More from the allotment
Well.....I went up to the allotment for the first time in two weeks and everything has certainly grown plenty, including the weeds! The weather has been so good for leaf growth, with regular rain and warm days so the pieces of mare's tail that I missed out during my weeding have started to grow. Fortunately it looked worse than it was and when you start tugging they come out easily enough, but in a strange way I'm already looking forward to the winter when I can clear areas and thoroughly go through them all again. I simply will not be beaten!
Most of my plants are doing really well too, which is heartening. I've popped in some dahlias for cut flowers which have come up strongly. My spuds are looking great. I was a little worried about my Jerusalem artichokes, so I impatiently dug one up to have a look and, although it hasn't done much yet, it's put down some good roots and has buds coming off its tubers. So I reckon all they need now is a bit of heat to put on extra growth.
The kids' broad beans have some black fly, but then most people on the allotment seem to have them pretty bad. Although the garlic Manuel gave me has some rust on it, my own garlic, onions and shallots are extremely healthy, which shows it's worth getting them from a reputable supplier. No offence Manuel! My peas, squashes and courgettes are all fine too. On Monday I put out some chillies, tomatoes and sowed some carrots, so am filling up the space pretty quickly and I'm now thinking what to put in place of the early potatoes, which will be ready to dig up and eat soon. My Swifts look like the first to be ready and I know my next door plot holder Keith has already had a good crop from his. He also has four chickens now, which are like his new kids. I was a little worried they'd cluck all day, but they've been as good as gold and he hopes they'll start laying soon. Connie's sunflower is doing better than Stanley's, but there's still a long way to go in the allotment sunflower race! Catch up soon, Joe.
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Hi Joe,
It's so inspiring to watch and hear from another "newbie" to veg growing like myself. I'm so jelous that you are managing to get your crops in the ground! I've just (this week) got my first half plot and can't wait to start growing my own. But at the moment it is just a piece of field and has never been dug or clutivated, so I'm a bit disheartened about how much work I will have to do before I can even get to the stage that you are.
Keep up the good work!
Christine
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hi there
Well after nagging the local allotment guys about a plot for at least 9 months they gave me a plot 2 days before my maternity leave finished. Oh well, an 8 month old baby, work and an allotment.. how hard could it be???
Its been very, very hard word, but I have found it the perfect place to de-stress and calm. The allotments over look Swansea Bay and the Mumbles giving me wonderful views when I get the chance to lift my head. The digging has helped me lose a little weight and tone my arms, so thats a bonus for a start.
My 90ft by 30ft patch of mud and weeds is now almost full (I almost went for a half plot...AAAHHHH where would I have put everything??) It seems that every seed I planted has germinated and grown into a healthy little plant.
The 1st of june saw my first real crop. It was a wonderful feeling walking home with a lettuce, handfulls of radish and 4 beautiful red strawberries. Ok so its a little limited at the moment but just you wait......
Wishing you all the best at your plot.
Regards Beverley
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Hi there we've newly acquired an allotment plot for our school (Kings Norton Primary in Birmingham). We're a very enthuasiastic lot with not much expertise between us so we're finding Joe's Allotment section on Gardeners World invaluable!
We take the children up to our site once a week and have already managed to plant 2 different types of potatoes and sweatpeas in two beds, strawberry plants, gooseberry bushes and lettuce in another bed, and we've trying out the 3 sister theme of pumpkins, runner beans and sweetcorn in another bed. We've also got broadbeans in and planted herbs (parsley, chives, mint etc) in pots and tomatoes and carrots in tubs.
Today we're going up to plant radish and beetroot as we've heard that they have a really fast growth rate so that the children can see results in just one week. We'll keep you posted as to what results we actually get!
We'd love a visit from anyone of the Gardeners World team to get alittle more know how!
Sue Rushton, Kings Norton Primary School
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I think you all deserve a serious 'Well done' for the efforts you're putting in.
Still no harvest from my plot but the Straw berry patch and Raspberry patch I inherited from the previous plot holder all look like they'll ripen any day now. Very excited by that.
On the subject of inheritance I also seem to have inherted a Jerusalam Artichokes patch. I didn't realise I had as it was bear ground when I took the plot on. Now a mear month later and the plants are near four feet high. I did a quick dig around to work out what the plant was but of course the problem is the plants are way to close together based on the spacing I'm seeing recomended in books.
I guess I'm looking to see if anyone has any suggestions. Should I dig them up now and space them out? or should I leave them as is. Accept they don't have the space to put on a proper crop this year and spread them out next year?
All suggestions appriciated.
Regards, Sean
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Hi Joe, I really liked your idea of using recycled containers as water butts on your allotment. Do you or anyone else know where I could get some like that?
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Good work, Joe.
There is a real groundswell towards 'growing your own' in our village.
It's interesting to watch you learn and we are learning with you, even those of us with a bit more experience.
Your enthusiasm is great and I like the way you are showing how allotments (and gardening generally) are good for involving the whole family and a good way to meet new people.
Plant swapping is great fun too and I'm glad you're bringing that idea to GW Live.
Happy gardening!
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Hi Joe,
I've just had my first ever crop : 3 strawberries ("gariguette" - scrumptious) and 5 radishes !!! I'm so thrilled. And this in a wet French summer.
But watching the programme last Friday I noticed we have a common foe : horsetail. I did the wrong thing and rotovated my plot at the end of the winter, thus chopping up the roots and propagating them very thoroughly (and they go down 8 metres deep too).
None of the old-timers seem to have any idea about how to contain it, but my organic veggie man says it's not a problem and it's good for arthritis. I've also heard you can make natural feed from it, so for the time being, I'm composting what I pull up.
And I'm looking into permaculture to see if I can't find some plants to take over from it. Though it looks nice and frothy growing up through my aliums.
What a dilemma....
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Just wanted to let as many gardeners as possible know about the problem that we are having on Green Lane Allotments in Wakefield. About 20 of our plots are showing signs of herbicide damage. All plots used manure from the same source last year and advice from the RHS is that they are suffering from weedkiller residue in the manure, from a fairly new herbicide. This is affecting potato, tomato and bean crops so far and is spreading as the chemical breaks down in the soil. No-one can confirm that we can eat any crops that we may be lucky to harvest. I know I mustn't post a weblink but our blog has lots of information, photographs and links to the RHS and Pesticide Safety Directorate warnings issued just this week. If you want to view pop Green Lane allotments into Google and you will find the link. Joe is there any way you can publicise this on Gardener's World.
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Hi Joe,
Just caught the last half of the programme tonight at the point you were planting sweet potatoes. I have been looking for sweet potatoes for some time now and all the info I can get off of the net is that they do not grow above 34°N so will not grow here. But, you not just have one variety but three!
Where can I buy the tubers?
Appologies if this point was addressed earlier in the programme, but I missed it.
All the best
Barehairbear
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Hi Joe
I am from the Caribbean and just caught the tail end of your planting of sweet potatoes, on last night's programme. I have been told that I cannot grow sweet potatoes in the UK. I would love advice on growing them and where I can get tubers/plants.
As a newbie gardener in the UK I am greatly encouraged by the information I gain from your programme.
I have already used some of the herbs I grew, some new potaotes, 1 scrumptious strawberry and am waiting patiently for other crops to produce.
Much thanks
Bajangreen
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It was great to see you planting the sweet potatoes on the lottie, as I am growing some this year for the first time. I have grown mine from a potted-up supermarket bought sweet potato and have got over 15 plants from the one spud. It will be interesting to watch how you get on with them, although I'm in the Midlands, you may have a bit warmer weather.
Good luck with everything - it is great to see someone tackling the same problems on TV that lots of us 'ordinary' veg growers face.
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