the weeds and watering, and the plants will take care of themselves (once you know how to look after your soil) and don't use it as a 'social'.  So many people go down to theirs and spend hours because they stop and chat or simply enjoy their space - the amount of work isn't huge.  I'm going to see if it works - I have been down 3 times since Friday and haven't spent much longer than an hour each time.. last night's work (watering and laying some fleece) really did only take about 20mins.  

Pol - Won't Dwarf beans be up and running by autumn?  Or are you fed up of beans?

My peas are doing nothing either - haven't grown to much more than a foot high.  I think the weather really isn't in their favour.  I've got some more seeds so might try again - there's just about enough time according to all the books.    

Claire
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## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

We have a teeny veggie patch in the garden of our rented house. 

We have lettuces - which look great but we've not been in the mood to eat!
Tomatoes - little cherry ones, and masses of them too. 
Lots of dwarf french bean plants, but they've not got up and running yet. 
Courgette plant - with loads of flowers coming
Our strawberries are pants - tiny, grisley little things that only the slugs seem to want to eat  

and herbs - they're doing well, expect the corriander which I planted from seed, which (as with every single courgette plant I have ever owned) is dying. 

So, that's us. We would love to grow more, and I'm thinking of getting some pots for more herbs and maybe radishes (if its not too late to plant them), oh and all sorts of yummy things.


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Pabboo

You can grow radishes for ages. They're great as they grow so quickly.  I've never done well with coriander either and the slugs and snails won't let my basil get anywhere past seedling stage.  

Claire
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## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

Claire: I have been growing some Basil in the patch, which is working well, but the seedlings don't seem to have done much. You could try putting some copper strips around the pot to keep the slugs at bay?

I think we might be buying some radishes at the weekend..... Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall (the man is fabulous!) suggests growing them in guttering, but I assume he expectes you to use some lying around, not buy some expecially - so we may just buy some crates of something!


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

It always makes me laugh when programmes suggest you use things like 'that bit of guttering you happen to have lying around' or old carpet or whatever ... I think they forget that the majority of people live in very small houses and gardens where space is a premium, and we may well have moved house within the last 2 years as well ... so we just don't have a whole load of things 'stashed away in case they come in handy'  

I was given a book by HFW which I love - it's such a feel-good book to look at!

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

I saw that episode!  I sat for ages making pots out of newspaper and then realised that a) they'd be useless in the house - surely they'd go all soggy and collapse?  and b) I still had 3 seed trays waiting to be filled.  You're right about the guttering though - who's got that lying around?  I've been trying to get bits such as that off Freecycle, but it looks like the world and his dog has just got an allotment and there are requests for waterbutts, sheds, composters all over so I've not had any replies.  

Pabboo - I've got the copper strips, but there's one pot they're determined to eat with it still on.  I'm currently trying the eggshell approach with the copper strips and that's working - by themselves the eggshell isn't much good, but the 2 together so far is holding out.


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

I found the problem with the copper strip is that it keeps big mature slugs out, but once you've got sluglets living in the soil it's useless!

Had a big client dinner last night and was making my london-based colleagues jealous with my stories of home-growing!    It's amazing how many people do it in some form or other now though!

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Yum! We had some freshly grown spuds over the weekend.. OK, not ours, but thanks to our very generous plot neighbours.    They also gave us a load of lettuce too and some lettuce seedlings to plant out.   

Spent a few more hours down there over the weekend, DH spent ages preparing more soil and then we sowed some late peas.  We've managed to get a shed AND a greenhouse - with our tiny plot we'll have more storage than planting area.    Just need to put them up now.. that's a man's job I think.    The seeds in the garden are doing really well - more beetroot and broccoli than I'll know what to do with!!

Hope everyone is well..

Claire
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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

That's the problem with seeds, isn't it!  You always end up with more that you have space for it seems!  Well done on the shed and greenhouse - definitely a man's job puttin gthem up  

Jx


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

Well as to having too many plants, I am trying to sneak plants in anywhere I can.  I planted some around the edge of the lawn.  I have upset hubby, who now says it will be too difficult to mow the lawn.

Well dear, if I had a bigger vegetable plot......

How is everyone else getting on?

Lorna


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

Well -good and bad.Harvested our first cucumber this year and it's lovely!However, there are more growing but not looking as hopeful - must check my book!
The terrible wind isn't doing us much good - my growbag tent was ripped from it's moorings and laid the plants flat. We've had to give up on it and were all out in torrential rain this morning undoing it and trying to re-stake the toms. Fingers crossed for better weather cos there's lots of fruit growing.

Our peppers are growing beautifully too but the new lettuce seeds I'd put in that had sprouted have mostly since disappeared - go figure!

Ah well 

Was supposed to be weeding the onions again this weekend but horrible weather meant I was able to give myself an excuse - the weeds round the onions seem to be the fastest growing things in the whole garden!

So Lorna - what are you bordering your lawn with?

Poll


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

>  So Lorna - what are you bordering your lawn with?

I planted way too many Brussels sprout seeds, and early purple sprouting seeds, so that is what I have edged our lawn with.  A bit unusual I know.

Lorna


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

Ah ha!  this is  where everyone is . The  Gardening Chat thread  has  gone  really quiet lol  

Can anyone advise me on potatos?  I have my first batch  ready, ( grown in a big  tub) . Should  I leave them in the  soil , even if the  greenery has died off?  With the wet weather , I'm worred  they'll go slimy?  Whats the best  way to store them? we  dont  eat alot of  potatos each week ?


Luv  Sue


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

I've not grown earlies before only main crop. For those you can cut the haulms (green bit) off and leave for a little while. On digging up though you need to let them dry out - a sunny day with them laid out works well (it's been pouring all day here so....) Then store them in a cool dry place (we use a big paper sack in the garage) and they usually last all winter (but again - that's maincrop so it may be different for earlies)

Poll


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

My books say and so that is sorta what I did,

First earlies, when the first flowers appear dig up and eat.  Mine took 7 weeks from planting to being ready.
I left them a bit, and they got a bit large, more like baking potato size, and they also got brown spots, like a scab on them.  I have to cut that off.

2nd earlies, dig up when the flowers die down.  Oops mine are still in the ground.  I know I should dig them up. Maybe I will start doing that next week. I have way too many potatoes in the ground.

Main crop, (20weeks) and late main crop, dig up when haulms die down, or before first frosts.  Store for a week to develop flavour, and then eat.

If in doubt, roottle around in the soil, and pull out a tuber and see what it is like.  

It sounds like you have first earlies, if the haulms are already dying down.  I planted my first and 2nd earlies  at the end of April!  In my garden, the haulms of the first earlies are on their last legs.  And the haulms of the 2nd earlies are just beginning to go.

If you do have first earlies, dig them up, and see if any are edible.  First earlies don't do well, if left in the ground too long.  Also probably applies to 2nd earlies, and I will find that out the hard way!

1st and 2nd earlies are not designed to be stored.  Not sure what happens if you do.  Main crop, and late main crop are the potatoes bred to stored over the winter.

I also have Charlotte Salad potatoes, which I am planning to in the ground until the Autumn.  I really must do a web search on when to lift them.  At the moment I am planning to lift them along with late main crop, Cara potatoes.  And as I have nowhere to store the excess potatoes......  I told you I have too many potatoes! 

And come September, hopfully the Chinese artichokes will be ready to eat.  You use them like potatoes, along with the Jerusalem artichokes, which should hopefully be ready in November to eat!

And then there are the ........  Aghh! too many roots

Lorna


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## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

courgette flowers - if I want to eat them, when do I pick 'em? And will it stop the soon-to-be-courgette the flower is attached to from growing??

Also, when I pick mint leaves (which I do a lot as I'm drinking mint tea instead of real) how do I do it to ensure that the mint plant continues to produce as many leaves as it can (I have 3 and they all look v sorry for themselves right now!)

Thanks girls!!

Pabboo x


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello there!

I'd like to know the answer to the courgette question too ...

This year I'm growing rolet squashes (the little ones) and was starting to think there was something wrong as no fruits were forming from the first few flowers, but the are some quite hopeful lookign ones now, so hopefully ...

On the mint front - usually mint is one of those things that it is hard to control the growth of!  Perhaps you need to leave it to establish a bit more first?  I would pick the tips out leaving the main leaves, but it is one of those things that grows from the roots usually even if you cut it right down so once established you should have the opposite problem ...

Gave up on my peas the other day (4 plants from about 60 seeds in 3 consecutive sowings) and am about to put some turnip and swede seeds in instead - my garden is too small to waste the space!

Broad beans are doing brilliantly.  The runner beans have only just started flowering, but won't be long now - I love beans!!!

Jx


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## **Tashja** (Jan 13, 2005)

Ohhh can I join - we have a small veggi plot. 

This year we have cabbage, brussel sprouts, tomatos, potatoes, 3x kinds of bean, red currents, black currents, white currents, very small cucumbers and strawberries.

We have already had our radishes and very yummey they were too.  Black currents and red currents are nearly ready so will be making a load of jam with them. 

Also my grandad who has a big allotment gifted us with loads of rhubarb on Sunday - about 15lbs worth - so have been busy making rhubarb and ginger jam, rhubarb chutney, rhubarb crumbles and then freezing the rest. 

Does anyone know what we can plant now/august for spome winter veggies 

T xx


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

Tashja,

Good score on the Rhubarb.  When my plot finally settles down, I’ll grow some too.

>Does anyone know what we can plant now/august for some winter veggies
I’m a it blank on this.  If you go look at seed companies, they may still have plants to sell, but if I remember rightly they are for things like spring cabbage!  I think it is too late to plant things like Brussels or early purple sprouting.  Next year maybe?

You could try planting leaf beet / Swiss Chard / Red Orach.  You would get one crop off before winter, and then they would produce another couple of crops of leaves next spring just before they bolt.

You are also supposed to be able to plant Skirret, a root vegetable, that you harvest as soon as it starts to grow next spring.  It is better planted in the spring, for Autumn/Winter cropping, as the roots go funny, once the plant starts to bolt.

Seeds from www.magicgardenseeds.com  Your post reminded me I wanted some, so I have just placed an order with them.  I also ordered Alexanders, and Edible Quamash, which are Autumn planted seeds.  Probably couldn’t eat those for 18-24 months.

I am interested in the some of the really old seeds.  I have an exposed plot.  Toms, and cues do very badly, certainly with the weather we have been having for the last two years.  I am looking to grow, some of the old traditional crops, the kind peasants of the past would have eaten.  The above seeds will probably grow quite nicely on my plot, particularly as some like wet ground, and I garden on heavy clay soil.

By the way, Skirret is supposed to be the latest “in” vegetable to grow, so if you want to be hip, and with it!  I also gather, the roots are an experience to eat!  As I harvest my 2nd earlies, I’ll plant something else, like skirret, and probably short season crops, like lettuce, and also things like Red Orach.

Well the 2nd early potatoes, are looking good, if a little small.  That might be, because I didn’t water them enough.  The top two inches of soil, is wet, and the bottom is bone dry.  I have been out, and dumped buckets of water over the potatoes, so hopefully they fill out a bit.

How is everyone else doing?

Lorna

/links


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi all

Things you can still grow from seed in July/August:  Beetroot, carrots, lettuce, onion seeds, peas, radish, swiss chard, turnip.  If you can find cabbage, broccoli and leek plants anywhere then they can be planted out now too.

Lorna - Loved that site you've posted.  Have you tried the Earthnut pea?  If you're interested in the rare veg, have you also heard about the Adopt a Veg scheme through the Heritage Seed Library?  I'd love to give it a go, but not sure my allotment can do any rare seeds justice yet.

Our allotment is going well - as we've only got a 1/4 plot, we're already finding it small, so I'm pestering DH to agree to us getting another 1/4 plot for fruiting bushes and rhubarb.  For once I'm thankful for all the rain - cuts down on all our watering (although the weeds are loving it  ).  Cabbage and cauli's are doing really well and so are my swede seeds.  Carrots are taking their time and the sweetcorn is a bit poor but we've not given up on it yet.  As for the things on our patio - well, we've had our patio extended this week, so I've not really had much of a chance to get to the top of the garden where all the post have been moved to.  The spinach has seeded, so I'm going to sow some spinach beet to try.  Tomatoes are rubbish, peas - useless, patio carrots and lettuce seem to have stopped growing..    The seeds are all doing well though - no idea where I'm going to put all the beetroot and broccoli!!  

Claire


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

hi can i join?!!

this is the first year ive tried growing anything and still not sure what im doing lol!

i have some massive broccoli plants that had little heads on that looked like broccoli but my dh said they were too small to pick and so ive left them and now they've turned into yellow flowers - have i wasted them now? 

my strawberry plants are just growing huge but no fruit has appeared? 

cabbages are taking over the garden although it is giving the pesky snails and catterpillars something nice to munch on  , caugettes (sp?!!) are starting to appear and carrots are a tad small at the mo - might suit a little mouse perhaps! got 2 massive tom plants in the greenhouse along with some chilli plants that are now starting to flower. its well exciting!! i have grown everything from seed so am really proud of myself


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

Clairelb
>Lorna - Loved that site you've posted.  Have you tried the Earthnut pea? 

No I only just discovered this site.  The seeds I ordered can be sown in the Autumn, but the Earthnut pea is a spring sown vegetable, so I will order it in November.  Why before Xmas?  Well there has been an awful lot of discussion on US sites, about how hard it is to get seed this year.

The US economy started to go down last year.  This year, an awful lot of people have gone, well a bag of lettuce in the supermarket is x dollars and a packet of seed is the same price, so why don’t I grow my own.  Lots and lots of extra people, think they can grow their food cheaper than buy it.  I am finding out the hard way, that isn’t necessarily the case.

So many extra people are gardening, that seed companies, in some cases, ran out of stock.  Seed companies work on just in time, as well as supermarkets.  Also garden centres ran out of plants and so on.

So this year, I will try and order most of my seed before the end of 2008.  I do expect the UK economy to follow the US economy down. If people in the US, are turning to gardening in droves, I can’t see why people in the UK wouldn’t follow suit!  In that case, seed companies are likely to be deluged with orders, at the beginning of 2009.

I will leave my order of seed potatoes, probably till 2009, and hope.  I noticed in March this year, it was quite hard to place an order for tubers, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, and so on.

Clairelb, there are loads of companies that sell Heirloom seeds, but I will admit Magic Seeds sell the most unusual.  You are supposed to be able to save seed with heirlooms.  But as the instructions start with:
Separate the different varieties by one mile…
I haven’t bothered.  Yes you can cover the blooms with paper bags, but I am still trying to find a source of larger size paper bags.  And also with the weather we are having this summer, I am not sure paper bags would work.

As I bought those hundred packet of seeds for 25 dollars, I have a number of heirloom plants in my garden,  I just don’t think the toms are going to do very well.  Colours of toms, pink, white, black, yellow.  Shape - round, teardrop, thick dinner plate.  I need sun.  Without it, I would be surprised if I am able to harvest any toms!

I will buy parsnip seeds, from a regular seed company.  I tried growing parsnips using heirloom seeds, and subsequently replanted with left over regular seed.

Two warnings about ordering seeds internationally.  First if they get lost in the post that is it.  You are unlikely to have any comeback against the seed company.  Yes I have lost seeds, but even with the losses, I still think I would have paid more by ordering from UK companies.  And some things, I can’t find sources for in the UK.  Secondly, if you order from outside the EU, don’t buy more that 17 pounds worth of seeds.  At 18 pounds you have to pay import duty - whether customs collects it, is another matter.  Import duty isn’t too bad, it is the 10 -20 pound collection fee that each carrier charges you, for the privilege of colleting the import duty, that is the killer!

Ebay is another good place to buy seeds as well.

One thing I am discovering is that when I garden, I can grow more unusual vegetables.  And it is fun experimenting.  So I am trying a few plants here and a few plants there.  This year one of my experiments was Kohl Rabi.  Ok I know, if you hunt hard enough,  you can buy Kohl Rabi, but I grew some this year.  Today was the first time, I had ever eaten Kohl Rabi, and it is wonderful.  Definitely something I will grow a lot of next year!  That and Red Orach.

I agree with you Clairelb, I need a bigger plot too.  Mine isn’t even the size of a ¼ allotment.  Less lawn more garden.  Not sure hubby agrees with that.


NuttyJo 
>I have some massive broccoli plants that had little heads on that looked like 
>broccoli but my dh said they were too small to pick and so ive left them and
>now they've turned into yellow flowers - have i wasted them now? 

Afraid the answer is yes.  Growers use some special techniques to get those massive heads.  I had some early purple sprouting, that produced tiny heads.  I picked them off, and more grew.  Before you knew it, I was able to pick a massive bowl of tiny heads.  So you could try picking off the flower heads, and see if any small heads grow, as side shoots.

Broccoli and cauli are supposed to be difficult to grow.  Well I have not had much success with them, but that might just be me!  I need to read up on those, before I attempt to grow them again.

Anyone else gardening?

Lorna


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

**Tashja** said:


> Does anyone know what we can plant now/august for some winter veggies
> 
> T xx


Tashja,

As I have dug up some of my 2nd earlies, I now have a space for something. What, I wasn't sure. I went through my 100 packets of seeds for 15 pounds, and I came across Golden Ball Turnips. They should be planted late July/Early August to be harvested during the winter. Sounds like the right time frame for you.

You can also plant other types of Turnips, Tiny Pal, I think the name is, in July and August. Harvest September to December.

As well as the Golden Ball Turnips, I also planted some Red Orach seeds. I just need some rain now, to wet the seeds. So we are guaranteed, days of dry weather now!

How is everyone else's gardening going?

Lorna


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Morning

We've just spent the whole weekend turning our new patio into a mini pot allotment!!     Bought tonnes of soil and seeds and have been planting for England - we've even turned our old wooden bread bin into a pot  .  Planted 2 types of Kohl Rabi, never tried it before but it sounds nice so we're hoping they turn out OK.  Some more Carrots and some patio parsnips.  Started a pot with 3 types of spinach - including beet spinach and DH has planted 4 types of radish.

Nutty Jo - Have you planted purple broccoli or calabrese?  I could be wrong, but 'broccoli' is generally small - that's why the purple stuff costs so much in the shops.  The stuff you see in shops with the big green heads etc is probably calabrese.

Did anyone get The Times on Saturday - they were offerring a Kitchen Garden set (seeds) for £2.99 p&p plus some offers on Olive and Blueberry bushes.  I'm really wanting a blueberry bush for the patio.  

I also asked my dad about the courgette flower thing and he seemed to think that if you did take off the flowers it would stop them from growing as they're what makes a courgette when they're pollenated, but that's only a guess..

Is anyone clued up on composting??  Our compost is FULL of aphid/midges type flies - horrible little red things that swarm out as soon as you open it up.  Very unpleasant and not sure it'll be doing the compost any good.  Is there anything I can do to get rid of them?

Claire
x


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

>Did anyone get The Times on Saturday - they were offerring a Kitchen Garden set (seeds) for £2.99 p&p 
> plus some offers on Olive and Blueberry bushes.  I'm really wanting a blueberry bush for the patio. 

I have bought stuff through the Sunday Times.  Yes it is cheap, and all of it has grown, but..  The strawberry plants were white when I received them, and the blueberry bushes had lost quite a lot of leaves.  With TLC they all recovered.

Lorna


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

hi girlies..mind if i join ya? the lovely suedulux directed me to this thread (ta love) and im over the moon to have found it...now i can combine my 2 fave online activities...gardening and FF!    
  DH and i have had our allotment for pretty much exactly a year..and its changed our lives...all for the better!i dont need to tell you folks here of the joys of it all..reading thru your posts you all seem to have the bug just as badly as us! so nice to share a hobby with your loved one isnt it,we get family dropping by a lot too...lovely! out plot was so overgrown when we got it,it took a few good months to clear,since then we have landscaped it quite a bit too,put paths down etc etc...everything is coming up splendidly at the min and we are very very proud of ourselves.dug our first spuds today,bliss!
i love the lottie so much,we always feel so positive when we are there...gotta be good for PMA re ttc! ive recently changed my job too..i used to have to travel a lot with work,but couldnt bear being away from the plot,makes more sense for ttc anyway,for me to be home! look forward to getting to know you all...happy digging!
love rach x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi Rach - You've hit the nail on the head for me there when you said it's so nice to find a hobby both you and DH can enjoy.  This, I think is the first common interest we can share together...after all these years!    It's funny as DH plays the drums and while I never minding him going off to do a gig, I'm far happier him spending his evenings down the allotment.    

Lorna - Thanks for the info on The Times offers. The price between their blueberry and someone like Marshall's isn't that much, so may stick to what I know..  

Getting delivery of 2 apple and 1 pear patio trees tomorrow.    Looking forward to the weekend as I need to thin out my swede seedlings and plant out my beetroot and last courgette plants before they spoil.    DH still hasn't put up the shed yet, so I think he may need a bit of a nudge to get him to do that.  I have visions of it being a mini home from home... think I may be getting ahead of  myself there..  

Love
Claire
x


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

clairelb said:


> I saw that episode! I sat for ages making pots out of newspaper and then realised that a) they'd be useless in the house - surely they'd go all soggy and collapse? and b) I still had 3 seed trays waiting to be filled. You're right about the guttering though - who's got that lying around? I've been trying to get bits such as that off Freecycle, but it looks like the world and his dog has just got an allotment and there are requests for waterbutts, sheds, composters all over so I've not had any replies.
> 
> Pabboo - I've got the copper strips, but there's one pot they're determined to eat with it still on. I'm currently trying the eggshell approach with the copper strips and that's working - by themselves the eggshell isn't much good, but the 2 together so far is holding out.


Hi ya just read about the copper strips not working too well. Mine have worked well, but I did have a friend tell me a thick band of vasaline around the pot stops snails too ? Never tried it myself lol

luv sue


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Just wanted to share with you I went to Wyevale Garden Centre today and all their seeds are half price at the moment ..and the dates are fine for next yr so worth stocking up .. I will be keeping an eye on this thread for advice on beetroot and courgettes as those were the seeds that came home with me today..thought I would start off with veg that I love and go from there  

Cat x


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

hey cat

i made a mistake and put my courgettes in a shallow long tub but they toppled over and the stalks snapped so they died. i tried planting them in the ground and made sure they had plenty of space between each seed and they're doing a lot better now. had my first courgette for tea the other night! 

good luck

jo xxx


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

hi nuttyjo,and everyone else! isnt that part of the pleasure of veggie growing...the learning process! i feel like i learn something new every day,esp with all the advice coming from our lovely lottie neighbours.well done on your first courgette hon,im going to pick my first today.what did you do with yours...i like to grate em with some garlic then cook em really quickly in a little butter,delicious!
had our first turnip and cabbage last night,if i knew how to put pgotos on here i would LOL 
hope youre all having a dry day too
love rach
xxxxxxx


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

i havnt tried my cabbages yet but my sisters rabbits like them lol

i cut my courgette up and put it in my lasagne, was lovely! tasted really fresh, yummy! i also roast them. i might try frying them with butter and garlic though as it sounds lovely!

looks like it might rain today but that saves me the job of watering them


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Could courgettes go in a deeper/wider  tub then ? I wanted to get some of those nice big wooden tubs .. cos they look nice lol 
Cat x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi

I'm growing courgettes in large deep tubs.  Everyone kept telling me they could be grown on the patio and as I know they grow quite large, I thought I'd save my space on the allotment and give them a go in pots.  I sowed them quite late, so they're still quite small and have got a bit knocked about in the wind, but so far so good.  

Cat - Beetroot seem easy to grow.  The only tips I've learned about courgettes is they love rich soil so plant them in new compost/manured compost if you can.

Our allotment is looking fab.  Planted some broccoli plants over the weekend and with all this warm, wet weather the cabbages and cauls are looking great - only lost 2 to the birds, but now the netting is well and truely secure I think they've had their feast.  Just need to find a spot for my raspberry bush now and get DH to get the shed up (still!) and I think we're done.  I met the lady who's got the 1/4 plot next to ours and she's thinking of taking her shed down as it's quite dilapidated and I said if our shed turns out to be big enough we could perhaps share our new shed (in her space) and we'd then have space for our greenhouse - hurrah!

DH is obsessed with our new patio space and is planting radish in any container he can find.  We'll be eating it with our Xmas dinner!!  

Happy growing!

Claire
x


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

yeah, just make sure you leave about 9inches between each one cat and it will be fine. i ignored that advice and planted them next to each other - didnt work!


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

Hi ya  ladies .  

I was all excited  when I  decided to  pick  some of  my  carrots .  But  some of them  turned out  like  this . 

Anyone know  why ?  I think the  wonky one  is  cos the soil wasnt  deep  enough  maybe?

Luv  Sue


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Sue I don't know hunny but they look so funny    

Jo/Claire ..Thanks for the courgette/beetroot advice  

Cat x


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

sue,methinks your carrots hit either hard soil,or stones,which sent them awry..bet they still taste good though! how are you lasies adding your pics here...ive tried hitting the photo button but just get









had a fab day at the lottie today,weeding mainly but also dug up a few spuds and carrots,picked some more sweet peas,making the kitchen smell so good! x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Yes bet they do taste yum Sue, Elvis I love the smell of sweet peas I am just waiting for then stalks on mine to grow a bit longer so I can put them in a vase but they smell divine  
Cat x


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

omg! i had to look twice at them pics before i saw what they were


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

We had carrots that were a bit like that - we have really stony soil that despite our best efforts remains stony so we thought it was that. We've successfully grown container carrots though - they're short and stubby!

We grew courgettes last year - only had two plants from a friend and they were so prolific (can veg be prolific?) ANyway - I still have some in the freezer that I whack into ratouille etc  - possibly a year is a bit too long even frozen?

So - a question - how big should my onions be at this by now - most of mine seem okay assuming that they'll grow some more - a bit bigger than a golf ball but not tennis ball size yet by any stretch of the imagination. SHould they be bigger by now do you think?

Oh - and strawberries - ours (grown in pots) have finished fruiting - not that we got that many) So what do we do with the plants, I understand they will fruit for two years is that right?

Enjoy the veggies

Polll


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

i always thought that the strawberries had fruit every other year? could have totally made that up though!   i havnthad any fruit this year so am hoping to get some next year

am reaaaaally worried about my plants as im going away for 2 weeks and dont want them to die! next door said she would come and water them for me but am still paranoid that all my hard work will be for nothing and they will die by the time i get back


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

Sue, 

I did a web search, as I have had the odd carrot like yours.  I think the second, and third pictures, are caused by heavy watering, after a dry spell.  I am only sort of convinced, as my carrot bed is packed with carrots, and I have only pulled one carrot out, that looks like yours. Why aren't the rest looking like them too?  Shouldn't they all be affected?

pollttc,

No idea how big onions should be.  Things in my garden grow as big as they are going to grow, and my onions are even smaller than yours.  I rarely get the monster veg that the supermarkets sell.

I managed to get out in my garden, this week, and do a bit more than water, and pick something.  At the beginning of the week, I sprayed the bindweed, and then sprayed it again yesterday.  But then I was out picking broad beans, and discovered some I had missed.  Ahhhg!

My cabbages are beginning to look good, so I need to start harvesting them.

I have dug up some more 2nd earlies this week.  I probably need to dig up the rest, as the ones I dug up, are beginning to look a big sad.  And where the 2nd earlies were, I sowed small areas with seeds for, salad leaves, red spring onions, mustard red zest, baby chinese cabbage, and skirret.  I know skirret needs planting in the spring, but I might get at least one root to try the taste, so I know whether I should plant more next spring.

The red Orach seeds, and Golden Turnip seeds, I planted 2 weeks ago, have begun to sprout.  Mind you the red orach is a bit patchy, maybe I ought to put some more seeds in the holes.  

I also lopped the tops of the red orach, I planted earlier in the year, and steamed it for tea.  Yum!  It was getting a bit tall.  Hopefully it will grow back, and I can cut it again.  Next year, I am going to plant a bigger area of red orach, well at least until something else catches my fancy.  I need a bigger veg plot less lawn!

I am already considering a “flower bed” in front of the shed.  OK hubby still has to build the shed, but once it is up, I would love a “flower bed” of Alexanders, Rampion, Quamash, and so on.  Just cause all of these are edible…..

Anyone else out in their veg plots?

Lorna


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## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

Hello everyone

Had a little piclinng spree this morning - another courgette! - the last of the dwarf beans, I think, and some cherry tomatoes. Our tomato plants are exceptionally prolific (yes, Polttc, veggies can, and often are prolific, especially if they are courgettes!), which is fab but they are taking ages to ripen. Perhaps I should pick them green??

We have finished our lettuce and now have an empty space in the veggie patch (as opposed to the other end, where I planted two tomatoe plants, a courgette, and parsley, virtually on top of each other! Doh!) Any ideas as to what to plant there now that we will benefit from pretty quickly? 
I may plant a chilli plant, but wonder if it is too late in the season/too hot/some other reason.....

I am also seriously considering starting a website for veggie growers/veggie box purchasers called "Glut" or something similar which would be something like searching for recipes based on what you have a glut of in your box or veggie patch, and then pairing this with other in season veggies or storecupboard ingredients to come up with recipes, several of which I would have videos of me making (DH finds cooking via watching easier than reading, and I guess he is not alone). It'd take me an age, I am sure, but could be quite handy. 

Done before? Lame idea? What do you think?


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

pabboo,

I find that when I have an ingredient, whether it is veg or something else, I type the name of the ingredient into Google, plus the word recipe, 
eg: courgette recipe
and I usually get loads of hits.  Now if you type in:
Zucchini recipe
you get even more!

As to my garden, I got out there this afternoon, and I harvested the rest of the 2nd earlies.  Some were just starting to turn.  In the space, I put in some more seeds.  Some leef beet, the last of the Kohl Rabi, some stir fry greens, some spicy greens, and some radish.  Oh and I tried to fill in the holes of the red orach.

Hopefully I will get some stir fry greens before the frosts come, and the leef beet, and red orach, will give me one harvest before winter, and then start producing again in the spring.

Lorna


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## TwiceBlessed (Nov 8, 2006)

Ok am very new to this veggie growing malarkey.  Am doing toms and cucumbers so far this year in my greenhouse.....my lettuces disappeared overnight somehow...Having killed one cucumber plant early on I bought three and now they are all covered in tiny veggies....however they also are covered (leaves) in a white fungusy thing....any help appreciated.  Doesnt seem to be harming the veggies themselves though.


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

Well this thread has gone very quiet.  Sorry can't help you with the cucumbers.  Firstly I don't have a greenhouse, and secondly, I wish my outside cucumbers would grow.  I really, really want to make cucumber pickles, but first I need some cucumbers.

I have this huge vine growing in my garden, marked crookneck.  It is producing green round fruits. Crooknecks are yellowy orange, and have a neck like a pig's tail.  So I asked on a US gardening board, when my "crookneck" would be ready to harvest.  The first thing someone said was a crooknecks grow on bushes not vines.  So obviously the plant isn't a crookneck.  It is some kind of squash, a globe courgette?

Well I picked a fruit, and cooked it.  It was slightly sweet, but it had a much firmer flesh than a courgette.  I accidentally harvested a winter squash too early last year, and if I remember correctly, it was slightly bitter.  Now I am wondering whether to harvest the rest of the fruits when they are small, and eat them as courgettes, or whether to leave the one big fruit to grow even bigger, and see, if it turns into winter squash plant.

Isn't life interesting?

Lorna


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## TwiceBlessed (Nov 8, 2006)

Have so far picked 4 cucumbers.  Advised to pick when about 1/2 size that you get in the shop as they dont repeat on you if they are younger.

They have been yummy


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Hiya Girls!

How are the lotties going? 

I really regret not getting mine   I think I am gonna put my name down again tho for next year!!

xxxx


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

hi ya

can i just ask, will i need to make a cover thing for my veggie patch over the wnter? have planted the strawberry plants there and dont want them to due from frost etc

thans 

xxx


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

hi chicks!
nuttyjo,i covered all our land in weed supressing fabric over winter last year,the main bulk of it anyway,didnt bother with the strawbs,and they have always come back fine,so i shouldnt worry.saying that we have moved them from the home garden to our lottie,but still dont think we will cover em.
salla,the lottie is awesome,cant believe how well its done,we are getting much admiration from all the other more experienced lottie holders,so thats great validation for us! hope you get yours soon!

lorna,never heard of crook thingie,but glad its producing edible fruit!
word to the wise,i took the netting off our courgettes yday,cos i read somewhere that they dont need covering,and i didnt want to use netting unless needed,in case birds got tangled/trapped in it,well,got there today and they have been decimated,by something!so keep em covered girls!
now enjoying eating the rewards of all our hard work,and its fab,so happy,gonna try to string our onions tmrw,now theyve dried out.
lots love and happy growing to all\
kisses rach xxxxx


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

I'd love to  grow  rhubarb ,  can anyone  tel me  how to  g about it  ? pretty please  

Luv  sue


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## ♥Saila♥ (Mar 27, 2006)

Hiya Sue,

I've just gotten a rhubarb from my local garden centre. I'm just digging a nice big hole next to my shed tomorrow and popping some manure in and good compost and letting it get on with it!  

xxxx


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

hi girls,i have great news,today i was appointed new secretary of our allotment.hoorah! the first task i have is to apply for funding from the lottery,yikes! also got to issue warning letters to those that have been neglecting their plots,yikes yikes!!!! ive decided to share the job with my friend,therefore making it more fun!
wish this blooming rain would go away,its getting boring now isnt it!
what have you all been up to? i sowed some seeds today,spinach,flat leaf parsley,more rocket and spring cabbages,will do some others tmrw. DH has been busy constructing wooden frames to net the brassicas,looks great too!
hope you are all enjoying the weekend
happy growing,rach xxx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hello all

Rach - Congrats on your new lottie status!!    

Sue - I've heard Rhubarb isn't that difficult.  We inherited a plant in our old garden, it did well for years, but then one year just disappeared.    Hoping to plant some if we get another small plot.

Jo - We've got some green manure for the plot for over winter, but don't see why some fabric wouldn't do the job for your strawberrys.

Salia - Get your name down!! You really won't regret it!

Well our shed is up - hurrah!! It's quite big too, so no room for the greenhouse.  Definitely looking to get another quarter plot for permanent plants and we'll hopefully put the greenhouse on that.  The plants are doing OK.  Cabbage and caulis are going really well as is the sweetcorn.  Broccoli has been plagued with whitefly of sorts, but as I'm trying to be as organic as possible, not sure what to do other than shoo them away when I'm there.  Not sure it's doing much good though as the plants are still quite small.  The swede is doing much better than I anticipated and I've had to be ruthless and weed out the smaller plants which I hate doing (waste!), but am surprised at how easy they've been.  Finally, the beetroot is doing well - I've just roasted some today for the first time, so I'll let you know how it tastes.  

On the patio, the courgette plants have died down to 3 big ones, which TBH will provide more than enough veg for us.  Tomatoes have finally ripened and the first lot of spring onions are ready and we're beginning to enjoy those.  We're even getting some mangetout from my minute plant.  Carrots are at the 'baby' stage, so picking a few every now and again to give the others a bit more room to grow.  They're yummy.  

Off to look at the Marshall's website now.  Want to find some winter onions and potatoes for Xmas.

Love
Claire
x


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

clairelb said:


> Broccoli has been plagued with whitefly of sorts, but as I'm trying to be as organic as possible, not sure what to do other than shoo them away when I'm there.


Claire why don't you cover it with fleece(cheap) or more expensive crop protection netting. The mesh is so fine, white fly/black fly can't get thought it. Now why didn't I put that over my early purple sprouting? 

Lorna


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

found this site and thought it might come in handy for you all

http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/

/links


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

hi chicks,try www.allotments4all.co.uk too,its fab and youll see me there too! x




/links


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

I discovered today that all my Charlotte potatoes want digging up.  The haulms of the late maincrop potatoes, got blown over in the wind, and covered the Charlottes, and I didn't notice the Charlotte haulms, had died down.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to harvest the potates now.  I will just have to hope that they will be OK in the ground till I can find sometime to dig 'em up.

Isn't the weather awful?  I'd like to get out, and spray the bindweed, but with all this rain, I don't stand a chance.  I did plant some more seeds, just a few lettuce seeds, and radish.  These will probably benefit from all the rain.  But everything else, would do much better, if we could just have a nice spell of sunshine, my garden would go whoosh, and I might harvest a bit more.

Lorna(who wants sun, sun, and more sun)


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

lorna,if you havnt already,cut the leaves off your spuds,as its the leaves that introduce blight ( so ive been told) this weather is downright awful isnt it,i agree! i sowed some late carrots,swede and leeks straight into the ground,none of which germinated,i reckon they prob rotted in the wet. ive since started some other stuff off in pots,in the greenhouse for over winter so fingers crossed they will do better! 
the weeds are driving me     too.its a constant battle alright! 
happy growing xxx


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

Thanks for the info, on pulling up the stalks.  I was able to find to race out between the outbursts of rain to pull up the stalks.  There were only 12 potato plants, so it didn't take long.

I think plants need heat as well as rain to grow, and it seems to be a lot colder now, that it was a months ago.  When are we going to get any sun?

Lorna


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## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

Anyone got experience with Kohl Rabi or radishes?

I planted some seeds for both last weekend - the kohl rabi hasn't come through yet - should it? The radishes are popping up but there's quite a lot and they're quite close together - should I thin them out of just leave them for a bit?

Thanks!
Boo x


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

ive not tried kohl rabi,although a reckon id give it a few days to come through (ever the optimist!)  if you could gently thin out the radsih,i would,but looking round our allotment,most folk have em pretty close together,not much of a useful answer that was it LOL!
i picked up a few gardening bargains in woolies today chicks,a solar powered light for the shed,7 quid down from 20.and a few other bits,there was tons of stuff if you have a store near by to you.
happy growing love rach x x


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

i think you should thin the raddishs out as mine were too close together and didnt grow very well but the ones that had enough room to grow came out really good

jo x


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## pabboo (Sep 29, 2007)

CATAPILLERS!!!!

All over my tomatoes!  

Help!! What do I do?  

I love the little green things, and adore butterlifes, but the sods are eating my tomatoes before I have even got the chance to pick em! 

I am an organic gardener, so do not want to use anything pesticide-like, and really would rather not kill them anyway!


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

pabbo 

oh  how  dissapointing !    No idea how to  get  rid of them. 
But  as the butterfly has prob layed her  eggs on ya plants  somewhere , I  guess ya can only keep picking them off  untill they run out. Not  sure  where  ya can put them, as  thats  where the parents  knew they'd  survive .

Anyone  know  what I can  do  with  the  potato  soil  now  I've  picked  them all? I have  it in tubs and would like  to  feed it up again to  plant more  in it ?


Luv  Sue


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## Lou F ❁ (Feb 28, 2003)

Hiya i dont normally post here mainly coz i have never grown anything b4 untill now !! Last night we picked our spuds and am so chuffed 

























I grew them from 5 spuds that had been left n forgotton in a bag in the cupboard they had huge sprouts didnt think they would do anything but it just shows we got about 15lb's of spuds for free 

We gonna have some of them for dinner tonight    

cheers 
lou
xx


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

wow! they look yummy! is there certain times you can plant spuds or are they a year round kinda thing?


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## Lou F ❁ (Feb 28, 2003)

HIya
I'm not sure to be honest a friend of mine told me u can grow spuds pretty much all year round, I am gonna try with some more over the next few weeks and see what happens, am gonna look at other veg too !!


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hello all

Wow - those spuds are fab - did you simply grow them from a normal lot your bought from the supermarket?  I think you can grow them all year - I know our allotment neighbours were planting some the other week for Xmas spuds.  

Kohl rabi and Radish.  They sprout in similar times - radish a bit quicker, however the radish will become a veg quicker.  We're harvesting our radish that we planted the same time as kohl rabi but there's nothing to dig up with kohl rabi yet.  

We've also harvested our first patio courgettes and carrots.  Really nice although I think the courgettes will be smaller than normal (because they're pot grown?).  Any that have got to 'normal' courgette size have gone quite marrowy inside already.  Not a loss though, we'll eat them all.    Carrots are very scrummy too.  

Right best dash.

Love
Claire
x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

It's been very quiet on here - are you all down the allotment or have you reached the end of the season early?

Well the cabbage white caterpillars completely blitzed a lot of our crop - lost all our Kohl Rabi and broccoli, most of our caulis (had to dig up what we had early) and most of our cabbages.    Apparently it's been common all over the country, and even our fleece and netting didn't prevent it.    On the positive side we've had a lovely crop of green beans, carrots and beetroot - thank goodness we love these.

We received the new Marshalls catalogue the other day and spent ages browsing through it, planning what we'd like for next year.  It was DH's b'day yesterday and I bought him a fab new cookbook giving recipies throughout the fruit and veg seasons, hopefully it'll help us use what we have during a glut.    

What are your plans for your plots over the wintertime?  Do you have any winter growing plants in the ground?  Not sure if we're just going to seed with green manure and wait until the new year.. any suggestions?

Happy digging!

Claire


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## elvis2003 (Jan 27, 2005)

hi claire and everyone else!
what a shame about the blasted caterpillars,we got away with them,but did get massive potato blight in our tomatoes,and a weird lil mite called thrip with took out all the gladioli.like you claire we have put it down to experience and concentrated on our many sucesses,hoorah!(least of all winning the best newcomer shield,ahem) learnt loads in readiness for next year,what we will plant more/less of etc,what not to plant too close and what can be sown closer,for example we gave the turnips far too much room and the cabbages not enough.
DH has been busy putting up a new shed,so we now have his and hers,yay! mine is going to be more of a hang out place,without tools,he says now,watch this space!
ive got some stuff started for over wintering,couldnt resist it..our neighbour reckons its not worth it,as the rats will see off what the weather doesbt,but for our first year we wanted to try for ourselves,so ive got even more beets in,khol rabi,kale,cauli,cabbage,radish,spring onions and leeks,oh and carrots,fingers crossed they do as well.
hope you all had the same gorgeous weather as we had here in lpool today,more promised tmrw,it was boiling today! had a friend pop over as they have just had failed tx,and he wanted to introduce me to his gf for a bit of moral support,we both started blubbing when we met LOL but were soon laughing and i reckon ive found a new friend!
anyone tried any pickling or jamming?i didnt quite get round to it this year im afraid,but am saving all my glass jars for next year..cant wait till january to start it all over again!
till then there are loads of jobs to keep us busy.DH is talking of us having christmas dinner at the lottie,are we in danger of being too obsessed  with it..i fear its too late...but i wouldnt change it for the world!
happy digging girls!
love rach
xxxxxxxx


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## Alisha (Jun 5, 2006)

hello
can I join you?
just wanted to add the caterpillars completely ravaged my cabbages, cavelo and kale   but left the brocolli and kohl rabi   small mercies

had an abyzmal summer with our new poly tunnel .. let it go to rack and ruin   the tommy's got irratic watering so blighted and our chilli plants that I diligently sowed didn't get repoted so one seedling had the diddiest chilli you ever did see   

will try harder next year.. what can I get going in the poly tunnel any ideas? or have I missed the boat completely?
speak soon
alisha


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Hi all .. I am hoping to be able to join you but need to get rid of the other 40 odd people in the allotment queue in front of me   can't wait to have one and gutted the queue is that long..wonder if I can get the list and go and bribe them all to come off it  

Alisha your pic of your little one is gorgeous   someone who knows what they are talking about will come along soon ..I am hoping to learn so that when I do eventually get the allotment probably when I am due to retire   I will know a bit about what I am doing ..  

Cat x


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## Alisha (Jun 5, 2006)

Hi cat 
thanks she is a little sweetie but she has a keen nose for realising she is at the allotment by then waking up and crying  
we had a similar problem with the waiting list.. our local town office had a list of names on a sheet of A4   but we kept going in and inquiring whereabouts we were on that list. We would also go up to the allotment and note the 'totally unkept' plots... as there are rules about keeping it up together. We chatted to other allotment holders who would point out plots that hadn't seen any action for a long long time and brought it to the attention of the council. Some of the people who had let their plots go were too old and ill to keep it going .. while others just too busy or lost the inclination... a common phrase banded around is "we're letting it go fallow this year "   

so my best advice is make a 'lovely' nuisance of yourself and be as charming and as friendly as possible to your local council but do it say every couple of weeks.. I'm sure we got hoisted up the list a little.. as one minute we were no. 13 ..and next at the top  
good luck! 
alisha x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Thanks hun might just do that ..although looking briefly at the allotments as I walked past they look very well kept ..but might look a bit closer next time  

Cat x


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## NuttyJo (Jun 29, 2007)

awww cat if you lived near me i would get my grandad to sort you a plot out - he owns an entire field of allotments!


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

That would be cool Jo as my friend wants one too ..  

Cat x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

I complained to the Council today via e-mail as it had on the local news that they had some new allotments not far away from here and they gave some to people on a list and then the rest was free for all .. so I am complaining saying why were the other available plots not offered to people on nearby lists who have been waiting .. as only round the corner I was really cross so people have got them who probably don't really want them .. 

Cat x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Cat - How have you got on with the council?  Have you asked for a full sized plot or would you be happier for smaller?  Our allotments have started to allocate smaller 1/4 sized plots so that the newbies such as us get a chance to give it a go and then if we 'prove ourselves' we can apply for a larger plot.  That way they don't lose so much land to those who don't keep it up.  We were told there was a huge queue in front of us and a week later we got a phonecall.  

All quiet on our allotment.  Not planted anything for overwintering, just going to start up again in new year.  Only jobs are to re-roof the shed and make it waterproof.  Still got carrots, parsnips, beetroots to dig up.  We did have some sweetcorn, but reckon the frost will have got to them.

Love
C
x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

They havn't given me an option of different sizes..I got a reply from the council and they said that the news report was wrong ..and that the remaining plots will be offered to people on lists nearby so at least the lists will be going down ! (not really surprised that the news got it wrong they are not known for their accuracy ! ) 

Cat x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hello

It's very quiet on here - I'm hoping some of you are still reading.  Does anyone know what you can plant this time of year?  We popped down to the allotment this afternoon and some plots had seedlings - not sure what of, but thought it was a bit of a bad time to be planting now.  Really miss being down there - especially as weather is still pretty good for digging!

Also, keep your fingers crossed for us - we may be getting another 1/4 plot, not next to our current plot, but not far away.

Love
C
x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

I got a great book for my friend who I am hoping to do an allotment with .. its by Alan Titchmarsh and goes through all different veg ..what their needs are etc and it was signed by him she will be well chuffed.. anyone else got any good gardening christmas pressies for people..or treated themselves?

Cat x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Cat - I bought my dad a solar/wind-up radio for his allotment.  Other things for people with allotments - a fold down chair, a nice knife to cut your veg, a camper burner and kettle so they can make a cuppa (or even cook their veg as they did on Gardeners World  ), a nice large flask if they're not brave enough for the camper stuff.  

Cx


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## Alisha (Jun 5, 2006)

hi
clairelb ..not sure what's 'too late ' for planting.. spring cabbage? It's still fairly mild you may get away with it..or winter lettuce (maybe) we planted broadbeans in Oct one year and they came up very early in the spring before the black fly ..is it too late for green manures?

cat.. fingers crossed for an allotment..that's a good idea about the half plot, that's what we started with, and we kept our name down for a full plot if one became available. My local council said we would more get one much quicker with this option. 

i'm afraid we've lunched ours out a bit   but we've just dug uup the spuds lovely nicola's (mmmee second earlies   but still fine! leeks are covered in rust so not so sure what to do with them and the cavalo and kale seem to be having a second life after the caterpillar ravages. tonnes of J artichokes and some cabbages that semi survived the caterpillars, if somewhat holey but still edible   It's quite hard with young babby though.. will try much harder next year.. 

planted 2 packs of parsnips again this year and again only a small handful came up   what am I doing wrong?

need some more allotment prezzy ideas...
Alisha x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Whoo!! We've got a (much) larger plot!! Had a phonecall on Friday and they've managed to convince some bloke to give up half of his plot as he's not kept up with it and as we'd wanted another 1/4 plot to go with the one we'd already got, they've asked if we want the half he's giving up. It will mean us giving up our little plot for another newbie, which is a shame after all the hard work we've put in, but the new plot is _huge_. I always thought all 'plots' were the same size, but the one we're inheriting is one of the larger ones on the site so this 'half plot' is at least 3 times the size of our current '1/4 plot'..  A fair bit of work to do on it - weeding, clearing up, but it's not been cultivated for nearly 2 years so soil should be OK. There's a few issues over sheds and greenhouses - plot rules state they can't be one end of the plot and this bloke has 2 of each hogging the end they should all be at, leaving us with no room for ours but hopefully we'll take it over asap which will give us time to get things going before January's planting time.  Just been on Marshalls site and ordered some fruit bushes - exactly what we wanted the extra space for.  Now, do we go for raised beds or a free for all

Love
C
x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

I like the idea of raised beds but don't know the benefits for and against.. great news about your bigger plot hun ..you will be able to grow LOADS of stuff next year  

Cat x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

I'm not overly sure on the benefits of raised beds either.  I think they're meant to be easier to weed (somehow?), easier to navigate around so not stepping on your crop - which is what we're keen on - and easier for crop rotation.  Cons are that they eat up on your space, limit what you can do on your plot, you need tonnes of soil to fill them, and as sad as it sounds, I can't imagine digging will be as much fun with fiddly little boxes to dig over.


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## Alisha (Jun 5, 2006)

hi claire the same happened to us we had half a plot (well kept and virtually weed free) and got ofered a huge plot next to the water source and covered in weeds   but we took it .. we walk around the allotments and 'visit' our old one and it looks so cute and well cared for ..ohh well!

my dp wants raised beds but I'm not sure its worth all that extra work and expense to do it.. 

ours is practically like that anyway... 4ft by 20ft dug over areas with paths inbetween. I couldn't be doing with all that plank lifting and shifting all the time. it makes it easy for rotation but we could do with planks to edge it out I suppose.. you'll be surprised.. depending how high you have the beds the soil usually 'fluffs' up quite a bit with a good dig over we always seemed to have mounds.. iykwim


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi all - Happy New Year to you all.  

I have to admit to being a bit sad in that I'm sooo pleased it's January because I can start sowing some seeds now!!    Going to try to get some onions from seed this year.

The new allotment is coming on well.  Dh spent a few days digging it over.  Lots of thick roots in there though - we thought they were potato sprouts as they seem to be all in and around a patch where lots of spuds were left, however someone has told us its bindweed.    As much as I want to be organic, looking on the web, it does seem that the only way we will conquor this evil is with weedkiller.  Oh well, could be worse.  

Sades, I try to grow some tomatoes every year, although last year was pretty much a disaster with all the wind.  We have access to a greenhouse this year, so will put some of them in there this year.

Has anyone ordered plants from Marshalls before?  I ordered some fruit bushes and rhubarb in November and I've not received them yet.  I know they send them out when they're in season, but now is the season so wondering what's holding them up - could have gone to one of the local nurseries by now as they've now got them all in stock.  

claire
x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Great News ..I am going to view an allotment tomorrow .. my friend put her name down on one only last saturday and got a phone call on Monday to offer her one so we are going to look tomorrow as there are a few plots that have been neglected and basically given up so we are hoping to get two plots together      I am soooo excited   I have been reading up about it and will be checking out where the water supplies etc are   so will be coming on here regularly for advice  

Cat x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Hurray we have put our names down for two plots next to each other and will work them together they are two 10 pole plots so absolutely massive and quite daunting but we are thinking of it as a long term project ..they are happy for us to plant fruit trees etc and next to our plot is a mature big apple tree that hangs over so we are planning a bit of an orchard for the bottom part of both plots .. it will be a huge lot of hard work as at the moment it has really really long grass all over it as it hasn't been worked for years .. so thinking we will need to hire a rotavator as will be too much to dig it all manually

We should have the keys by the end of this week       so will be looking for lots of advice  

Cat x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Great news Cat.  2 plots though - wow! 

Before you fork out on a rotorvator, check to see if your council offers this service (some very lucky ones still get this), otherwise, make lots of friends on the plots as I'm sure someone there will have one to borrow or loan for a much smaller amount. 

C
x


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

We might just buy a petrol strimmer and dig it bit by bit .. we are going to put an orchard down the bottom of both plots so that will take a fair bit of room up so it won't be as bad as it sounds 

Going to start off with a Bramley, a Cox's Orange Pippin and a Braeburn and a Conference Pear and we are going to have a soft fruit bit and going to get some raspberries ..does anyone know when you plant raspberries ? 

It already has a bank of blackberries so at least the first year we will get lots of those .. 

We are planning ...potatoes, leeks, carrots, onions, courgettes, tomatoes, salad, cucumbers, radish, pumpkin, beetroot there are two of us doing it and partners etc and family helping out .. hoping can persuade my dad to cultivate it with his tractor haha as its not been used for years our plots .. they are building an enclosed childrens play area right near our plots in about a year  so really excited and hope to have a little one who can play on it by then 

Cat x


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Cat - with raspberries it depends.  If you've got bare root canes then late autumn/early winter is best, however with plants in tubs, you've got time up until March.  Huge congrats on the BFP!


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Thank you hunny .. it must be the year for growing things  

Cat x


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello ladies!

I haven't posted for ages on this thread so have just been catching up on you all!!   

Well the snow finally melted yesterday adn we were able to get our Jerusalem Artichokes in - apparently they don't mind the cold.  We got them from Garden Organic with some vouchers that my MIL gave us for our birthdays, and it said to plant out immediately, but I figured that with 7 inches of snow that was rather unfeasible.  DH did a brilliant sorting through the compost heap to find some good stuff, and they are all bedded in trenches of home-made compost which feels great!  (That's until that patch starts sprouting weeds ...   but it looked really well rotted so hopefully not!)

Last year was a real right-off for our tomatoes too - not sure what went wrong but they seemed to rot before they got ripe - too much rain and not enough sun??

This year I've got the broad beans growing under cloches already, and the onion set in (although the snow didn't do them much good - expect they'll recover though!  And some bulbs are starting to come up which is so exciting.  I just can't wait for it to be properly spring!

Cat - we put our raspberries in as bare root in late December (the garden centre sent them really late as there was a warm autumn that year so things took a while to go dormant) and they have been one of the best things in our garden.  They make a lovely leafy screen and are really productive.  You can get two different sorts, autumn fruiting and summer fruiting, and given how much space you've got I'd recommend that.  We also have a really good strawberry patch which was fabulous last year - I had so many strawberries I was actually giving them away to neighbours!  It all started with just two plants that the garden centre gave me for free becuase they hadn't sold and were just about dying of drought!  They make really pretty ground cover and are ever so easy and surprisingly snow tolerant (fortunately!!)

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hello!

Pol - I've bought some Jerusalem Artechokes too - although from B&Q, so not quite the quality I guess your will be.  I had a free £5 from B&Q just before Christmas (no idea why, they just gave me one  ), it was due to expire so I got some of those, asparagus and some red onions sets.    Like everyone else, the snow has got in the way a bit, so we've not been down the allotment for ages... I'm just glad we started on our new plot when we did otherwise we'd be months behind now with all the work it needed and the snow.  We really should get on with the planting now.  I'm very impressed you've already got the beans going.    I need to check my seeds to see what I can start on now.  

Our gooseberry bushes finally arrived from Marshalls, although I'm still waiting for the rhubarb.  We've also bought a blueberry bush, although that's for the patio rather than the allotment.  I still need to get some raspberry canes too, must get a move on with those.

As for the tomatoes - I heard it was the wind that ruined them last year.  I found a freebie site for some free tomato seeds which I've sent off for, no idea if they'll ever come through, more than likely I've just signed myself up for a load of junkmail, but it's worth a go. 

We may have the title to the worlds most expensive allotment.    During the windy weather just before the snow, the roof of our allotment shed blew off - it blew over the allotment perimeter fence and apparently hit someone's car.    Luckily(?) we know the people whose car it is as they also have an allotment at the site.  They also helped put the shed roof on..  Anyway, DH went to see the damage and there are a few scratches - the couple whose car it is said they're going to try and T-cut it to see if that removes them, otherwise we're going to have to pay for the repairs.  Apparently last time they had a scratch done it cost £700.  Yikes!  This was a few weeks ago now and we've not heard from them, so fingers crossed we're OK.  Do any of you have allotment insurance?  Typically, this is from the shed from our old plot which hadn't been handed over yet, so technically we are still responsible - the new plot isn't near the fences, and we no longer have a shed as we've now sold the dastardly old one, but it does make you wonder whether you need this type of thing.  

As I've just mentioned, we've sold our old shed, and our old greenhouse (both for a little profit too!) so that's a bonus.  It does mean we are shedless at our new plot - there are rules about where a shed can be sited and the space for our shed it already 'taken' with a tonne of scrap which noone is taking ownership for.   If we wanted to get rid of it we'd need a skip which I'm certainly not forking out for!  So for the time being we're going to have to cart our tools to and from home, which is luckily no more than a 10min walk (either that or be really lazy and drive!)

Well, here's hoping the weather is on the up and we can all get digging again soon.

Love
C
x


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello again

I read in my book that broad beans do better (less prone to black spot and aphids) if planted under cloches in November, so last year I tried that and also planted some in the spring, and the November lot were definitely healthier and more productive.  Of course doing them in two plantings spread the crop out, so if I have space I might do the same this year, but at the moment it's looking unlikely ... I don't have all that much room, and always try and squeeze way more in than is really reasonable  

Jx


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## kat79 (Feb 9, 2009)

Hello - new on the site and found this thread! Am not up to your levels (no allotment, just a bit of garden) and am trying out veggie growing for the first time, in pots, small bed (4 foot by 3!) and amongst all the flowers! Am planning to put spuds in a giant tub (dh works on farm so have lots of lovely big barrels I can cut in half!) but not sure what else to grow - ie easy, unlikely to up and die on me and which doesn't use too much space! any ideas? and can i try to make peas or beans or soemthing climb up a shed wall (small bed around edge of shed, currently has one little clibing rose and lots of weed....


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hi Kat - Pleased you've found us!  There are so many things you can grow.  Last year, on our patio we grew: runner beans, broad beans, dwarf french beans, petit pois (or mangetout, not sure which - never ever made it to the plate as I always ate as I was pottering around the garden), courgettes, carrots, radish, lettuce, tomatoes & spring onions.  The carrots were always much smaller than any out of the allotment, even if they were from the same packet of seeds, however they were just as tasty.  Courgette plants, while they need large tubs full of rich soil, will produce tonnes of veg, so you'll only need a couple of plants.  The dwarf french beans, I grew them in every container imaginable - right down to cut off lemonade bottles, completely neglected them and they still produced beans!  They're also great as they don't need tonnes of space or support.  Not sure if you're too late (always worth a try) but it's really worth trying to grow some garlic next to your roses - apparently their scent is a great deterrent to green/white fly so you'll be getting a double bonus with that.  Don't forget minature fruit trees.  We've just bought a blueberry bush to grow on the patio this year.  

C
x


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hi Kat

My main advice is to grow something that you will enjoy eating and is better fresh than from the shops!

So for me runner beans are top of the list (and also very decorative plants!) and I'm sure you could grow them up the side of a shed on some netting.  
Peas I wouldn't advise in a small space - it may just be me, but I find that even with quite a lot of space given over to them I don't get more than a spoonful ripe at any one time!
Broad beans are ever so easy and again, nothing like the frozen ones, and as you can pick them young and tender nicer than from the green grocers too.
Perpetual spinach is easy and delicious (I grow it under a cloche to keep the cats off but it would also grow in a pot)
But my number one recommendation is strawberries: mine have really pretty white flowers in the spring, and lovely red leaves in the autumn and they are so easy, plus they make good ground cover (like you my veg patch is in my garden and I have a real cat problem   ) so they are a real addition to any flower border plus totally delicious!  Happy to post at lenght on how they work for me if you want more info ...   but in my experience you only need a couple of plants to start off with and within 3 years you'll  be giving plants away to anyone who will take them!

Jx


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## indekiwi (Dec 23, 2008)

Hi ladies, mind if I join you too?  I just got lucky as my neighbours are not using their vegie patch this year and are happy if I use it instead.  Whoopee!  I've run out of space in my own garden (winter cabbage, garlic and onion currently ensconced and have also done well with potatoes the last couple of years) so I'm pretty excited.  Have contained said excitement by allowing myself an hour's digging over each day this week - I hope to have de-weeded and prepared the site (hasn't been used in a few years) by the beginning of next week and then get on to the fun stuff of planting with the help of my wee boy.  So happy!


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

Hi ya  fellow  'diggers'  lol

I left my  little  veg patch to its  own  thing late last year. My runner beans  took over  everywhere  then collapsed the chiken wire 
I'd put around the patch to keep the flippin cat out   . 
That was the  first  year I've  done a veg patch , an anyone tell me any ideas  for  crops and when to plant them? 've  done 
runnerbeans 
carrots  (not v  sucessfully)
Beet  root ( never knew when to  dig up, so got  eaten by  bugs)
Strawbs, (were  great, then didnt know what to do when they sprouted everywhere )
Spuds , in a tub ,  v sucessful 

I think thats  it  

Luv  sue


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Sue - Are those the things you're wanting to grow?  If they are then:

Runner Beans - Sounds like you did too well last year.    Lots of support this year!  
Carrots - Must have free soil - ie not stones in, otherwise they'll split or not grow very well.  They don't like the soil to be too fertilised.  Don't overwater.  I've grown in pots, but have been very small (like the fancy ones you see in the supermarkets), but huge in the ground.  They always took much longer to grow than it said on the packet.
Beetroot - Not really sure as I had huge success with these.  I always thought that one of the good things about beetroot was that they could stay in a fair while.  Much sweeter when small, but just as tasty large and roasted.  
As for Potatoes and Strawberries - ask me next year as I'm hoping to try these this year!!  

Is there anything else you fancy growing?

Indekiwi - Welcome!  You're lucky to have something close to home.  Right now, even our 10 min walk to the plot is difficult to fit in with work etc.  

I really must get a move on with getting the plot started.  I managed to get out into our garden yesterday and start to tackle the tubs we grew our veg in last year - it just felt nice to be out in the open air.  DH is feeling very despondant about all and keeps talking about giving the plot up - I have to keep reminding him of the lovely light evenings that will come our way.  

My allotment books keep scaring me about how much needs to be done in March, but we didn't start planting until May last year and we did really well, so mustn't panic.  

C
x


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello

Strawberries: well here's what I've done and it worked really well

- Best thing is to plant them towards the end of the summer (ie after they would have jsut fruited)  
- Leave and allow to grow.  They may like a mulch (I used horse manure but be careful it doesn't actually touch the plants) They will spread with lots of little plantlets  
- Around April - cut of any old leaves and weed thoroughly.  You will see new leaves coming in the centre of each plant
- Keep watered and straw under them to stop them resting on damp soil can help althoguh it's a bit of a faff. I usually find that they ripen fairly quickly anyway, and the odd slug-hole is unavoidable!
- After they have fruited  tidy up and pot up any spare plants to give away, but allow them to grow pretty thickly
- Apparently it's best to use plants for 3/4 years and then move on to new ones, but as they are self propagating the whole time this is just a question of digging the plot out every 3 years and replanting with the new little plants
- If there is a heavy frost or snow a covering of straw may be a good idea - although all of mine survived several weeks of snow this year adn some had straw and some didn't.

I would say they were the best thing in my garden after the beans.  Last year seemed to be a particularly good year for both strawberries and beans - I think it was plenty of rain and regular sunny spells (even if it was only for a couple of hours a day   not enough for humans but plenty for plants!)

Beetroots:  I have had total disasters with these.  They don't germinate well and they don't 'root up'  I suspect it may be to do with the soil as I read somewhere that they need certain minerals, but I can't now find where I read that to work out what I need to supplement ...   Does anyone have any ideas?

Jx


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

hi ya

claireh - I'd like any ideas  of  other veg I can grow,  not  broad beans as  dont like them.  a variety would be nive ,  things that I can pick a hand ful at a time mabe? As dh only eats tinned babycarots and  tin processed  peas  lol  But he does like our home grown spuds lol 

Anyone got an idea  of what I can be planting now? And do I do them in pots  first or straight to the ground? I've teneded to start eveything in pots first to give them a good  chance away from any slugs and stuff? 

My put that had/hav last years vegs in ( as I  didnt pick  the carrots in te  end   )  are all water logged  and slimy.  What does anyone do twith this used up yucky soil? 


Luv  sue


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

hi girls canI join you

We usuually grow lots of veggie in the garden, and have bumper crops of runner beans tomatioes and onions and carrots, have done parsnips and peas in the past.

WE have been allocated an allotment but I am to visit it nest monday. I am hoping its not the one thats been overgrown for about a decade and has a tree and overgrown brambles on or i'll ask the woman if she is "extracting the wee wee, trying to fob it off on us". I have had an allotment before so I know they are rearely in much of a fit state to start but I have a funny feeling that this is nothing much more than oevrgrown wasteland

Ive got some tomato plant and cucumbers in pots already and about to plant up some more tomatoes. 

Chris


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

Hi ladies, I really should have joined you ages ago!!

We have had our allotment now for about 18months, but its only this season that I'm taking control of it, last year it was DH's domain as I was incapable for various reasons. Now I have a couple of days baby-free in the week and the mobility to get down there (its just over a mile away).

Last year we had fair success, the french beans were great and went on forever, the already established asparagus was yummy! We now have 4 crowns of Rhubarb in the allotment and garden, 70ish leeks, bramble, redcurrant, blackcurrant, goosegogs, strawbs, loganberry, Apple x3 varieties on one tree (tree looks good but no fruit yet), and the garlic is just getting going and is about 4inches high.

I sowed seeds a couple of days ago: broadbeans, sweetpeas, peas, early radish, early peas, and an undercover crop of lettuce, some cauliflower and I'm sure there was something else but I can't remember just yet!!

We have a VERY clay soil, the site was previously a brickworks if thats any indication!! so we tend to plant late and harvest early, waterlogging is a problem and we daren't double-dig! We have to use a lot of manure and compost just to break up the soil but its not doing badly


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## kat79 (Feb 9, 2009)

Thanks for the tips! Will def have a go at planting the garlic (book said feb or march depending on ground, and as my ground is wet clay I figure a little later won't hurt!) Have also popped in a crown of rhubarb that my mother had going spare (hers had spread all over so she palmed a bit off on me!) so we'll see how that goes.  Will also try the beans up the shed: it will helps disguise the shed at least - it is a particularly nasty shade of that orange-brown!

Am also thinking of leeks, onions, carrots and lots of herbs etc.  Biggest problem at the mo (other than waiting to get started!) is the landlady's dalmations! she has two, and when they get the chance they run free on the farm. Which apparently includes my garden, and my nicely dug veg pacth has been adopted as dalmation toilet!    Need a large gate....
kat
xxx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hello all

Welcome to Em and Chris!!  You both sound as though you're really on the ball and I was going to post on here last night that you were putting us all to shame, however I want to thank you as you spurred me on and I've had a lovely day out in the garden sowing seeds and planting garlic in pots.

I've sowed - leeks, cabbage, celeriac & onion seeds, all in small amounts so we'll spread them throughout the season.  All under a cloche in the back garden so I'm hoping they're not out too early yet (might put them in the garage tomorrow?)  I also found some garlic that I planted completely out of season last year and it's coming up nicely. 

We went and bought our potatoes today too - hope we're not too late to plant them out. Got some Desree and some Anya.  We also got some Globe Artichoke plants.  

I've got to take some leave in March as my leave year ends at the end of the month, so now I'm all set to get down the allotment and get planting. Can't wait!  

Sue - Last year I started nearly everything off in a pot - even the things that ended up down the allotment.  Carrots in tubs might just be what your DH will like if he likes the tinned ones as ours were really small (you can get lots of veg seeds especially for growing in pots and they tend to be smaller, but grow quicker so you can do a few sowings in a season).  If your pots are waterlogged that may be why things didn't do well.  Drainage is really important.  As for the current soil that's full of water, personally, I'd dump it and start again as a lot of its nutrients have probably been washed away.  Green beans (dwarf variety) were really easy - start planting April time, 2 courgette plants lasted us most of the season as we just picked as we went along.  All salad type vegetables can be grow easily, the choice of tomatoes is great - I tried the hanging basket type last year, which I'm sure would have done well if it wasn't for the awful weather.  

MIL mentioned the other day that she was listening to a gardening programme on radio where they said to put lots of onion bulbs in a large tub on your patio and once they start to grow you pick a couple every week or so and use them at that stage, as all in all, even the small ones are edible, they're just small.  Has anyone tried this before?

1st March tomorrow - is that the first day of Spring??

Love
C
x


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

21st March is the first day of spring  (despite the bbc this morning   )

We've not even got our first early potatoees in yet, our Irish allotment neighbour swears by putting them in on the 17th, St Patricks day, though ours went in MUCH later than that last year and we still got a good crop  We have to make sure that the clay soil isn't waterlogged before planting them.
Oh a tip on planting taters... instead of digging a whole great big trench, use a bulb-planter, they are the right size, get down to the right depth and it save LOADS of energy!!
You need to 'chit' your potatoes first, lay them out in a tray in an out of the way place, garage, shed etc, til they produce shoots about an inch or so long, then plant them 

I'm really annoyed i've not got anything done this weekend, I was working yesterday and both yesterday and today had horrendous AF pains  (not useful when you give up the whole of your saturday to teach a bunch of kids!!)

Talking of radio programmes, today's Gardeners Question Time said its time to plant onion sets  I know what my job for the week is!!!


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Oh no!  I've got to wait until 21st for Spring!! I've really sufferred this winter and as sad as it sounds the thought that spring is here really jollies me on.  

Em - thanks for the tips re: potatoes.  The Anya's are 2nd earlies, so I guess we've plenty of time.     for horrid af pains.  

I'm really looking forward to going in to work tomorrow.. I'm going to book my leave!    Although I've heard the weather is going to take a turn for the worse, so might have to be a bit selective as to when I book it.

Planted some courgette seeds today.  

C
x


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

Even if its not officially spring for another 20 days, its certainly in the air at the mo, and we're the better side of midwinter 

All the bulbs are coming up and making it feel springy


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## indekiwi (Dec 23, 2008)

Well, the taters are still chitting at the moment, so whether the weather is warm enough or not, my taters ain't ready go go in!  I planted some tomato seeds today, and having eaten jerusalem artichokes for the first time last night (roasted, DELICIOUS!) I went out and bought some for planting today, along with some red and white onions.    I'm still turning over the vegie patch at my neighbour's place, and am trying to work out how to keep the deer from decimating all my produce.    I don't want to go to great expense in putting up fencing and so on since I may not have use of the vegie patch next year.    I pulled out a black currant bush from my own garden and gave it to another neighbour today (I still have two left) and started in on a very over grown front border (expected to find dead bodies since I'd never touched it in the five years I've had the house  ) to find that I have more land to work with than I'd expected....so now am thinking about asparagus.....yum!

Hope everyone else is enjoying these spring like days even if the weather is seemingly due to turn in the next few days...


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello

Claire I'm so with you on the longing for spring front - this winter has been very hard!    In fact just some sunshine would be nice!  We had about an hour of it yesterday last afternoon, and that is the first in weeks, and now it's overcast again, but they are forcasting cold and sunny for later in the week.

I tidied up all the perenials in the garden yesterday, and pruned the apple trees (no idea whether I did it right, but I've tried reading books and they just make me more confused   )  I'm planning on planting some celeriac, kohlrabi and brussel sprouts inside in a tray this week as it says 'feb-mar' on the packet.

I like the idea of using a bulb planter for potatoes!  We don't do potatoes at the moment due to lack of space and a really excellent greengrocers, but I've helped with my mum's ones in the past, and that does sound like an excellent labour-saving trick!

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Evening all

Just thought I'd pop on and say Hi.  My dad came to visit today and brought me up some strawberry, rhubarb and jerusalem artechoke plants!    I've so much to plant when I finally manage to get to the allotment it'll be fab!!  Weather's been awful here this weekend.  I've still not booked any time off work - we're moving offices at the end of the month from nice office with tonnes of parking to city center high rise office, so thought I'd wait to take my leave for after we've moved!    Also my manager said he'd extend the amount I'm officially allowed to carry over as I've a big piece of work, so I think he'd rather me in the office.  Don't mind so much, can take time at end of month in time for potatoes to go in and do the rest in early April.  

Has anyone grown the Anya potatoes?  I've got to chit them and there are far more in the bag than I imagined, not sure how many potatoes each little potato might produce - not sure if I should plant the whole bag or if that'll mean I'll be eating these potatoes still by the time the Olympics are here.  

Have any of you been busy.. I rely on you all to let me know what I should be doing.  

Oh, before I forget - do any of you have blueberry bushes?  I bought one the other week and we also bought MIL one too.  She's now been told that you need more than one for pollination, otherwise we won't get fruit.  Do any of you know if this is right - I'd not heard that before and there was nothing on the label.  There was an offer in the paper last weekend which was good,  if we do need another plant, I might order a few. 

Happy digging!

C
x


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## kat79 (Feb 9, 2009)

Hi!

No idea about anya's or blueberries - sorry! And can I add pink fir apples to the questions - do these little potatoes produce lots?

Bought some garlic to plant this weekend, and the rhubarb I put in is sprouting leaves already! Can almost see it growing - am sure it's a triffid now not a regular plant....! Does anyone know if I should be covering the rhubarb? FIL says I should (but didn't say what with) and mum never bothers with hers, but said I could put a pot on it and force it...? Confused now!

Kat


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

Well the allotment I went to see was the one I thought it was, it had 4 trees on it, some house windows and a whole heap of brambles, on top of that because its been so over grown for so long people next door have encroached on it so its not ass big as it should be. I have turned it down in favour of some new allotments that are coming up hopefully at the beginning of April,

My tomatoes and cucumbers are doing well and Ive planted some salad leaves, some chervil, parsley, basil and peppers too.


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Kat - I'm in the peak district, and my rubarb is still in pots and survived without covering, all winter (and we've had 6 weeks of snow already this year).  And I was in Cambridgeshire this weekend and went to a national trust garden and their rubarb was coming up (as you say, very triffid like   ) and not covered.  I should think you should be fine in Dorset based on that.  If you did want to cover it I would say straw.

Jx


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

Our rhubarb is uncovered, always has been, probably always will, frost and cold-wise, rhubarb will survive pretty much anything  thankfully 
Ours is sprouting a million leaves too, we've chucked some manure on it and its grown right through that and is still carrying on 
If you put a bucket or upturned dustbin on rhubarb before it gets going then you can 'force' it, making it grow with no light, very quickly, with very little leaf and a lot of pink stem. Apparently its sweeter and nicer that way. I prefer it traditional... grown all on its own 

Anyway, I went down to our allotment last thursday to find it a bit of a swamp, the bean trench is a bean pond, and the mud is well... muddy! lovely Derbyshire clay  we had lots of rain and three lots of snow in the past week.. its not going to be getting better yet. Sadly I have loads of digging still to do 

ho hum... i'll try again soon...


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

And more rain today ...    I always find that however much the books say you can get organised in March, in practice everything happens in a panic in mid-April when it's finally warm and dry enough (fingers very crossed as right now it's hard to believe it ever will be)

Having said that, I really could do with getting some brassicas planted indoors some time soon.

Hopeful sign of the day in my garden:  the blackcurrant buds are starting to burst  

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Hello all

I hope you've all had some share in this lovely spring weather and have been able to get out on your little plots.   We managed a trip down to the allotment yesterday - our first in a couple of months.  Thankfully I think the snow and frost has kept the weeds down and even managed to break up some of the soil for us.  We planted all our rhubarb - we've left it uncovered, some jerusalem artechokes, some asparagus, 2 gooseberry bushes and the first of our onion sets (although I think I may have planted them too deep). We also prepared a bed ready for our potatoes.   

We saw the people whose car got damaged (apparently) by our shed roof and they didn't talk to us.    Obviously it's good in that they're not chasing after us paying for the damage, we did offer etc so we were fully prepared but it's nice all the same not to have to pay, however they were really nice people and it will be a shame to lose our allotment friends.  

Anyway, it was soooo nice to be down there.  It's amazing how quickly time flies when you're there and having fun, we only popped down for.  Slightly aching today, but well worth it.  

I've still got to do something with all the strawberries that my dad brought up and we've got some globe artechokes to plant.  The cabbage seeds and garlic that I planted the other week are sprouting, but nothing else is showing any signs yet.  

Love
C
x


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

well girls after being offered a plot that was so overgrown it required a tree surgeon and a jcb, Ive now been offered a plot that an old guy has just given up. Ive jumped at it. 

Its already got 3 rows of canes on it, no idea what they might be, and two beds of strawberries. Its got a storage area with loads of carpet in it and a shed yet to be explored. 

I get my tenancy gagreement this week and then have to go and collect the key. 

Ive gone out and bought 2 lots of main crop spuds and one lot of 1st earlies, more onion sets, ive already got some in the garden. Ive also got some asparagus and some horseradish. Not to mention the oodles of seeds ive bought.

Ive got 4 indoor cucumbers alredy come up and about 25 tomato plants of various varieties.


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

wow  you lot a really  doing  well.  I've been itching to get out in garden this weekend, but  my af cramps have  been nasty . Hope to get a chance in the  week. 

Anyone know how to  give  apple and pear  trees a boost?  I've had  my 'minarettes' (sp?)  trees  with  v short  branches  for a couple of years,and the  fruit on the apples  is  always small and  sickly lookng, and the pear  doesnt  fruit. Was told when I bought the pear tree , that  it  didnt need a scond one to pollenate it , but I' thinking  that  was a lie  

luv  sue


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello

One thing I'd definitely recommend is perpetual spinach (you pick it and it grows more leaves) ... we've just had our second crop of the year.  I find that in my garden it doesn't grow fast enough in November to mid-March as too cold, but it's worth planting under long cloches in October as there is usually space and by this time of year we just two metre long rows producing two portions a week already.  Spinach is quite expensive to buy so I think it's definitely worth it!  I keep the cloches on all year round to keep the cats off (!)

Hope you are all enjoying the summer weather!

Jx


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Just in case anyone hasn't seen this week's Gardener's World, the BBC are doing a veg growing campaign and giving away a set of 5 packets of veg seeds..

www.bbc.co.uk/digin

Hope everyone is doing well.  We've managed to spend a few hours down the 'soil'.  DH has gone down quite a few evenings now it's lighter to try and put some structure to it all and break up the soil.  Not much more planted yet - a few raspberry canes and a blackcurrant bush (which is not looking too healthy) and a redcurrant bush.  I finally booked some annual leave from work, and was hoping to spend a day down there on Tuesday, but weather isn't looking too promising.  Planted lots of seeds in the back garden and so far they're doing OK - only the courgettes that haven't sprouted yet.

Claire
x


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

OO we let this thread drop a bit!!

How's the growing going ladies?

Our allotment is fruiting nicely (apart from the peas   ) 
we've had rhubarb, loganberries, raspberries, strawbs, goosegogs, blackcurrants, redcurrants, potatoes, onions, peas ( ), carrots, lettuce, radish, beetroot, pak choi... erm.. probably more!!

the beans are thinking about it, the swedes are hiding in the docks and the spring onions are finally making an effort!!!

xx


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

Our lottie is work in progress in fact we have no choice to get the weedkiller out this weekend as they did cultivation surveys on our lottie and the bottom half our plot has failed, despite being told the lottie as a whole passed without further cultivation than when we tookl it on. 

WEve had over 60lb of frut, raspberrys, golden raspberrys, strawberrys and whitecurrants. also goosegogs. Weve had our first spuds with loads more to go. we are inundated wiht courgettes, no one told me before i planted so many seeds that a plant would feed a fmily of 4 and ive got 15 plants!

growing we still have courgettes, cabbages, brussels, KAle, shallots, onions and celeriac. WE also have plum and apple trees.

In the garden we have loads of tomatoes, runner beans, and carrots.


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

15 plants    

and i thought i was overdoing it with 7


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

Em - Its a lesson learned thats for sure. I could feed our road of 11 houses and thier extended familys. You cant freeze the damn things either


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

you can pickle them i think! well, ok chutney http://www.allotments-uk.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2484

grate them, mix them with onion and chick pea/gram flour and spices and deep fry to make bhajis!

umm... i'll have a look in one of my books that has solutions for gluts too, i'll be back later 

xx


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

Hi Ho
May I join again?
Don't have an allotment but more and more of our garden is being taken up with fruit and veg growing.
We're currently exploring the possiblity of a little poly tunnel thing to replace our large old shed that's gradually imploding!
This year we're growing: plums, kiwi, strawberries (had loads this year), blueberries, blackberries
and
New and main crop pots, onions, garlic, (planted before Christmas in large pot, got about 15 okayish bulbs) carrots, peas, celeriac, sweetcorn, toms, lettuce, cucumbers
I think that's it.
I'm so proud of our garden this year - we've grown stuff on and off for a few years but this is the first year we've been a bit more serious about it all and it looks like it's paying off in terms of produce.

So - a question
My onions are already looking much bigger than previous years, proper sized onions. But some of the stalks have already bent over (some heavy rain did for them). Does this mean that the bulbs will stop swelling out cos some are still a bit small or do they keep growing even with the stalk (leaves) bent over?

Hmm?

Poll

Oh - btw, I have frozen courgettes in the past fairly successfully. I sliced them and open froze them and then bagged them up. You can only really use them (from frozen) in things like ratatouille but it's pretty effective I found.


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

brownowl23 said:


> we are inundated wiht courgettes, no one told me before i planted so many seeds that a plant would feed a fmily of 4 and ive got 15 plants!


Wish I had your problem with courgettes. I love them. The first year I had a garden, I planted 19 courgette plants, but only 13 survived. I went on 2 week holiday, to come back to 2 large courgettes, and 5 little ones. I have about 6 plants this year, and I have only had 3 courgettes so far, only one was reasonable size!

My question is why isn't my Kohl Rabi bulbing up. Is is too early and am I too impatient. I sure last year, the 6 test plants I grew, were harvested and eaten by this time.

Thanks for your help,

Lorna


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

Help , something is eating my indoor basil, and its not ME! 

It seems to be some little green caterpillars, I'm tempted to  let them  eat my plant , and watch them pupate then hatch into butterflies (or  moths , knowing my luck   )

What  do you think?

Will try to post some pictures , incase anyone knows  what type they are .

Luv sue


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Yay!! We're back!!

We've not had much of a chance to get down the allotment with all this rain, but I think we've done quite well all the same.  We were very lucky as our MIL house sat while we went on holiday. She's a bit of a perfectionist where gardening is concerned, so was in her element down our allotment.  She managed to erradicate nearly all our weeds!! Sadly she also seems to have dug up our asparagus crowns that were just beginning to sprout, but I can't complain really.  

It's been a mixed year this year.  We didn't do very well with the seeds and seedlings that we potted in the garden.  Last year almost every seed sprouted, this year hardly any.  So, in the end we just used up what seeds we had left and planted direct in the soil where we had much better success.  Our Dig In beetroot and carrot seeds that we planted, have done really well.  Strangely enough I got a second set of seeds sent to me the other week - all far too late for this year so hoping they'll all last for next year.

Our best crops so far have been potatoes.  We planted two lots, Anya and a main crop that I can't remember,   but they've done really well - and the main crop are huge - one potato would feed a feast!  Beetroot have also done well again, although I think they've got too big so might not be at their best now.  We've been really lucky as we've so far managed to avoid the plague of caterpillars that we had last year - so much so we haven't bothered netting this year (cursed it now!)

Courgettes were my biggest disappointment - only one seed germinated and it's a weak plant, not sure if I'll get any good fruit from it.  I ended up buying 2 plants which have done OK and I'm getting a courgette about every 2-3 days which is ideal for us.  I'm not sure on our garlic either.  I've lifted a couple and the bulb has swollen, but doesn't seem to have split so I've got the equivalent of one HUGE clove.

Lorna - Our Kohl Rabi seemed to be 'stems' for ages and then suddenly swelled up.  We harvested our first lot a week or so ago, they were quite small, but were so keen to try them for the first time - I'm sure we should/could have left them in a bit longer.  We're on our second planting now and they're still in the unswelled state.  

Poll - Not sure about your onion query.  I'd have guessed they'd continue to swell as they're a 'root', but not sure.  We pulled all ours up a few weeks ago, probably a bit early, but I'm not keen on huge onions. I'm not sure we dried them out properly either, but that doesn't seem to have done any harm.  We eat so many onions we'll have got through our harvest in a week or so - definitely need to grow more next year.  We've got a similar query over our Jerusalem Artichoke - they're about 6ft high now but have got battered by the winds and some have 'snapped' at the base, not sure if that means the root artichoke will stop growing?

As for fruit - not the best year.  Very little to be honest, I'm hoping it's because its the plants first year and they're just settling in.  One thing we have done really well with is rhubarb.  My dad gave me 7 plants and I bought 3 from Marshalls and they've all taken (although my dad's are doing better than Marshalls).  I did read that you shouldn't harvest anything from rhubarb in its first year, but not sure if that would apply to the lot my dad gave me.  He simply uplifted it from his plot (when it was dormant), gave it to me where I replanted it.  Do you think I'd be able to harvest??  Not doing great on Toms either - plants look healthy, but the fruits aren't turning red.  Think we may have planted them too close together at the allotment but same is happening at home.

Sue - No idea on your caterpillar.  It looks like a common one, but definitely not a cabbage white.  

One final query from me - do all pepper plants produce peppers which change from green to yellow/orange/red??  I've a couple on my widowsill, and they've produced green peppers but not sure if they're going to change colour.  Don't want to pick them if they are.

Love
C
x


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

Hi Claire
Thanks for your answer re onions - they do seem to have continued to get bigger - I'm going to pull them the next dry day so we can dry them out properly. We've got about 50 so that should last us a good while. I string them up and hang them in the garage.

I'd leave your rhubarb if I was you Claire - my SiL (big veg grower) was telling me that it shouldn't be harvested after the end of July to save the plant. We've already been eating our rhubarb for months and months - we've had about 14lbs or more from one plant - which is great cos I love it!

We planted our garlic before Christmas in a huge pot and it's great - not massive bulbs, but definitely bulbs with cloves! Quite proud really.
We've had loads of strawberries this year too and have two blueberrie bushes that have been doing pretty well for our first year (my DD keeps sneaking them straight from the bush!) Carrots are fab too - best we've ever grown. THink our sweetcorn was too late though - it's only about three feet tall and is flowering - I'm sure it was bigger by this time when we did it before.

Anyway - nice to be meeting everyone. 

Poll
PS My SiL is growing Kohl rabi - what does it taste like and how do you cook it?


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Poll - Kohl Rabi tastes a bit like swede, a bit like turnip and a bit like cabbage.  I think it's yummy as I love all of those veg.  It's also very easy to grow. I'm sure there are lots of ways to cook it, but so far I've only boiled it.


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

Hmm - you're not really selling it to me!
I do like swede sometimes and I like cabbage though I'm alone on that one but for me turnips are just 'orrible!

Still - I like the way they look - very weird!

Poll


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## Pol (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello

Haven't been on this thread for ages so have just been catching up ...

Kohl rabi - I'm a real fan!  It can be eaten raw / grated as a salad, or I tend to lightly steam it so it's still crunchy.  In Germany they eat it lots usually in a white sauce.  It's easy-ish to grow and mine have done well this year, although some of them are a funny shape because they split in the dry weather we had early on - but they're still fine.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had trouble germinating things!  I put it down to the cold!!  It took me several goes to get the beans going and two lots of squash seeds gave 2 weedy plants that died before I could even transplant them.  In the past squashes have been my best crop!  Also some cucumber plants are very mixed (bought them as plants though).  The sweet potatos did fine indoors but since I've put them out have hardly grown.  Definitely not the mass of growth with blue flowers I was promised.  And I can't get swedes past the snails however vigilant I am sadly. And the tomatoes are producing a bit but look ill.  Again I think it was too cold early on.

On the success side 
- the broad beans did brilliantly (I plant them in November under long cloches so you get an early and fairly disease resistant crop)
- the problems I had with the beans mean that they are just coming in to their own now as the broad beans finish so actually that's good
- kohl rabi have been great but I wish more had germinated - less than half did.
- rocket - first lot did brilliantly, second lot hasn't really grown - am going to try some more under cloches again this time
- lettuces (little gem) have had a few really good ones but they haven't really hearted up
- jerusalem artichokes - no idea what's going on under the ground but they're over 6 ft now so quite spectacular.  NB I discovered the hard way that you MUST stake them - some snapped off in one of the many thunder storms - they have a sort of joint right at the bottom of the stalk that is quite brittle.
- everlasting spinach - has been great - I'm a real fan as it's so easy!
- fruit: brilliant red currants (6 lbs from one bush - we've made a couple of gallons of wine as I still have oodles of redcurrant jelly from last year), raspberries coming out of our ears (guess what everyone is getting as presents this year ...!) and satisfactory goosberries and blackcurrants for the first year since I planted them.  Strawberries disappointing - hardly and flowers - think it was too cold. Damson tree is in the process of producing damsons for the first year since planting.  two of the three apple trees are laden, the other one didn't flower much and has one loan apple on it, but last year it was the other way round.  I find it very hard indeed to keep my apple and damson trees looking healthy - they seem to need enormous amounts of spraying, to very little effect.  May have to try non-organic next year ...  

As I write this I can see the cabbage whites circleing my brussle sprouts that haven't been netted - oh well!!  I'm afraid I'm not a perfectionist gardener - just do my best, and we do eat at least one portion of veg out of the garden every day all summer, usually two, so I guess that's got to be saving some money!

Jx


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

on the lottie

Weve had over 60lb of fruit off the strawberries raspberries and golden raspberries. about 15lb fruit off the white currants. not bad for bushes that have had no TLC. Mad jam out of all the berries and sorbet from the rasberries strawberries and whoitecurrants 3 big tubs of sorbet.
LOads of gooseberries (not bad when you couldnt actually see the bushes under the weeds) 
We lost our blackcurrants to the birds at least we think it as birds.

Weve had a good crop of early potatoes, and our mains look good too. Weve had oodles fo courgettes and ive made courgette chutney. 

Our plum tree haas tons of fruit on, so far weve picked 18lb, with loads and loads more to come, the 18lb didnt even make the tree looked like we had picked any, so that will give you an idea of how much friuts on it.

weve got kale cabbage, celeriac, shallots and onions still growing

OH and we have an apple tree that is loaded and 3 grape vines with grapes on providing some s*d doesnt nick them


IN the garden - 

weve got more  courgette. Ive got my second patty pan growing now and my first butternut squash. Weve got runner beans that I am freezing at a bag a day at least. ive got loads of tomatoes, and some carrots. 

Back down the lottie tonight to see how much of a courgette glut ive got today. 


So far for Xmas everyone is getting , a jar each of strawberry jam, raspberry jam, plum jam and courgette chutney.


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## pollttc (Nov 18, 2004)

Sounds like varying results for some and lots of ggod results too!

I've just harvested about 50 onions which are really looking good. Trouble is, I usually dry them outside but had to do an emergency dash - I thought we were set for a spell of good weather - clear blue sky etc - followed five minutes after I'd lifted them by rain! So now we have them spread out in our sun room to dry!

We only planted a teeny weeny plum tree at the back end of last year and so we've had seven plums - but hey, they were delicious and D really loves the idea of picking them straight from the tree!
Our apple tree has been a disaster - didn't get any as I didn't realise and didn't spray it or other similar tlc and all the mini applets fell off! Hmm! Celeriac looking good - also was given a load of celery seedlings which I've planted but have no idea what to do with!

Anyway - enjoy your produce!

Polll


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## Lorna (Apr 8, 2004)

clairelh  - thanks for the information on Kohl Rabi.  I guess I will have to be a bit more patient.

This year I was very late planting anything.  I garden on top of a hill.  In East Anglia, any bump over 50 ft is a hill.  My garden gets a lot of wind, and is probably a fraction colder than other gardens, so everything is a little bit later.  So may be, I have to wait a little longer for things to happen.  And patience isn’t my strong point.  I planted the seed yesterday, why isn’t it a fully grown plant today!

clairelh  - do all pepper plants produce peppers which change from green to yellow/orange/red?
Well the one time I got peppers to grow, my peppers started green, and changed to red.  Meanwhile the slugs ate them.....

pollttc - for Kohl Rabi, I pull off the outer leaves, peal it.  Like taking the skin off a turnip.  I cut it into pieces, and steam for a few minutes.  I think it tastes like a very mild broccoli.  I love it. Wish it would start bublbing up.

One thing I do is try to do, is grow one new thing, each year.  Last year, I grew 6 Kohl Rabi plants and loved them so much, I planted lots more this year.  This year its sweet potatoes.  If the new thing works, I grow more the following year, and if it doesn’t, well it was an interesting experiment.    


Pol - I had trouble with things not germinating, and so did other gardeners I spoke to. I wonder if there was something up with last year's crop, which didn’t make very good seed.  One of the reasons I was so late planting, was that I started what I thought was enough seed.  Little came up, so I had to plant more seeds.  Next year I am going to buy lots of seeds, and plant whole packets.  I will probably end up with too many.  But this year, I was buying plants, and the cost of extra seed packets, would be negligible compared to the cost of the plants I have bought.  .

Clairelh - Strangely enough I got a second set of seeds sent to me the other week - all far too late for this year so hoping they'll all last for next year. 

I read a lot of survival / prep BBs.  For them, when the end of the world happens, and we all have to go back to growing our own food, then we had better know how to garden.  So there are loads of tips, ideas, suggestions, other people's experience with gardening on these type of boards.  But one of the other things they say, you must do - I just love it when someone tells me I have to do something, something makes me want to rebel. Anyway, you must have some seed stored.  From this I found out most seeds are good for 3-5 years after you buy them.  The germination rates will be nearly as good.  The exceptions are parsnip seeds, and seeds from the onion family, which are best bought, new every year.  If I remember rightly, lettuce seeds are good for 7 years, if stored in a cool, dry environment.  Just look at wheat from the pyramids, it still germinated after thousands of years.  Not suggesting you keep your seeds that long.

So this year, when Thompson and Morgan, had a 50% off all seeds, I bought loads of seeds for next year.

What I need now is some hot sunny windless days, and then my garden will go whoosh.  Anyone, any idea when that will happen?

Lorna


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

this is the first year I've had a basic veggie patch in the garden, got some carrots, parsnips and spring onions that should be ready next month, had a couple of strawberry plants but as it was their first year got no fruit off them but the did produce lots of  good runners that I have planted ready for next year.


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## Susan01 (Aug 12, 2009)

I'm a keen veggie grower, and my sweetcorn and tomatoes have been real stars this year - even in the far northern reaches of Cumbria. We've been doing an excellent line in oven dried tomatoes - delicious through the winter.


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## indekiwi (Dec 23, 2008)

Susan01, I'd love to know more about oven drying tomatoes...what preparation is required, oven temperature, how long are they baked for, how do you keep them later, how long do they last (without being eaten that is!).

A-Mx


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

well one thing i have learned, never grow carrots and parsnips in a container then transplant them into the veggie beds, they were a disaster. Best ones were the carrots seeds i planted directly into the veggie bed. Spring onions are really good, very happy with them. 

Got lots of strawberry plants now that have rooted in, just wondering if there is anything I need to do to them so they survive the winter weather when it arrives.


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## Susan01 (Aug 12, 2009)

Really easy to dry tomatoes - in a very low oven for several hours until they look dried out. Then you can keep them in oil. My very domesticated husband tends to do it, and uses a recipe from Nigella's Express book (thankfully not the Domestic Godess book- I'd be very concerned about being married to a domestic godess....).

I've made the mistake before of trying to transplant carrots and ended up with some very strangely shaped, horizontally growing things. My best ones were the ones I planted under a fleece cloche in February.

My strawberry plants have always survived the winter without any tlc - but I can be a bit haphazzard with my gardening so that's probably luck!


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

Does anyone know if  can plant anything now ? 
I tend to plant and harvest in summer , then forget to plant anything to harvest 
next year?

Never planted now for next year,  so any instructions  would be  great  too  

Luv sue


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

I'd also be interested to know what I could plant now that would be ready to harvest in the spring


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

I've just put some overwintering onions in.

Apparently broadbeans can be sown now for an early crop, never tried it myself though...


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## indekiwi (Dec 23, 2008)

Onions, garlic, winter cabbage can all go in now!

A-Mx


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

ive just planted winter onions and garlic. Oh and Xmas potatoes but your too late for them they needed to be in by end of August and mine arent doing too well


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## fairywings (Feb 19, 2009)

Hi all!

I can't seen to find a gardening thread, so hope you don't mind me asking on here for some advice?   I was just wondering if anyone knew how far to cut back lavendar bushes and hotspurs that run dowm my front garden path? I planted them two years ago after the old lavendar got really woody and wooley! Just want to clear it all back for the winter and also so I can get my winter bedding plants insitu! Also does anyone know if I should be cutting dead flower heads off hydrangeas (spelling?)? Read somewhere that it may mean no flower heads next year?   

Sorry if in wrong place, but any advice much appreciated as went out and got some bedding plants today so want to get them in asap after clearing up first! 

Thank you!! Happy planting, pruning and harvesting!!!   

Love fairywings xxx


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

fairywings, i'm quite vicious when it comes to cutting back lavender, I've chopped off the main bit of it but will give it another good cut with the hedgetrimmers soon, the plants seem to grow even bigger the following years


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## fairywings (Feb 19, 2009)

HippyChicky,

Thanks hun! Think I will give them a very good haircut then!   I have been waiting for the lavendar heads to die off, so from what you say, I am still ok to do a heavy pruning session then.   

Love fairywings xxx


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

fairywings said:


> HippyChicky,
> 
> Thanks hun! Think I will give them a very good haircut then!  I have been waiting for the lavendar heads to die off, so from what you say, I am still ok to do a heavy pruning session then.
> 
> Love fairywings xxx


I would definitely do them soon, they are very hardy plants and mine seem to have survived all sorts of weather


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

I thought I'd quickly bump us up as it's the start of the seed sowing season.  

We went to the garden centre today to buy some seed compost.  We had such a rubbish year with our seeds last year, using our own compost and multi-purpose, we thought we'd try the seed stuff this year.  Have you all decided on what you're growing this year?  I think we're keeping it simple this year and just sticking to the things we eat lots of - potatoes, onions, carrots, I'm hoping for some purple sprouting broccoli and all the usual fruit and veg plants (salads, tomatoes).  Don't think we're going to try anything unusual or different this year.  We had such a crop of Jerusalem artichoke last year and then none of us liked it!!  

Now we just need the weather to get ourselves down to the allotment.  DH and I booked a week off work the other week to go down there and see how things were and it snowed again!!  Tomorrow's looking to be nice so we may have a visit then.

C
x


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

Well ive been down the lottie diggingHowever when I went last monday it was like mud soup, its so waterlogged.

The guy next to us has put all his spuds and onions in and I think they will just rot. 

Ive got a few spuds in a sack currently in the porch till it warms enough outside. I hope to get down there perhaps tomorrow if not monday and weds afternoons when the boys are at nursery

Dh has been off as he was made redundant and we had great plans to get loads done on the lottie but the weather has been so pants we havent been able to.


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

I'm thinking I might add some sand to our veggie beds this year, might help with drainage, plus I think carrots like sandy soil


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

We certainly don't have sandy soil and we've done really well with carrots.  DH has been reading up on soils and composting over the winter, so he's got ideas of having the perfect growing soil for our veggies.. we'll see.  Saying all that, we've got a few bags of used play sand to dig in this year to help as once it's rained on our plots it cakes around your boots.

I'm a bit of a traditionalist and won't put my spuds in before St Patrick's Day - although saying that, there's no way they'll be going in so early this year.  I distinctly remember putting them in last year and it was a lovely day.  Are you all chitting your spuds or just putting them in?


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

Oh our spuds are sitting chitting nicely. Who knows when we will get them in though. Weve got leeks, tomatos basil oregano and peppers in seed trays comig along nicely.

Mind I hate going into the shed in the garden at the minute as a family of vermin have taken up residence. Hate to sa we have been giving them gourmet meals. Shed needs replacing and I hate to think about findding their carcasses when we clear it out.


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## em3978 (May 24, 2007)

I've been down at my plot sowing seeds already! WOOO!!!!
ok, they're under a mini poly tunnel, but i did the same last year and got a wonderfully early crop of pak choi and radishes  I've put in some kohl rabi, lettuce and mustard greens too  we'll see what happens!

My onions, shallots and garlic have been in since november and seem to have survived the snow/frost/rain so far. I've decided not to do potatoes this year, we don't eat that many of them and last years crop was just so poo that i can't be bothered! 

We have pure clay soil (so much so that the site was originally a brickworks with clay pits!) so we only dig to one spade-depth and have to add LOTS of sand for carrots and parsnips. They did grow excellently last year though and I'm still harvesting the parsnips 

xx


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

How are the veggies coming along ..I have a glut of courgettes..tiny baby green tomatoes coming.. aubergine plant gone huge with lovely flowers.. peppers with flowers starting .. a pumpkin thats gone mad in a week spreading half way across my garden..not so successful are the carrots because they were shaded by other leafy veg so think I will plant some more and beetroot look a bit spindly lettuce and radishes did well


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

I was thinking about this thread and wondering how people were getting on. 

Over the past few months DH has built lots of raised beds for our patio so we have salad and veg on tap!  The allotment is mostly potatoes, onions, fruit and sweetcorn - all of which doing well.  Cabbages etc eaten as usual, but not by caterpillars, no idea what as we can't spot what it is but they've had a feast!  Our rhubarb has been a huge success with armfuls being carried home every week.   


At home we have tonnes of courgettes - after last year's disaster we're also having a glut.  We've also got a huge bed with some broccoli.  Tomatoes are very bushy, but the flowers are taking a very long time turning into fruit.  Our fruit trees had some lovely blossom but little fruit too.    Our carrot plants seem to have tonnes of foliage, not sure if this is going to turn into a problem or not.  Our salad has just been fantastic - what's more we didn't buy a single seed!  We got some from the Dig It seeds and Lakeland Limited were giving a packet away with their gardening catalogue, so we've had free salad all summer!    Oh and I forgot to mention the beetroot (leaves also adding to the salad choice!).


We tried growing aubergine and pepper plants, but they've not done that well - started out well, but slowed to an almost stop.  We've got some leaf cutter bees who have set up a home in one of our pots so no idea if we'll ever be able to do anything with the plant for fear of an invasion!   


DH has been experimenting with burdock and horseradish this year.  No idea what he plans to do with the burdock!    That's the limit on our unusual veg though.  We wanted to play safe this year.


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

so far weve had spuds, and have loads more to come. we are just beginning with the courgettes, hopefuly not the glut of last year. ive just picked some mangetout, runner beans are coming long as are carrots, parsnips, sweetcorn, and onions . Our pumkin is not doing so well. 

were also munching through, raspberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants (made some nice wwhitecurrant sorbet) and gooseberries.

The tomatoes ive got are doing well with loads of toms coming along, im really looking forward to those as ive got some many unusual varieties this year. 


Got cabages to go in hopefully next week and some celery too. 

Oh and had loads of salad and not had to buy any seeds either.


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## wouldloveababycat (Mar 21, 2004)

Sounds really good .. am envious of the fruit I am going to grow more fruit next year as my neighbour who doesn't use her postage stamp garden said I can use her's it is actually right behind mine so will be easy enough to utitilise and easier on the joints than managing a whole allotment which I found too much :-( I too have done well with the rhubarb ..I love rhubarb.. my potatoes were a disaster really as although just new ones (charlotte) I didn't put them in a deep enough container so as lovely as they were there were only enough for about 3 meals lol ..so have learnt from that for next year.. has anyone else grown potatoes in containers ? and what containers have you found best ?

With beetroot ..can you cut off all the leaves then for salad? would they regrow and the beet still grow? bit dim when it comes to beetroot..mind you most of it is new to me so pleased with what has grown so far seeing as I am a virgin grower really


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## clairelh1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Wouldloveababycat - The best containers I've found for spuds are... old compost bags!  Not the most sightly but if you use them in exactly the same way as a potato gro-bag they're just as effective.  When you next buy compost, open it from the top as if you would any food packet, then you've got one big sack.  Leave about a quarter of soil left in it, and add your potato seeds, then as the plant grows, simply put more soil on top to encourage more potatoes to grow (you can start with the sack rolled down a bit to make sure the plant gets some light and then roll it up as you go along).   

Not sure about the beetroot leaves.  We've got some growing on the patio in one of DH's huge home made boxes and I simply took a few baby leaves each time I needed them.  That way no plant was ever without any leaves - they're all growing really well now.  I would imagine they'd need some leaves left as that's how they get their light etc much like any plant.

We're starting to harvest our potatoes which are yummy (we've grown some reds this year) and the onions are almost there.  Salad is still going strong and our spring onions are delicious, which given that I'm not a huge fan of any raw onion is something indeed!  Wish we'd grown more - do you think I've time to sow more seeds?  Tomatoes have some fruit now, but still v small and v green.  We've also got some strange flower on some of our tomato plants - it's like a dandelion flower at the top of the plant.  It's on our yellow toms plants, but I've never seen this before, anyone any idea?  Peas are slowly coming through, but not a huge amount of pods.  Absolutely nothing on my dwarf french bean plants though (the ones from the Dig It seeds).  Really healthy looking plants, just no beans.

I heard on the news this morning that it's going to be a bad year for broccoli because of the heat.  Our plants are looking OK, so wonder if we've still a problem to face (or maybe for once advantaged for being a bit further up the country!)


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## ~ Chux ~ (Apr 8, 2003)

Hi all,

I haven't posted here before as I am a beginner in the gardening stakes, but not doing too badly............so far!! We've had tons of tomatoes, only a few courgettes (not a problem as no one likes them ), spring onions, beetroot, lettuce, radishes, onions, loads of green beans, carrots, strawberries, various herbs, have a mini pepper plant or three, but my problem is pumpkins! The pumpkin plant is HUGE, probably 9/10' and has a fair few pumpkins on there, but I've had it tied up on canes. Now common sense tells me that as the pumpkins grow (we already have a fairly large one) the stem/canes aren't going to hold the weight of it. Someone told me I should trail it along the ground, but how do I stop the pumpkins getting eaten or rotting??

Chux xx


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

chu

put either old carpet or smothing under you pumpkins thta are on the ground and slug pellet around them. also the more pumpkins you have on a plant the smaller they will be. if you want a biggie or two select the best and remove the rest.

weve got alot of tomatoes, just had my first black tomato. weve got lots of courgettes, som beans coming through, potatoes, carrots, strawberries, raspberries, whitecurrants, blackcurrants, blackberries, onions, lettuce, 

still to come parsnips, sweetcorn, beetroot, celery, pumpkin, leeks, all types of cabbage.


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## daxcat (Apr 27, 2010)

Hi everyone, just spotted this thread. We've devoted most of our garden to veg and for the first time in the 3 years we've been doing it are having a good growing year! The loganberries, blackcurrents and strawberries are dying off now but the blackberries and grapes are going nuts!
Our courgettes (yellow) have done amazingly well, I don't think we've had a meal that didn't involve courgettes for months now!!! Other veg - lettuce, celeriac, swede, rainbow chard, couloured cauliflower, celery, radish, broad beans, beetroot, broccoli, brussels, globe artichoke, asparagus, chillis and cucumbers.
We also have olive trees, clemantines, lemon, pommegranates, cherries, apples and 3 fig trees that are producing like crazy.
Add ourherb area which includes the rhubarb and it takes me about an hour a day to water. It's worth it though when you taste the difference in the food!!

We decided not to try potatos and tomatos this year as we suffer very badly with blight even though we buy the resistant varieties. 
Any suggestions how to beat the blight?
Shelley.


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## ~ Chux ~ (Apr 8, 2003)

brownowl23 said:


> put either old carpet or smothing under you pumpkins thta are on the ground and slug pellet around them. also the more pumpkins you have on a plant the smaller they will be. if you want a biggie or two select the best and remove the rest.


Excellent, thank you, especially the hint about removing a few as there are a lot on there at the moment. I have a bit of carpet in ds's room on top of the wardrobe that I didn't know what to do with so it has just found a use.  

Chux xx


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

hi all

I've  finally got the end of the garden cleared and  would really love  some  blackberry  and raspberry  bushes  down there . Please  can anyone  tell me how to go about it ? My pg brain is stopping me from taking anything in at teh mo 
rofl

Luv sue


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## daxcat (Apr 27, 2010)

Sue - one word of advice, go for the thornless blackberries - they're a godsend!!! Also I wouldn't go too mad putting in raspberries, we put in loads only to discover they perpetuate like theres no tommorow and we now spend most autumns and summers trying to get rid of all the ones that are growing everywhere!!!
Congratulations on your pregnancy. XXX


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

Sue 

I totally agree on the thornless blackberries. I sadly dont have an issue with my raspberries multiplying that much and am abou t to add to my raspberry canes. 

Chris


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## HippyChicky (Aug 3, 2009)

well my parsnips and carrots were a disaster this year, the strawberries were amazing and a lot of the runners have rooted themselves into the patch so should have a really good crop next year. I think the onions will be a success. What could i plant now for winter/early spring picking ?


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## suedulux (May 27, 2006)

aww  thanks  for  that  advise ladies  thornless  it is.  we have concrete around the bed I was thinking of, so  not sure if the  raspberries would spread much?  When is the best time to plant them? I had money for my birthday so have the cash when needed .

Luv sue


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## daxcat (Apr 27, 2010)

Anyone else sick to death of courgettes?


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## Hales :) (Mar 26, 2010)

Hi all - just noticed this thread - I know it's not active, but thought I'd introduce myself - I've got an allotment, this year will be my second year - And yes, last year I got sick of courgettes (although made some lovely chutney).  

Has anyone actually started planting anything yet?


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## daxcat (Apr 27, 2010)

Hi Hales, I've not started planting yet but we got it all cleared last weekend and this weekend the manure is going down in the beds we don't use for root veg. Then we'll leave it a couple of weeks and rotovate it all - or at least DH will!   

I think my earliest planting will be my courgette seeds in a week or two but they'll be indoors for a while yet.


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## Hales :) (Mar 26, 2010)

I think we're going to give courgettes a miss this year we were so sick of them last! 
I've not done a fat lot yet, really need to start chitting the potatoes however I used to do this in the room that is now decorated as our nursery, seems a shame to spuds on the windowsill! lol


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## brownowl23 (Jan 3, 2006)

ive got leeks going already and just planted my greenhouse toms. Ive dug some beds but im behind tis year. Ive got my potatoes chitting ready, and onion sets wating to go in. Ive stil got cabages and leeks and winter onions growing


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## daxcat (Apr 27, 2010)

I've given up on potatos, every year I put them in different places or pots and they still get blight. Any ideas?


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## MrsMaguire (May 25, 2009)

Dax - do you have them bags to put the potatoes into before you plant them. 

Whilst I was still living with J's Dad we had such a massive garden we made 4 plots for growing veg last year the potatoes were perfect. 

I ended up with quite a nice box of fresh veg from him when he was doing the harvesting, its amazing that people still do this, I think its definitely the best way and saves money.

The first year we went all out with the seeds from Marshalls I think, but my ex found that Wilko's did seeds and he yielded much better veg than ever before. But the first year you could argue that the ground wasn't all that grand. 

I'm also lucky that my ex gets animals for xmas, essentially a farmer rears them and then you get the products of slaughter. The only problem is that we got a really fatty pig one year so the fat was about 1 1/2 inches from the meat. I'd recommend doing it as part of a group or you'll be sick of the site of pork / lamb etc lol. 

If you have friends that would eat organic meat its def worth thinking about if you can find someone who will do it. I think the pig from birth till slaughter and butchery cost about £80 all in. That's enough meat till the next little piggy goes to market. Then a lamb was about £90, that was and is really luscious meat. I've not heard similar schemes being done for cows, I guess they're a little bit big. 

You need a big chest freezer, if you're really nice to the butcher then they'll cut it how you want. So in a few months I'll be getting a massive bag of stewing steak (both pork/lamb - not mixed though) and its great to defrost and put into stews, curries, chinese dishes etc. 

I remember my ex wanting to have chickens, but I'd heard you get a big problem with rats from them, so wasn't overly keen. But I remember from years ago its all about the igloo hen hutches. 

I'd try and get DH to do a veggie patch here, but with it being a brand new house the garden is tiny and the ground conditions aren't all that grand. 

xx


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## baby tears (Jan 18, 2011)

Hi,

Hope its OK to join. Ive been growing veg for the past few years. My husband & i don't have a garden so Ive been planting veg in fish boxes. Every thing has grown well except leeks.

I was so pleased last year as i got 3rd prize at my local agricultural show for my potatoes. Also got 2 third prizes for baking.

I grew the potatoes in grow bags. Daxcat may i suggest growing swift earlies,easy to grow & very yummy.

Hope to start planting seeds in the next few weeks weather permitting x


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## daxcat (Apr 27, 2010)

Thanks for the replies about the potatos, MrsMaguire - the meat sounds lovely, I wish we had something like that around here. My mum used to buy a whole lamb from the butchers and chop it up into bits but nowhere around here does that anymore.   

I've started planting up my cauliflower seeds although they failed dismally last year! They grew well but rotted just before being ready to harvest. I think it was the awful weather last year though to be fair!


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## lou29 (Dec 5, 2006)

My DH built me a small raised bed last year which we attempted a few things, we has some broccoli ( although the caterpillars enjoyed most of it) tomatoes ( which got badly diseased ) sweetcorn was a big hit, I stuck in 3 potatoes from the bottom of the sack that had sprouted they produced loads! Carrots which were tiny.... And spring onions which didn't do anything. Ah also peppers which my Mum gave me, they didn't do much either and courgettes in pots which were quite successful but I struggled to persuade the family to eat! I'm planning on trying peas this year. Think I'll avoid the broccoli and put something else in there although I'm not sure what yet... Any suggestions?  it'll need to be something easy cause This will be my second year veggy planting and I don't appear to be too successful so far!! 
Lou.


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## baby tears (Jan 18, 2011)

hi lou29,

I'm not sure what you can plant in the raised beds as I'm using fish boxes. so I'm limited to what i can grow. I came across a good web site last year SEED TO PLATE. You design your plot on the web site & they suggest what you can grow & they also send you the seeds etc that have been recommend. It has easy step by step instructions. It also asks you what you eat most IE salad,herbs etc & for you to put your favorite at the top & least favorite at the bottom of the list. Thought it was a good way of getting the most out of your veg plot with no waste
Hope this helps a little


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