Couperman Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Well for years now we have intended to have a pop at growing our own veg, and every year it gets to June before we get into gear and think about planting anything which apparently is a little late! And then it's usually just tomatoes and we always have too many and forget to water them as much as we should. I was so jealous last year when my brother had his own carrots and spuds. We planted five spuds and got four back! Well we are determined to grow and eat and maybe even store some of our home grown stuff this year And as we have an ever expanding compost/organic matter mountain I have just ordered three spud tubs and a kazillion veggie seeds. So wish us luck I think we might need it! Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Brilliant It'll take a while to plant all those veg seeds Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Good luck, Kev! Hopefully we'll get better weather this year (fingers crossed!). Last year was our first full year on the allotment, and of course it was a disaster, what with all the rain! I think LSH was almost ready to give up, but we'd planted some asparagus crowns so the prospect of harvesting that in years to come has kept him going What are you thinking of growing? I've found that runner beans are the easiest things ever to grow, so don't plant too many or you'll be sick of them in no time! On the other hand I've yet to "enjoy" the oft-discussed glut of courgettes, probably because my garden soil isn't rich enough for them. This year I'm manuring everything in sight, though, so maybe I'll have more luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted February 17, 2008 Author Share Posted February 17, 2008 Well I thought we'd have a go at; Spuds, Carrots, Summer Cabbage, Broccoli, Leeks, Beetroot, Rhubarb, Lettuce, Dwarf runner beans, Mini pea, Shallots, Cauliflower, Watermelon Banana's, Coconut......... Ok maybe not the last two! Well thats what seeds I have ordered, Do you think I got carried away? They are all smallish varieties suitable for growing in containers. So we'll do the spuds in bulk in the special doofers, carrots in bulk in many patio planters and plant the rest in the new raised bed thing. We only intend doing small batches of each to see how they do. Step aside Tom and Barbara! Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Good for you Kev. Last year I grew (first year on the allotment) potatoes, jerusalem artichokes (never again), swiss chard and perpetual spinach (chickens love it), french beans, runner beans, broad beans, peas, sweetcorn, butternut squash, courgettes (I really don't like them!!), that's about it I think. I did try carrots and parsnips but they were a disaster. and a few brassicas cabbage, brocolli and other bits that if I don't like the chooks do!! The first earlies did best of my spuds, the maincrop all got wire worm, but if you are growing in bags you should be fine. I also put in some raspberry canes and gooseberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant bushes. Oh and a plum and greengage tree!! I loved it - to be able to potter around on the allotment at the end of a day at work is sooo de stressing and good for you. This year I am only going to grow things I want to eat!! and am going to try a load of heritage seed I got given for my birthday. I am looking forward to nuns belly button ( a french bean) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Good luck Kev. Last year was my first try at growing my own veg. The carrots were superb as were the dwarf beans and runner beans. Spuds were pretty good too. I loved the from plot to plate in 15 mins thingy....the freshness and flavour bore no resemblance to bought veg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Well last year was my first year at growing vegetables properly. I grew successfully, Runner beans, Sweetcorn, (It's delicious and really sweet and fresh if you grow it yourself!) Pumpkins, (We ended up with a huge one and a not quite so big one!) Lettuce, (We grew it in drainpipes Dad took from a skip! And put it on top of the old chicken coop so it was out of reach of the slugs!!!) Radishes, (Easy to grow!) Tomatoes, (Not too bad, they got blight at the end of the season though) We tried other things too, but they didn't work because of the bad weather! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Good luck - we're going to try to make our allotment more productive this year too (our second year, and it was a wilderness when we got it) Hope you will feast on your own produce this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Look what I found this aft when I was tidying my raised beds!! I couldn't have been more surprised!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I'm going for it this year too. I put in some cabbages, broad beans and garlic before Xmas, cabbages are rather "lacey" garlick looks OK and so do the broad beans - of course we've remembered we don't like broad beans. I've also got some red onions in and already planted onion seeds for white onions. Oh and a gazillion seeds too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 You might surprise yourself if you grow your own pengy (then again I still don't like courgette or jerusalem artichoke - so maybe not!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Well I thought we'd have a go at; Spuds, Carrots, Summer Cabbage, Broccoli, Leeks, Beetroot, Rhubarb, Lettuce, Dwarf runner beans, Mini pea, Shallots, Cauliflower, Watermelon Banana's, Coconut......... Ok maybe not the last two! Well thats what seeds I have ordered, Do you think I got carried away? In a word, no. You should see my seed box! New potatoes, red cabbage, romanesco cauli, kale, purple sprouting broccoli, leeks, carrots, beetroot, turnips, celeriac, sweetcorn, courgettes, squash, spinach, broad beans, French beans, runner beans, peas, peppers, chillies, cucumber, four different varieties of garlic, ditto basil and tomatoes, various other herbs, and more salad leaves than you can shake a hoe at... We only intend doing small batches of each to see how they do. Very wise. I started out small, just tomatoes, courgettes and garlic in the back garden, but the soil is typical housing-estate rubbish so I've put in some raised beds, and the allotment soil is great (though it needs a bit of feeding this year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I agree on the jerusalem artichokes they taste like the smell of melted platic I love most veg but we won't be growing those again having said that YD enjoyed growing them and they made quite an impression on the plot. We have peas and broad beans in tray in the greenhouse, the peas could do with being planted but with this cold snap they will have to wait and the allotment needs some serious work too, we keep putting it off and have concentrated on our new raised beds at home in which we will grow herbs and salad crops and then use them to heal in and store carrots, parsnips and leeks in the winter to save going to the allotment when it is cold and wet. After 7 years of trying we finally grew 12 usuable swedes last year and they have lasted us all winter because most of them were pretty big, the satisfaction was incredible. We have sandy soil and club root so growing brassicas is difficult, but we also had some sprouts and a couple of caulis and enough tatty cabbages to keep the chooks happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 good for you, I've had a tiny veg patch at the side of the house for years dwarf broad beans were the best, they are so expensive to buy & we all love them, its amazing even OH kids will eat what I grow, things they will never touch if we buy them. Last autum i took the plunge & got a huge kedder green house (posh poly tunnel) & otside have put in raised beds for a rotation system & ballerina fruit trees, thats when the chickens arrived too. OH thinks I've gone mad, but I've got my leg in plaster at the moment but should be able to get going intim for spring. I've alread got stuff in the tunnel, spinach garlic shallots salad greens mini veg ( carotts, cauliflower turnip) dwarf broad beans & pea shoots (last years left over seeds planted for salad). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosey Lucy Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 I love Jerusalem Artichokes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted February 27, 2008 Author Share Posted February 27, 2008 Phase two is underway! I bought the wood for the raised bed for £40. I arranged it roughly by propping it up with bricks to get an idea of what it will look like, it has since blown down. So it is going to be 4m long and 1.5 m wide and 0.5m high, I'm gonna need some topsoil me thinks! I will knock it up at the weekend weather permitting. Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 27, 2008 Share Posted February 27, 2008 Cool! I'm afraid I cheated and bought a couple of Link-a-Bord beds for the back garden - I just don't have the time/energy to do a proper job, and I wanted them to look halfway decent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Kev, have you got anywhere near you with horses? We top up our raised veg beds with well rotted manure free to a good home from a heap by the road side of a farm with horses. Great for if you need a bit more soil, its free and the vegis love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Same here - or rather we put the manure on the allotment, as a winter mulch. We also get free compost from the recycling depot, and of course the girls make their own contribution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Cool! I'm afraid I cheated and bought a couple of Link-a-Bord beds for the back garden - I just don't have the time/energy to do a proper job, and I wanted them to look halfway decent That is not cheating!! I got those last year and they are absolutely fab. I'm seriously tempted to get the Link-a-Bord Compost bin too. It is a lot of mone....but is massive. I had a fascinating trip out last year to their depot and saw one in the flesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 And here was me about to start a thread. Yesterday I emailed the council asking to go on the waiting list for an allotment. I dont know how long the wait is at the moment, can anyone tell me whats the latest point I will be able to plant stuff this year and still get any crops this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 you will probably find that if allotments are going to come available they will do so usually when payment time comes round, so find out when your council collects the rent for allotments. It is also worth checking if there are any privately owned allotments, ours is on church land and is administered by a property letting agent. It is quite common for people to give up on allotments when they see the task ahead for the year so you may get lucky it depends on the size of the waiting list. There are a lot of seeds that can be sown in may/june time that will give you autumn and winter crops, plus more and more garden centres are now selling veg plants, which could be planted in July/august for winter and next spring and there are always quick growing things like lettuces, radishes, herbs that can be grown pretty much year round with a bit of protection. Hope your waiting list isn't too long, the allotment is a great place to escape to when you have small children, it gives you a chance to gather yor thoughts, relax and provide nutritious food for the family at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 OMG Im so disappointed I just called asking again and although it wasnt someone from the allotment team, they said that the waiting lists were about 18 months Thanks for the tip chickencam, I will look into private ones now. Also do you think it would be acceptable to turn a front garden into a veg garden. Or does that sound really weird! Our back garden is far to small, especially with the chicken run taking up a third of it. But our front garden is a reasonable size and just grass, wasted space really. It would make life easier to be able to use it then the kids can come and go helping me or stay inside. We dont have a problem with people walking past much as its a closed estate, plus I see everyone walking past as we have no net curtains and I look stright out the window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 It is your garden....unless there is one of those dreaded covenants on it saying it has to be grassed, grow veg on it. My front garden gets the sun all day and would be much better for veg growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
