Good morning all, a few allotment home growing tips would be most great fully received ☺

[**bustysinclaire**]

Well, not sure whether I've bitten off a bit more than I can chew but I'm going to give it ago.

I've acquired an allotment very very near to my oh's on my new home it is in a very bad overgrown state so there's a lot of work to be done to get it ready before I can do any type of planting, so it looks like it is unlikely that i will be able to grow much if anything this year.

I have been told that doing a bit at a time is better than trying to get the whole lot up and running straight away, so what I would like to ask is.......

If there are any home growers out there could you give me any tips on what type of things I could try to grow that don't mind being planted late in the year.

Any allotment tips would be most appreciated and one thing I could do with knowing is how to tackle slugs and snails effectively without using harmful chemicals etc.  As I have noticed the allotment next to mine have lost some lovely newly planted young plants already.

[cee-dee]

You chitted so that one large top grew, otherwise they'd be "all top" and less potatoes.

My paternal grandparents had a smallholding with hundreds of hens. The "Egg Man" used to call for the eggs which were packed in..... egg boxes. They were big wooden crates made to fit the size of of large egg trays made of a sort of grey, soft cardboard (recycled paper?). Some people used those to put the potatoes in for chitting. I only remember them being chitted in seed trays.

I remember carrots and beetroot in the tump with the potatoes but I can't remember if anything else was put in with them. At the farm, Mangolds and Turnips were stored in huge tumps.

Onions were uprooted with the tops and tied in strings and hung up in an outhouse.

There were Apple, Pear and Damson trees in all the hedges and it was a heck of a job picking them all. Different Apple varieties were either eaten after picking or were "keepers" as were different Pears, some of which were bottled. Greengages were usually eaten after picking, some Damsons were jammed, others bottled. Beetroot were pickled. Boiled first then packed in jars and filled with pickling vinegar and spices.  Shallots were pickled too.

Some fruit was bottled, some made in to Jam and some fruit was stored in "the back room" laid out on the floor ensuring no fruit touched another and some was wrapped in newspapers to keep them apart. The smell in that room was absolutely delightful.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Mmmmmmmm , CD I can smell the fruit just thinking about it reading your post.

I have decided to try growing a few fruit trees, as the bottom part of the plot isn't brilliant, the rule is we plant fruit trees in large tubs so that suits me fine.i as able to keep one of the plum type fruits on my tree and it ripened to a golden yellow colour, I didn't taste it because I wasn't sure if it had had insecticides or anything on it I'll watch to see if anything happens next year.

Over the weekend I got another's black bag of runner beans and will be giving them out again lol. Far too many for me and oh,  I planted 20 plants some 2 in one spot as the plants seamed very small, I lost about 5 in the begining so I don't think I need quite so many plants next year.

As for my potatoes, I decided to dig them up because the ground seams to be staying very wet and I think if I leave them any longer they may start rotting. I dug up 4 plants of mine and a plant that I had grown that must have been left from the previous grower. I got a few potatoes of mixed condition.  Sadly I had folked a couple, 2 quite big ones were slimy and gotten so I think maybe I was right to dig them.  Some too had pest holes in too.  So I have some of going to do to find out about calling the bad bits lol. Xx

I've got about 4 or five more plants to dig up.

I cooked some for a meal tonight and the weren't too bad at all. Xx

One question I would like to ask about onions is, why to you string them up and leave them for a while?

[**bustysinclaire**]

I'm really sorry about my spelling.

The tablet I use does all the correcting of words for me, I have searched how to disable it but can't find how.

I meant 2 large spuds went slimy and rotten, I'd I shall have to Google the problems xxx

[cee-dee]

You string onions up to dry (but not dry out completely). Well, that's the old way anyway. That is, if you want to store them. We're talking biggish onions here.

You don't pull onions up, you lift them with a fork complete with roots. Leave 'em to dry a while then string 'em up. Most of the roots can be cut off when they've shrivelled a bit (but don't cut in to the onion).

[javikha_4]

chitting is to give your crop a head start, and relieve the tuber a bit in the early stages

Those potatoes look quite big, so if size matters least for this year, that's a result

In general they will need feeding like most tuber, fruit forming plants, if not doing well

top growth is largely due to nitrogen or excess of it, sun, water etc

Tubers follow,and also depend on nutrients available in soil

A few which have suffered from rot I wouldnt worry about.

Storing mainly is to dry, and to avoid high temperature's, too much light to limit bacterial growth

[**bustysinclaire**]

Thanks CD and javikha,

I've got well rotted manure lined up for digging into the soil. I'm lucky as I have a very horsey sister willing to let me have as much as I need. In exchange for some produce of course. Xx

Just waiting now for my butternut squash to produce something. I seem to have a couple of plants growing well but no fruits, the flowers all seem to be on the long shoots so no squash.

[astrologica]

Busty..I thought of you this morning! My husband is tidying up his allotment now Autumn is here, and he brought me the last few good leaves off the Lovage. Do you like Celery? If so, do consider growing some Lovage. It's a perennial, so once you have it, it will come back every year. It is very like Celery, and it makes the most delicious soup along with some Spring Onions and new potatoes. I have an easy recipe if you do consider growing it next year. It's a very unusual plant, but some nurseries sell it in their herb sections. It does grow fairly tall, so I would stick it in a corner of your allotment somewhere.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Ooop, that sounds really nice Astro thank you. I love celery and I love home made soup. I would really appreciate the recipe too.
A perennial sounds a really good choice too, I'm sure I'm going to have plenty of room.
I'm really getting quite exited now as I think I have done most of the hard work getting the plot useable. There can't be much harder work tl come if I don't let it get overgrown again.


Off to google Lovage, thank you xxx

[**bustysinclaire**]

Excited lol xx

[**bustysinclaire**]

Hi all, I'm one aching oldie today.

Not been able to do much on the allotment these last few weeks, what with loosing my mum and having to do for my special needs brother I haven't been on my plot but I have just spent a brilliant day down there today and I have to say I feel as though I have nearly done.

Last little bit to dig and I can rest for the winter, apart from a bit of hoeing.  

Ive  been waiting for my butternut squash to grow but think it is now too cold for them so I doubt they will get past their 3inches in size but I don't cares too much I'll know what to do next year.

I've got my Polly tunnel ready to get up for spring, so all I have got to do now is some planning for the next year's growing.

Woo hooo I ache something chronic but boy do I feel I've accomplished something. Roll on the spring..........

[theelench]

What an incredible transformation from the first pics. you posted!!

Despite all the aches and blisters you should be proud of what you've achieved.

Next year you should really reap the rewards you deserve for all your hard work.  With a little planning you'll have so many vegies you'll be giving the surplus away.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Thanks quibono,

I'm looking forward to it.  I think I've done most of the hard graft, so as long as I plan well and keep on top of weeds etc I think I should find it very enjoyable without beig too hard.

I'm actually very exited about the Polly tunnel to be honest xxx😃

[theelench]

Forgot to mention the poly tunnel.

Wouldn't it be safer to put it up in the Spring?  Unless you have a use for it now (like over-wintering plants you already have in pots) it will just stand there unused.  It will have to withstand whatever the winter weather brings and there's a risk it will be damaged by gales or heavy snow fall.

Just a thought.

[**bustysinclaire**]

---

@theelench wrote:

Forgot to mention the poly tunnel.

Wouldn't it be safer to put it up in the Spring?  Unless you have a use for it now (like over-wintering plants you already have in pots) it will just stand there unused.  It will have to withstand whatever the winter weather brings and there's a risk it will be damaged by gales or heavy snow fall.

Just a thought.

---

Yes, I agree thank you. I am going to wait till spring, my excitement must have made it sound like I was putting it up now.

I'm going to have to replace the shed too as that has got quite a lot of rot, it'll do for now, one that came with the allotment so can't complain it did me while I got going.

I've just been doing some googling and have found I could plant some fruit trees right now so I might give that a go. I'd like a few fruits xx

[javikha_4]

I second the view that you have done well with your plot to date. You have  had produce and it's looking in good condition.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Thank you javikha.

The veg I grew was really good and tasty, I've actually only just finished with the beans, everyone who had some said how tender and tasty they were.

[bankhaunter]

You do seem to have done well, next year looks like being very promising.

My grandfather had an allotment, he aways reckoned growing flowers was a waste of good earth.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Thanks bank. Xx

I do love flowers xx but I think as far as the allotment goes it will be fruit and veg for me.  Although I have read it is a good idea to grow certain flowers for pest control and to help with attracting the bees.

[theelench]

Hi Busty, I'm assuming that you've put the allotment to bed for the winter and that this topic is also now dormant until Spring.  (I hope you will re-open it then and let us know how things go next year, especially how you get on with your tunnel).

That being so I hope you won't mind if I pick the brains of others who responded and ask a question about growing grapes.

Two of the ladies whose gardens I work in know a third (that I've never met) who has an old grape vine.  Over ten years ago she gave seedlings from her vine to them.  These grew from fruit that dropped early.  I planted these for them, both in similar positions.  The corner of their gardens where the fencing meets the house, both South - South-East facing, sheltered, warm and sunny.

Both grow luxuriant foliage every year and neither appear to have any sort of disease (apart from a few Scale insects they are trouble-free).  I prune them in exactly the same way and neither is fed or watered.  Depending on the weather one crops well or not so well but produces some fruit almost every year.  The other rarely produces any fruit at all, if it does the "bunches" have five or six grapes with spaces in between where others have failed to set.  These then dry out a shrivel as soon as the weather warms up.  It has never managed to produce a single edible grape.  Most years it doesn't even have the tiny bunches of flowers.

Does anyone know why this should be?  I'm told that the original vine produces fruit so heavily there is plenty to eat and enough to make wine.  It is planted with the root in a green-house and the top growth outside.  It is a small white grape but is so old the name has been forgotten.  I've tried to find some reason for this (books and more recently on-line) but failure to fruit is something that is never mentioned, everything I've read assumes that fruit has been produced and deals with problems that may develop with it.

It doesn't matter greatly as the owner is quite happy with just the foliage covering her fence, but I'm just curious and would welcome any information from others who grow grapes.

[theelench]

My mistake, the plants are on a South - South WEST facing fence.