Bushcraft and allotments

[Laurentius]

This Sunday I became the proud tenant of an allotment. I have been without a garden for years and this has been something worth waiting for.

I wonder if there are any particular bushcraft skills that might come in useful on an allotment or whether allotmenteering and bushcraft are not somewhat of an anathema to each other, allotments being predicated on the settled agronomist way of living and bushcraft on hunter gatherer.

The thing is I am not allowed to do is light a fire, not even sure if I can use my Kelly kettle but improvised shelters have there place, making use of what you find, natural cordage etc. etc. Not to mention the advantages of keeping your tools sharp. My bill hook has certainly come in handy as the allotment had got rather wild, lots of stuff to clear.

Of course if I were a survivalist I guess I would be seeking advice on fortifying my plot against the zombies

 

[Compo Semite]

You could always grow your allotment into an edible forest (look it up) The main thing is just sit back and enjoy watching stuff grow!

 

[The Big Lebowski]

As above.... Collect seeds and plant a wild garden. Sea beet, mallow, pennywort if you have walls, wild onions, ramsons (in a buried bath to stop them taking over). All sorts really

Get a block of wood and take up carving. Make some interesting features, collect wood and build fences to divide up the plot. I kinda want an allotment now

 

[shaggystu]

dig a little area over and leave it, wait to see what grows there and try and ID it, once you've ID'd it eat it/use it/dig it out and see what else grows. over a few years you'll learn to identify the species that you've got at all the stages of their development and you'll earn how to utilise those species really effectively.

cheers

stuart

 

[Laurentius]

Well my brother and I are going to put up a shed made entirely of what we can scavenge and whilst he might be thinking of joints and tenons and stuff I am thinking that you can do all manner of things simply lashing poles together. I do intend to keep a wild corner where I can sit down an whittle away to my hearts content. For what it's worth I have already found rhubarb there overgrown by wild grass. There are some kind of decorative trees growing there which look like they will be very productive in a sort of mini coppicing way, they will provide all the bean poles needed. We don't intend to spend a lot of money on it, because we don't have a lot to spare, most of the money will go on diesel driving there and back.

 

[British Red]

GArdening / allotmenting doesn't have to cost a lot - indeed most don't. PLenty of innovative uses of recycled materials, water catchment etc. I'd be wary of too much wild stuff tough - its not fair on the neighbouring alotments to have a lot of stuff running to seed and sending wind blown seeds over other peoples veg. Your neighbours in an allotment are your best friends - they will give you advice, seed, plants, water for you if you are sick etc. Its very much a "community" activity. Its a huge commitment, a long term investment of time and sweat - and just a little money - for a huge reward.

If you get cracking its a good time of year to start. Nothing incompatibe about Bushcraft and farming either - most Native Americans gardened - indeed I grow the "Trail of Tears" beans and Hopi blue corn

Stick some photos up of what you have now, and update us as you make progress. The best thing is, its all yours. If you do your part, it will work, all the succeses are yours, all the failiures are yours.

When it comes to learning to grow your own, the first twenty years are the worst

Oh...and if yout thought it was easy to spend money on Bushcraft toys......

Red

 

[Laurentius]

GArdening / allotmenting doesn't have to cost a lot - indeed most don't. PLenty of innovative uses of recycled materials, water catchment etc. I'd be wary of too much wild stuff tough - its not fair on the neighbouring alotments to have a lot of stuff running to seed and sending wind blown seeds over other peoples veg. Your neighbours in an allotment are your best friends - they will give you advice, seed, plants, water for you if you are sick etc. Its very much a "community" activity. Its a huge commitment, a long term investment of time and sweat - and just a little money - for a huge reward.

If you get cracking its a good time of year to start. Nothing incompatibe about Bushcraft and farming either - most Native Americans gardened - indeed I grow the "Trail of Tears" beans and Hopi blue corn

Stick some photos up of what you have now, and update us as you make progress. The best thing is, its all yours. If you do your part, it will work, all the succeses are yours, all the failiures are yours.

When it comes to learning to grow your own, the first twenty years are the worst

Oh...and if yout thought it was easy to spend money on Bushcraft toys......

Red

The idea is certainly not to let things go wild, the allotment committee would soon have me removed if I did. The allotment I have inherited has unfortunately gone on one half of it to wild, in that the long grass and the brambles have taken over, and that is mostly what I have been clearing today. The rules say that you have to keep at least two thirds in cultivation so that does allow for a bit of wildness. It is certainly quite a social thing is allotmenteering as I have over the past three days been meeting and introducing myself to other allotment holders. In fact the entire reason that I now have an allotment is because I did a good turn for a neighbour who doesn't have a car and he persuaded me to put my name down for the allotment.

 

[British Red]

Its great fun - and extends so many skills, from horticluture to construction to seed saving, to cooking to food preserving. We are on the second full year of trying to get our new place productive - its still in the crushingly hard work phase...so I look back over old photos to remind myself of progress.

I'd get a few fruit trees in on the North side of your plot if you haven't got any - needn't cost much (£6 from poundstretcher right now), they'll take a few years to get going. Not too late to get some spuds and onion sets in either if you are quick

Wildness can take many forms - I have a wild herb bed and its great - everything from sorrel through salad burnett to ramsoms. I just planted up 40 plugs of sorrel (becuase it a fantastic taste) and another 40 of horehound for making beer....great fun. Building the 25' long movable cloches this week is more of a chore Be very useful when complete though!

Have fun with it - and show us some pictures

 

[Laurentius]

Fruit trees are definitely part of the plan, there is an apple tree sapling there already, rescued from being strangled out by brambles.

 

[British Red]

Gooseberries are good too - buy two or three and layer them properly and you will have a dozen in a couple of years! 2.50 in Wilkos right now

 

[Laurentius]

One thing the allotment has which is unusual is a pond. I am inclined to keep this because there are too few resources for frogs and newts these days, and besides, frogs apparantly eat slugs so it is something worth keeping.

 

[Mikey P]

Not just the 'growing' aspects: make trellis for plants, cut your own peasticks, make your own movable protective fencing, frames for mineral wool or polytunnels, carve useful items. Individualise your allotment area!

Be careful allowing 'weeds' to grow, even if they are potential food items like fat hen, etc, as your fellow allotment owners may not be massively impressed if they seed onto other allotments. If you are allowed, get a small wood stove for shed and you can sit there in the cold weather, drinking coffee and escaping the world. Heaven...

 

[wattsy]

red where did you get the trail of tears beans from? keep hearing good things about them might have a pop at growing a few

cheers
matt

 

[Andy BB]

Could you let me have a map of the allotment, so I will know when my free lettuces, tomatoes etc are ready to pick?

 

[jackcbr]

First and foremost, 2 fence post to swing a hammock from, for days when you just want to watch things grow. Make a netting needle and nets to keep birds of your soft fruits, be advised birds might get caught up in it, so I'm sure there are guidelines for this. collect natural hedgerow bits like bramble stalks and weave your own baskets for collecting your fruit and veg in. A shed to ferment sloe gin etc in. natural cordage and willow/hazel withies for bean poles and the like. Sand box for wild animals to leave tracks in that you can then identify. Nest box on your hammock posts or shed to encourage certain birds in to observe. A wood pile to encourage different creepy crawlies in.

 

[Count of Undolpho]

I use a hobo stove on my allotment and nobody has ever bothered me about it, so go for it! Plenty of tracks to find on an allotment as well, though seeing as the fox will happily walk within a couple of feet of you it's not quite as rewarding as it could be!

 

[Snowfire]

red where did you get the trail of tears beans from? keep hearing good things about them might have a pop at growing a few

cheers
matt

And the Hopi blue corn please.

My most useful and used bushcraft skill (or maybe it's a Scout skill) is being able to lash my bean poles together properly so they don't collapse half way through the season.

 

[British Red]

red where did you get the trail of tears beans from? keep hearing good things about them might have a pop at growing a few

cheers
matt

Can't recall now...it was a while ago and its a heritage seed so I only bought it once www.realseeds.co.uk I think. I have propogated loads now though - would you like me to send you some?

The hoppi corn was definitely realseeds - its a new one for me this year so I'll report back on that.

Happy to seed swap with people (or just give some to one or two interested people) - I have benefited from the same kindness in return - slowworm here kindly sourced me some Yacon which is like hens teeth!

 

[Laurentius]

Could you let me have a map of the allotment, so I will know when my free lettuces, tomatoes etc are ready to pick?

It has a moat, and brambles growing round it, never mind the fierce dog.

 

[wattsy]

Can't recall now...it was a while ago and its a heritage seed so I only bought it once www.realseeds.co.uk I think. I have propogated loads now though - would you like me to send you some?

oooh yes please mate happy to cover postage just let me know how much it is and i'll send it out i'll pm you my address.

cheers
matt