JackMcH's Allotment

Eight hundred square feet?? I don't think I even know anybody that lives in a house that small. No offense intended and I am not trying to act like I am better than anybody because of the size of homes. So please don't be offended. We moved from a 2500 square foot brick home in a small town about 75 miles north of Houston, Texas to a 1500 square foot doublewide mobile home on 8 acres, 160 miles north of where we were living. We now live outside of Tyler, Texas. We sold most of our furniture to the man who bought our house, as much of it just wasn't going to fit in our new home. I thought downsizing 1,000 square feet was hard, can't imagine squeezing ourselves into 800 square feet. I am still trying to fit things in here. Never thought I'd ever live in a mobile home, but here we are and happy as we can be!

I take that back about not knowing anybody living in a small home. Our son lives in a travel trailer. He works all over the country, so he hitches up his "home" and takes it with him. He parks it at his grandmother's house when he's "in" and then goes visiting friends and family.

More modern houses are smaller?

 

Hey hey You You, Get Off of my cloud, don't hang around cos three's a crowd on my cloud baby

 

We are starting to have space set aside for allotments but very few so far and very quietly.

Jack, how do you access water? Ours so far rely on water barrels and each gardener must haul, can by can, what they need.

 

Just a little thread hi-jacking, that's all. :rasp:

 

When we bought out place, there was one water spout in the front yard and one in the back. I had to hook up 3 hoses to water the pigs last winter. The horse water tank holds 300 gallons and I only have to fill it up once a week, one hose reaches it. For the chickens, I just toted their water in a bucket, it took 3 hoses to reach the sheep's water too.

So early this spring, we got water pipe laid and more water spouts. I feel positively wealthy! Also got electric run to the portable building that serves as a feed room and I have a light in it!!! The simplest things make me happy.

I bought soaker hoses for the vegetable garden in the spring. Summers are brutal, our soil is sand and plants dry out quickly. I have already bought brass yokes and Y fittings for the soaker hose layout.

 

Lori we have water taps one between four. Mine is at my gate :-)
We have plumbed toilets too ladies gents and disabled

 

Well I started on my allotment today, I had it all dug over and manured mid December, picking the last of my Sprouts Crimbo eve, Just popping over to check once a week since

Today I made a permanent repair to a border fence, drove my netting supports into the ground, capping them with the ubiquitous plastic milk bottles, Then I spread good known wood ash, over my proposed Brassicas patch along with a good dose of Rock Dust
My potatoes are chitting, a bit too well, (I do not know how to slow them down) and my early International Kidney, I am struggling to get them to show, after two weeks I have the merest pinhead sized sprouts
Oh well here is to another brilliant year, and I hope it is so for everyone else

Regards Jack McHammocklashing

 

Great read, sorry I missed it!
All the best this year

 

Great Jack, I to have been up at the allotment at Altyre. Like you have some potatoes chitting but waiting for the rest to be delivered next week. I have been keeping mine in the garage for the last four weeks and they seem to be chitting fine - could it be the temperature you have yours at that is making them sprout fast ??
I planted some winter onions and they are coming on fine, as is the Solent White garlic I planted at the end of October. I have sown a number of different tomato plants and chilli seeds and they are doing great in the greenhouse at home. Keeping them nice and warm on cheap vivarium mats from China which can be had for pennies on fleabay, second year I've used them and no complaints only run at 15W just enough to keep them cosy in one of those under-bed plastic boxes you can buy in Poundstretchers for a couple of quid, makes a great propagator. I've rearranged the beds on the plot this year and made a purpose built strawberry cage to try and stop them being eaten by the pesky birds. All the best Jack and hope you have a great growing season at Balbirnie.

 

Garlic is going very well, already split itself into many cloves
Had a couple of hours turning my wood ash in on the proposed Brasica patch, intend tomorrow to continue turning the wood ash in weather permitting
I have not managed to locate any onion sets ? yet

I have problem with my tomatoes, I can bring them on from seed in the propagator, but then every year end of April I go on a cruise and come back to dried out withered seedlings, If I wait until I am back it is too late for them to produce before the September frosts Oh dear
Fresh wonderful tomatoes or three weeks transiting the Suez Canal decisions decisions

 

You need to make an automatic watering system like I have up at the allotment Jack. 10W solar panel connected to small fountain pump, timer, small golf buggy battery and some micro-bore tubing connected to water butt. Cost me about £40 to put together but well worth it - never lost any tomato plants or chillies when I'm away. also don't have to rely on someone watering for you. Look at my post on automatic watering to get an idea.

Greenhouse Automatic Watering