Any allotment holders?

[BigShot]

How do folks?

Just over a week ago I get the key to my new half-plot allotment.
Well, it's slightly under half a standard plot, but I think I can live with that for now.

The nearest I've been to growing food is a strawberry planter (very) roughly cobbled together from some decking steps with no decent tools available to me and a few attempts at herb growing with varying degrees of success.

I've now got to get to grips with composting, laying a path, crop rotation, organic weed and pest control (as long as there's not something really nasty taking over that just can't be controlled, it'll be all organic), propagation, care, soil preparation and more besides and in a bit of a hurry too.

I've already (with the help of my lovely girlfriend) cleared the mess of weeds from a third the plot (lots of dandelion, docks and some horsetail - yea I know). It took about 6 or 7 hours in all so I'm confident about getting the rest done in pretty short order. Someone else who's been on a half plot for almost a year now said he found the initial clearing of weeds "soul destroying" and suggested I do it a bit at a time. I don't see it myself, I'm having a great time digging out dandelions with the roots intact and plan to do the lot before I mark out the beds and start to sow and plant things.

So - anyone on here got an allotment?
Any advice for me?
Any suggestions on dealing with the pretty extensive whitefly infestation on my neighbour's brussel sprouts? (And the ones I've inherited from him - he's given up half his plot due to lack of time to get down and tend to it)

 

[matt]

I don't have an allotment but applaud you not using chemicals. However, I have a hunch that your success will depend quite a lot on what everyone else around you is doing. If you're surrounded by people using chemicals to kill insects and weeds then there is a high probability that they are nuking your allies too (or starving them). Personally I'd do what you can to encourage natural predators.

 

[BigShot]

Thanks Matt.
To be honest, organic was the only option for me. I'm no eco-freak (and am in fact somewhat of a sceptic about man-made global warming) but things like pesticide, chemical fertiliser and so on really get my goat. It just seems crazy to dump millions of tons of poisons and chemicals into nature when it's entirely possible to do without any of them!
Thanks for the applause.

The one big pity about allotments is just that. You've got little to no control over what happens on the soil just inches from your crops.

One neighbour doesn't have time to tend his plot much and the sheer volume of weeds on there (and on my plot, since he's given this half up for me) is staggering. I have a feeling I'll have an enduring problem with weeds as long as he's a holder. Rumour has it he's a really nice guy and I'm looking forwards to meeting him (I'm actually considering offering to weed his side too if he can help me clear the worst of it first - just to help keep my side clearer) but it's a bit of a concern.


As for encouraging predators, that's something I'm looking into at the moment. I'll be making as much habitat for things like lacewings, ladybirds and the likes as possible. The more of them I can get the better.

 

[cambournepete]

There are allotments forums (fora?) on the web, try googling.
As far as the pesticide bit goes, if you're lucky your allotment will be in the organic side of the allotments, like mine was before I gave it up as a bad job (too many soul-destroying weeds). If there's no organic bit, then suggest it to your allotment association or responsible council.

Good luck with it

 

[wizer]

I had an allotment for a couple of year. Really enjoyed it but it was too hard on my back, so I let it go. Going completely organic is very very hard. You'll never make an allotment organic in the eyes of the soil association because your neighbours will be using chemicals. My best advice is to not try to be strict on organic gardening in the first year. The common advice is that it takes three seasons to get an allotment fully up and running and you crop rotation in swing. Stick at it and boy is it rewarding.

The forum attached to Grow Your Own magazine is about the best there is.

Good Luck

 

[BMac]

That link Wizer put up was exactly the one I intended to add.

I don't have an allotment but I do grow vegetables in raised beds. You'll find that once you clear the worst of the weeds out they are fairly easily controlled if you carry a small hoe around as you inspect your plot and deal with any that you see. A professional gardener friend of mine told me that you can keep a garden in tip top condition if you take a 5 minute walk every night and hoe out weeds as they appear. I have health issues that limit the amount of work I can do but I can keep 12 raised beds (8x4 and 4x4) and a 28 x 15 greenhouse clear of weeds quite easily.

There are lots of vegetable gardening sites, look at as many as you wish but then pick two to stick with, Grow Your Own is one. My other site is Gardeners World but I rarely look at it, only to get an alternative view on some topics.

YouTube is full of vegetable gardening stuff. A good subscriber is 'clairesallotment' http://www.youtube.com/user/clairesallotment . She has 86 videos up dealing with everything she does on her plot.

Brendan

 

[BigShot]

Pete
Aye, there are allotment forums (fora? I dunno, could well be) about but I'm on more than enough already - I wasn't in a hurry to join another! Thought I'd ask in the off-topic section just to see if any ukworkshop natives were in the same game.

I don't know if there's a specific "organic" bit on here or not. I'll ask. Can't see anything changing if not as there are people in each bit that have been on for decades. I can't see them changing just because some young upstart suggests it. We'll see though.


Wizer
I can see it being tough on the back. I'm going to get an extra long handle for my dutch hoe so I don't need to stoop.
I'm starting to realise how tough organic can be already, whitefly are an issue on this plot already and the organic advice for dealing with them that I've found so far is all rather vague.

I'll check out that forum, though unless I crack it'll just be as a lurker for now as I don't have the time for taking part on any more forums. It's getting silly now! Haha.


Cheers folks.

 

[BigShot]

BMac - a bit of simul-posting there.

Thanks for that reply. I'm glad to hear you're still growing your own despite difficulties.

When I eventually have the space at home (it'll be after moving, whenever that happens) I'll probably have some raised beds on the go.

I was just about to shut down for the night, but that YouTube link looks too good to pass up so I'll take a look on there now and then turn the computer off. Thanks for the link!

 

[matt]

Get yourself one of these spades (if they're the same as the one we bought from Focus on a whim about 7 years ago) then it'll have a long handle - excellent for digging. A mattock is a good tool too.

And you'll also "need" some Sneeboer tools too :lol: :twisted:

As for compost... Don't add your weeds (at least not the roots or seeds) to your compost pile. And anything with seeds (e.g. tomatoes) will sprout when you spread the compost. Also, borrow a spade of compost from someone else's to get yours started. Don't bother with compost accelerators or additives - they're not necessary. And don't let it get too wet.

Bag up leaves this autumn. Pierce the bags with a fork and stash them away.

Clear the weeds before they turn to seed - that's half the battle for the following year.

Make your own fertiliser by sinking a bag of manure in a barrel of water (pierce the bag).

 

[wizer]

Long spades are good, as are Azada, which is a Portuguese adze type spade.

 

[BigShot]

Wizer, I'm going to be double-digging the whole allotment to (hopefully) end up with a deeper topsoil and in the process break up what has become very hard and compacted. I know how to do it with a spade (or indeed a spade and fork if using a different method) but can't picture doing it with an azada. Can you confirm that they are good for that kind of work too?
Have you used one?



Matt, Cheers for the Focus suggestion. Hadn't thought of a long handled spade, I can only ever recall using spades and shovels with a T or Y (with a top grip) type handle so dunno how ones like that would compare for things like digging trenches for double digging.

Of course, I will need Sneeboer tools too. I can't imagine having that kind of cash burning a hole in my pocket for at least a couple of summers on the allotment... but eventually.

Cheers for the compost tips and advice about leaf mold. Is there much difference between making it in pierced bags and in a wire cage?

I'm also planning to make some nettle and comfrey fertilisers. I believe comfrey makes for a very good "tea" so will be giving that a go. The one annoying thing? Even with all the weeds on my plot, I don't think I've got so much as a single leaf of comfrey! Pity that!

I might have to grow some especially!

 

[BMac]

Got some more videos for you. This is a link to my account on YouTube where I have done a video diary of this year's growing. My name there is 'baconsoda' (don't ask, it seemed like the most suitable ID ever when I signed up because that's what I had for lunch - soda bread with bacon and egg - heart attack in your hand).

http://www.youtube.com/user/baconsoda

Brendan

Also, the best tool I bought for the garden was a light, double-headed hand held cultivator with a fork on one side and a mattock on the other - about £3 in Lidl four years ago.

 

[BigShot]

Brendan, if you're going to pick a name for anything it might as well be after Soda Bread!

Just watching your videos now, in the "2009 before changes" one I actually laughed. You were saying about showing someone an Irish garden... not just the garden, but the house and the neighbourhood both look about as Irish as they come (for modern areas at least). The blocks on the corners, the grey render on walls.

I'm off to Wexford for a big family birthday (my granny's 90th and my cousin's 31st on the same day) in a few weeks and this video is making me feel homesick! (Odd considering I was actually born and raised in Manchester, but spending so much time in Gorey as a kid it feels about as much of a "home" as this place does!)

It's about time I headed off to bed though so I'll watch your other garden videos and some of Claire's tomorrow evening.

Go raibh maith agat.
Oíche mhaith.

 

[BMac]

LOL, the Irish garden video - that was for a guy in Minnesota and he was thrilled. He didn't seem to notice the 15 year old houses across the road or the 10 year old bungalows behind me. My house and a handful of other cottages were the only ones in this area for 60 years until land prices went crazy and people sold up acres that were sitting in grass for many years, it was hard to resist £0.75-1m an acre I suppose but my decision not to sell was that it was going to take the money I made to buy another place the same size in this area so it was pointless.

Anyway, have a great time in Wexford.

Brendan

 

[BigShot]

Well done for holing onto it. You've got a much nicer place for it I'd say.

I'd love to build a house just on the edge of Gorey near my family, but the chance of actually affording a plot of land big enough for a house a couple of out buildings (workshop, naturally) and the space I want to be able to grow food (really I'm after a smallholding) in that neck of the woods is slim to none.

Maybe if I had the money available to buy now in the slump I'd have a chance, but I've got a feeling I may have missed the boat on that one. Pity.


"Have a great time in Wexford."
I think you can count on that! I've got a bit more spare money this time so I predict lots of drink will be drunk and a great time will be had. I'll be making a trip over to Quin (co. Clare) to see a knifemaker I got a camping/bushcraft knife from a while back - need a new sheath for it so I'll be spending a couple of days out west too. Can't wait.

 

[dedee]

No allotment, just a large potager, a small pollytunnel and a lot of clay.

A couldn't face digging the whole plot in one go so I've made 2 raised beds each year we've been here. I've slill got room for another 3 beds at least, or maybe chickens. I can vouch for the 5 mins a day weeding comment. We've got one bed dedicated to fruit, strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants, 2 beds for spuds and now black radish, I bed for herbs, beans and squashes.

I would not be without the polytunnel or a greenhouse, I grow all out carrots and lettuces in there as well as the toms of course.

After cutting down several large trees and a 7 metre high hedge I had plenty of large logs to make the raised beds with. A large shredder minced up all the smaller branches and made the mulch for the paths. The hedge was a conifer so too acidic to use the mulch on the soil but excellent for the paths around the beds and in the polytunnel.

No chemicals used at all. We have a large array of wildlife in the garden in a reasonably damp area, less than a 1km from the marais (large open mashes), slugs etc are not a problem. The mice, voles, hedgehogs, moles, shrews, frogs (including real green ones) toads, snakes etc seem to do a good job of keeping most of the pests at bay.

Stinging nettle fertiliser is excellent even if it does stink - A LOT. It is all I have used all summer

If you want organic fruit trees can I suggest you plant pears as the 3 varieties we have here remain very clean while all of the apple varieties are all eating to some extent. Maybe it is the hardness of the pear or the gritty texture that the bugs don't like.

Hope your allotment bears the fruits of your labours soon.

Cheers

Andy

 

[dickm]

We have a large array of wildlife in the garden in a reasonably damp area, less than a 1km from the marais (large open mashes), slugs etc are not a problem. The mice, voles, hedgehogs, moles, shrews, frogs (including real green ones) toads, snakes etc seem to do a good job of keeping most of the pests at bay.

But no Maraichine cattle?

(I did some work with the local Agric Research Station on these some years ago )