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Garden - My Allotment.
- Thread starter Superhudd
- Start date
Superhudd
Simon Davies
Apologies. Cleared
Superhudd
Simon Davies
Ok.. the growing season has started.. this year I will be more proactive with photo's as last year was a bit of a disaster on the plot. As some might remember we had around 5 weeks away last summer, first half in the Phillipines where we helped Immunise a whole town's children and then onto Australia.
Unfortunately when we got back a lot of what was on the allotment had died due to under watering. The person we asked to maybe water the plot once a week didn't do it.
Anyway.. hopefully this year will be better and not just Potatoes will be produced. Got a few photos of the plot and what it looks like just now, will be uploaded in a couple of hours.. need a bath after doing the bonfire all afternoon.
Unfortunately when we got back a lot of what was on the allotment had died due to under watering. The person we asked to maybe water the plot once a week didn't do it.
Anyway.. hopefully this year will be better and not just Potatoes will be produced. Got a few photos of the plot and what it looks like just now, will be uploaded in a couple of hours.. need a bath after doing the bonfire all afternoon.
Superhudd
Simon Davies
So.. having last dug over the Allotment in early Januray, plenty of Frost has got into the ground, this is to kill of any nasties from the previous years growing. The soil takes on a grey look. I have started weeding today and you can notice that I have done very well eliminating weed one season to the next, if you compare the first page of this thread where it shows the area when first taken on. You can see the darker soil beneath, in the last picture you will see I have started growing, infact those are onions which you can plant before Christmas and can withstand winter. The overwintering onions as they are called were today joined by some Garlic. You will see the round circles. The circles were made using a bulb digger then filled with a mixture of organic blood, fish and bone.. rotted manure and compost mixture. In picture 3 the first early spuds will go into, I only have two lines of these, the variety I have chosen is International Kidney or better known as Jersey Royal, although they cannot be called that as they are not grown in Jersey. International Kidney are actually a main crop potato but are harvested early and basically baby potatoes. I could replicate the Jersey way if I wanted to by adding a seaweed feed to the potatoes which replicates Jersey's salty atmosphere. They should be ready in July. I will plant the maincrop potatoes last week of April with a thought of havesting September.
Superhudd
Simon Davies
Added two things this afternoon, the first row of seed potatos, first earlies International Kidney (Jersey Royals) They sit on a bed of a mixture of Compost, Manure and Blood Fish and Bone. After that I planted 15 feeble looking Broad Bean plants. I filled the potato row with more compost.
Danishfurniturelover
the prettiest spice girl
How long till your potato's need turfing up mate? I put some slug pellets in with mine as in the last garden I always had problems with slugs.
We moved house last year and the most traumatic part for me was transferring the asparagus. Low and behold the roots have popped up to the service this year and I have been chucking compost on them like no ones business. Was only them and the Raspberry bushes we took from the old garden. The rest I am starting from scratch again.
Been so busy trying to get garden up to speed but it still not look good.
Do you have any fruit trees supperhud?
We moved house last year and the most traumatic part for me was transferring the asparagus. Low and behold the roots have popped up to the service this year and I have been chucking compost on them like no ones business. Was only them and the Raspberry bushes we took from the old garden. The rest I am starting from scratch again.
Been so busy trying to get garden up to speed but it still not look good.
Do you have any fruit trees supperhud?
Superhudd
Simon Davies
I don't bother at the moment with the turfing up, right now the earth I have got to work with is basically to clay heavy and I and taking out the whole row of earth and filling it completely with compost. Therefore when I get round to mixing it all together before the winter the mix will be better to handle. Generally you turf up when the plant grows basically or when there is a couple of inches protruding from the mound, some people just mound up from the start though.. With regards slugs, slugs find it hard to move over wood chip and therefore last year we had none, its the main reason we sectioned up with the wood chip paths. I will probably put some pellets around the inside of the plank borders should I get invaded.
Do you chit your potatoes? I do, see the first picture below and the tops have the early growth, its not imperative you do it, but gives them a nice head start.
Havesting you need to wait until the leaves turn yellow and start to wilt. Bring them up as and when you want to eat them (Don't do with main crop spuds). First Earlies generally are late June through to late July. Depends when you plant them and what you plant. International Kidney are actually a main crop variety but are horrid grown large, looking forward now to my baby potatoes with a nice knob of Anchor butter. Each line of seed potatoes are about £4.. and each seed should produce me a nice 500g worth which in supermarket terms, is a bag, Jersey's cost about £3 in the supermarket for 500g. So I have planted 25 seed potatoes which adds upto 25 x £3 - £8(seed cost) = £68 saving,
The end game is so rewarding though. Steady and slow is best.. worst thing is doing to much and doing your back. 3hrs I am on it when I go down there, any more then I start to seize up in the lower back.
Yes, four young trees. inherited from the previous plot holder.. Bramley apple and Plum. I have got two rhubarb roses going in plant pots right now, just want them to take and root in the pot before I plant them..
Anyway, two more pictures..
2nd row done of first earlies, pictured with my helper Mr Robin.
...and both rows mounded up about 12"-16" above the seed potato so shouldn't need mounding any more. Hopefully, fingers crossed should start seeing plants in two-three weeks depending on how warm it is.
Cannot wait to get myself a little Honda tiller to mix all that up to make better ground. Maybe I will ask father Christmas.