Allotment is getting going

[featherstick]

Hi fellow veg growers

The allotment is in its third year after we took it over (it was a derelict, carpet-covered weedpatch) and it's getting into good heart.

We're taking swiss chard, onions, broad beans, lots of strawberries, radishes, peas, and a few ratty garlic (rust victims) off it now. We've got potatoes, squash, courgettes, fennel, lettuce, carrots, parsnips, leeks, and spring onions coming up. If I get the timing right, we'll have french beans after the spuds too.

All very satisfying, it's been a lot of work and a lot of planning, but it's paying off.

Oh, and we've got tomatoes and raspberries coming up in the garden. I'm very pleased.

Oscar

 

[BigShot]

Green with envy.
I'm still on the waiting list for my local allotments.
Glad to hear it's going well though.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

well done should be proud of that cos its looking good

 

[featherstick]

Hi Bigshot

I don't know how it works where you are, but when I asked the council, I was told there was a 3 year waiting list. So I got down to the local site a couple of times, met the manager, showed my face, said I was willing to share if anything came up, and about 6 weeks later I was turning my first sod. Might work with you?

Best

Oscar

 

[HillBill]

Sounds good mate. I grow some in the garden, just the basics though and soft fruits.

I enquired about allotments over here but there is a waiting list here too. Only 18 month though. Ended up converting some of the garden instead

 

[xylaria]

I am in my first year of my allotment. The allotment was rented but the guy didn't touch it for three years, so it was in a pretty poor state. I am having more failure than success, but this is off set by eating the "weeds" which so far have been very successful. I just turn over a patch of soil and three weeks later I have a plateful of lapsana to eat. I have grown white radish, lettice, leeks sorrel and spinach. The spuds, burdock, mangetout cabbage and carrots are coming along. The pakchoi has being a failure, it didn't stand a chance against the pigdeons and snails, and what has been protected has started to bolt. The biggest pest is thieves though, leaving an obstacle course seems to be working.

I appear to have a fox moving in. A large borrow has appeared at the bottom of the lotty where I haven't got round to cultivating. I am not sure what I can do, he can stay for now, but sooner or later I am going to need the ground back from him. If I find evidence of a wood pidgeon kill he can stay as long as he likes.

 

[demographic]

We just go an alotment recently, bit late for this season but have dig it over and as it was a new alotment I put chicken wire round it to keep out the multitude of rabbits.

Have only got a few blackcurrent bushes, a gooseberry bush and a few apple trees and a pear tree going at the moment and have covered one side of it over to keep the weeds down this year and will really go to town on it next year.

I have to build a shed as well, theres some in B&Q but for the money I can buy the materials and build a better one myself.

It won't be cheaper but it will be a lot better if you see what I mean.

 

[gregorach]

The pakchoi has being a failure, it didn't stand a chance against the pigdeons and snails, and what has been protected has started to bolt.

Yeah, pakchoi bolts like crazy before midsummer - it's more of a late-season crop. I gave up on mine and have been sowing more lettuces instead.