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.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Hi quibono,

I'm so glad you found my thread interesting, and thanks for all your replies.

Yes I think you can safely say the allotment has been put to bed,  there isn't really anything interesting I can or have done since the last lot of pictures. I was going to try getting some fruits on the go but have now left it a bit too late. i have had a lot going on just lateley and feel mentally and physically tired so am giving myself a breather.

I'll do some researching and planning and just check in on the plot from time to time but I just havent got the time to do anymore at the moment, I'm going to concentrate on getting fit for next year now.

I would be delighted if the thread was kept active with everyone elses input, I may even be able to offer some help to others too.

As for your question about the grapes, my father grew green onefor wine making, in a rickety old glass green house and he didnt do anything special to look after the vine and it just kept producing year after year. Maybe the vine that doesnt do very well has a lack of something in the soil. Other than that I wouldnt have a clue, I would just try and hope for the best myself.

[margaret*e]

We had grapes in the greenhouse a few years ago, they just grew wild and started taking over the greenhouse.

[theelench]

Planning ahead for next winter you might like to have a look at Leeks.  My father used to plant seed, I think around mid-summer and transplant to thin the seedlings.  By this time of year they would be getting to an edible size.   The transplanting is a bit fiddly but as they are very hardy you can lift a few as required through the winter.

As Marge*  says, if left alone grapes grow wild and it's best to remove most of the foliage to get good grapes.  I usually cut off the stems two leaves after the bunch of grapes and leave a few non-fruiting stems un-pruned to feed the plant.  The lady with the non-productive vine isn't concerned about not getting any fruit,  she likes the way the leaves cover her fence.

If you're thinking about planting certain flowers to help the veg. it's called Companion Planting and is another whole sub-section of horticulture that some think is rubbish but others swear by.

One "Old wives tale" that I've tried and it does seem to work is to plant seeds when the Moon is waxing, rather than waning.  For some reason the seeds do seem to germinate quicker and the plants grow stronger.

[bankhaunter]

One "Old wives tale" that I've tried and it does seem to work is to plant seeds when the Moon is waxing, rather than waning.  For some reason the seeds do seem to germinate quicker and the plants grow stronger.

Some years ago the BBC's Gardners Question Time asked listeners to do an experiment along those lines but I didn't hear the results.

[theelench]

I wasn't part of their experiment, it was just something I picked up somewhere.

The first time I tried it was with two rows of Cos Lettuce.  One planted the weekend before the full moon, the second the weekend after and sown next to the first.  Both were treated exactly the same when hoeing and watering.  The second grew poorly and didn't "heart up", it didn't matter because the first row grew so much better.  They had to be thinned several times and most of the thinnings were soon of a size to be usable.

I tried it again with two rows of Wallflower seed.  That time although all the seeds were from the same packet, rows planted next to each other again, the plants weren't so noticeable different until they flowered the following Spring.  Beds planted from the first row looked wonderful, full of flower.  Plants from the second row produced smaller flower heads,  the beds always looked patchy as the flowers seemed to fade quicker leaving gaps.

I didn't do any more comparison plantings but since then have always tried to sow seed as near to the full moon as possible, on the waxing side.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Hello all.

Well it is nearly time for me to get back on the allotment, it looks pretty good and not too much weed growth to have to worry about, so I should be able to get preparing the soil with my chicken poo soon.  hehe i bet it stinks horrid, I've had the tub in the back of my car for a while and although it's in a sealed plastic container it seems to give off a pong, unless it's my imagination. 

I have bought a couple of fruit trees, an apple and a pear plus I have got my grape vine plant too. All in pots ready to be put in the really big planters I've bought ready. I have them just on my patio outside in a corner at the moment.

My question is:- will they be ok out there when this week of freeze comes or would it be best to get them inside somewhere? Apparently according to the seller they are well established in their pots and are not really young, but I'm concerned about the freezing temps. Should they be ok do you think.  TIA  xxxx

[theelench]

I don't know about where you live but here in Kent we've had a lot of rain.  If you've had the same, the soil in the pots will be pretty wet.  If they are standing on your patio the bottom soil could be water-logged, especially if they're in plastic pots with little drainage space between the soil and the paving.  The danger is that if temperatures fall below freezing for a week then all that water will freeze.  Any roots in frozen water will be damaged, possibly killed.  The smaller, more important (fibrous) roots will be most vulnerable as they are mostly at the bottom and round the edge of the pots.  The top-growth is dormant so should be OK.

If they were my plants I would, if at all possible before the really cold weather arrives, dig holes big enough to bury the pots and heap a couple of inches of soil on top.  It will insulate them against the cold and stop most of the frost penetrating through the tops.  

If that's not possible then lay the pots on their sides to let any surplus water drain out as quickly as possible and then put them in a shed or garage.  

I'm not sure about the Grape, some varieties are more hardy than others.  Both the grapes I mentioned last year survived the bad winters we had a few years back, but they are mature with thick woody stems.  Younger plants with thinner stems might die.  Unless someone has a better suggestion I would drain surplus water and put it inside (as above).

Hope this is some help.

[**bustysinclaire**]

Thank you so much for that quibono, I am very grateful to you.

I will check them out properley tomorrow and do what you recommend, I'm so glad I asked. I really don't want to lose them. Thank you. xx

[theelench]

I do hope you don't lose them too.  The weather forecast I saw earlier this afternoon showed temperatures staying very cold 'till Thursday then rising again, but with possibly more snow.

All you can do is keep your fingers crossed and hope that the next few days of freezing weather is all there will be and Spring will start next week.

Looking forward to your further up-dates on the allotment when Spring does get here.  I know I'm getting "Cabin Fever" and looking forward to seeing how "my" gardens are doing.  Getting out into the open air again and seeing how nature bursts into life each year is a real tonic for me, every Spring is different but all are full of promise.

[vamo48]

No need for this interesting thread to close for the winter!  There's always something to do, plan or learn. 

Fruit trees were mentioned - we ordered three apple trees, two plum and two pear (all dwarf varieties, not allowed trees over 10 feet at our allotment).  We put them in last week, and a couple of days ago added the 12 raspberry canes we received at the same time.  We knew the weather was going to get colder and had to put them in while we could still dig the ground!  We bought a Kilmarnock willow and added it to our orchard, for decorative purposes.

We are further ahead than we usually are at this time of year, got some ground dug ready for the beans and peas, and some seeds planted in the greenhouse.  Before we know it, spring will be here and we'll be getting busier and busier.  Just beware of that common ailment "Spring Allotment Back" that gardeners get when they return after the winter break a bit less fit than they should be!

[**bustysinclaire**]

I've checked the trees over today and they don't seem waterlogged at all.  There are drain holes in the bottom of the pots and what looks like wood shavings around the little trunks, I had kept the plastic sheeting they were delivered in around the pots so perhaps that had stopped a lot of the rain getting in. 

I haven't got space in the garden to bury the pots and the alottment is really exposed so I have put them in my garden shed standing on some nice thick foam stuff so hopefully that will keep them protected. It's a metal shed so there is plenty of air going around and its not really dark but the trees are in the middle a bit, surrounded by all my tidy boxes of junk so I would think that will keep the worse of the biting cold off. 

I'm like you then, the spring is a most beautiful and fascinating time of year, and I can't stay in.  I love the freeze and snow too if I can get out and play lol.  

I'm planning a good few things with the alottment. I have also got 4 grandchildren that want a little patch each. 2 boys want to grow spuds and the twin girlies want to grow dahlias and other flowers, so that'll be good for my veg xxx

[**bustysinclaire**]

Hello RT'ers

For anyone who offered help and advice and expressed an interest in how the allotment progressed.

Here it is thus far.

My lovely little fruit trees survived and are in.

I have fruit bushes and strawberries,

Potatoes planted although i think they have rotted in the ground due to heavy rain, so will plant a few more.

Runner beans, Broad beans and peas.

Kale, spinach and beetroot.

Cauliflower, Butternut squash and Pumpkin.

Carrot and parsnip seeds. 

all seem to be growing so I have to now learn about pests and how to control them.

[jd.linklater]

That looks a very well laid out plot considering what you started with Busty, well done you.

[theelench]

It looks even better than late last year.  So glad your trees survived the winter, they look really healthy.

A quick tip before I get off to work.  My Dad always germinated Parsnip seed in the airing cupboard with the hot water tank, they need a high temperature to germinate at all.  He sowed them in very small peat pots or blocks and then transplanted them.

All your hard work should really start to pay back this year,  look forward to seeing your next update.

[vamo48]

Looking really good!  Taking over the one next door yet?

[**bustysinclaire**]

First pick of the year. 

looking forward to my sunday roast xx

  

Home mad triffle with home grown strawberries for pud xx

  

[vamo48]

Looks great - happiness is a full trug!

[bankhaunter]

Your allotment is impressively clean and tidy.

Is that spinach beet in the colander?  If so I like to keep the stems as long as possible, cooked for the right amount of time they are tender but have a nice crunch.

[j_uk643]

As others have said, it's quite impressive for a plot you have only had for a year or so

[upthecreekyetagain]

Looks ten times better than the plot we’ve had in our garden for nearly 40 years.

A lot of hard work has gone into that.