What are you doing on your Plot 2015..?

I too am a new allotment holder having got my plot last month. I managed to get onto it and dig over the beds which have recently been used, the rest of the plot, about half of it was fairly overgrown so I strimmed it all down.
It now looks fairly tidy which is good, as I have now had both hips replaced as of Dec 27th. May be a little while before I can get back there but it gives me the chance to read up a bit about vegetable gardening which is fairly new to me.

My wife was not too keen when I put my name down on the waiting list two years ago, but came with me to view the plot. She became more interested when we were told that we could keep chickens so something else to gem up on while incapacitated.
There were three plots available and we chose the one furthest up the hill which has good views of the bay, think the view would be welcome while straightening the old back up after a spell of digging!!

Well now it's time to get some seed ordered.
Yesterday, to pass some time I watched a few episodes of Gardeners world, I paused it for a break right at the point where it showed a pack of seeds from Tamar Organics. Is this a good place for getting hold of seed, or is there somewhere else recommended ?

I'm already looking forward to getting started !!

 

I don't have an allotment, just a veg patch at the bottom of the garden if that counts. Patches are planned and intended seeds bought. I've got a stack of seeds from Christmas and my leaving-do from an old job. Not sure where I'll put all the extra stuff but I'm sure I'll work something out. Bring on the Summer!

 

Not heard of them.

If you are new to this I would stick to Bog Standard varieties, and restrict experimentation with the unusual (round courgettes, funny coloured vegetables, a cross between a Tomato and a Potato that gives you both crops ...) and focus on the old stalwarts that are likely to come up trumps. A a Newbie you may get some failures, best to minimise the chance of that, so that at the end of the year your first thought isn't "Sod that for a game of soldiers"

Premier Seeds, on eBay, get good feedback from people here, and are cheap-as-chips.

My advice would be:

ONLY GROW WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT.
Crops that are expensive in the shops = Runner Beans, New Potatoes, etc. Raspberries perhaps (you get very little crop in Year 1 though)
Crops that you eat lots of (but watch out for anything really cheap to buy, that takes up a lot of space - like maincrop spuds)
Things that have best flavour if picked fresh. Sweetcorn is the best example. But its a low-return crop.
Specific varieties that you know that you love, but which are hard to get in the shops.
ONLY GROW WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT (just in case you missed that earlier on!!!)

 

Thank you Kristen, I will check out Premier seeds.

I may well have a few failures in the first year but it won't put me off. Gardening is my profession though it has always been in the ornamental field. I'm just new to kitchen gardening .
Seems sensible to me to grow only what you like to eat, I have gone through the list of vegetables with my wife, we use lots of onions, leeks, parsnips, spinach etc.
May well try something we have not tried like Chard.

 

Ah, OK. You'll be fine then. You will know whether a plant is water stressed, or looks like it needs feeding etc., so you'll fair much better than someone brand new to gardening

Chard is a good crop. Cut & Come Again over a long season. Cut the top off if it starts to go to seed.

You need a sowing / planting timetable. Plenty of charts on the internet (the RHS has one), beyond that you might like to make a list using the back of seed packets that you have bought as a guide - either in a spreadsheet, if you are into that sort of thing, or the back of a cigarette packet.

 

If the plot dries out a bit I hope to prune my bramble this next weekend,then dig the whole plot over again ready for the off.My plans will be the same more or less as I would normally grow ,3 long rows of peas,potatoes,cabbage/caulis/brocolli,salad crops,leeks and onions sweede/parsnips/beetroot.Indoor and outdoor tomatoes, chillies and sweet peppers.Plus my soft fruits strawberrys/rasp's/red and green gooseberrys/black and red currants. .Cut flowers ,sweet peas and dahlia's.

 

I've sown (in January) Onions, Broad Beans, Sweet and Chillie peppers. Expecting my seed potatoes to arrive soon, and on arrival I will set some of them in bags for early crop (and chit the rest)

I'll start off my Tomatoes mid February, and sow some carrots in a container, but that's about it for Feb.

 

Its just too wet still to start on the newest plot,ive got my spuds,onion sets and shallots,garlics been in pots for 2 month,sown some chard(indoors) and rosemary,sage & chives are good to be planted when i have a plot plan for it,need to split comfry plants as soon as its possible...Ive got more noted to myself than a little

 

I've been working on the structure of the plots this winter, I've had old carpet down as pathways and covering some parts of the plots and they are starting to rot now so it's time they where gone. At the same time I am edging the beds with timber to define them and the pathways, this is now mostly complete on the back plot and I am now working (finally) on the first fruit cage.

Steve...

 

Apart from stapling on some netting in spring, and sorting out the pathways (covering with weed membrane) when the ground dries out a little, I've finally finished the fruit cage. It's a substantial structure 40ft by 13ft that has already withstood our recent gale force winds.





All made from recycled timber....

Steve...

 

Ive been up to the allotment today and finally made a start,got space ready for my spuds and weeded the raised beds,i hope the weather stays mostly dry as ive got a week off work

Need to get a patch ready for the onions next.
Can first earlies spuds be planted now or is it too early?
Ive had some chitting for weeks,got spruts but gone a bit soft and green...will they be ok ??
Thanks x

 

My spud bed is ready to go, but alas due to unwell car, didn't manage to get out on Monday, so work for 4 days starting at the weekend, so praying for dry weather so I can catch up, get the other beds dug out and ready for planting.

Good question, can plant my spuds, they all chitted nicely and raring to go

 

Good Friday or over the Easter weekend is the traditional time to plant spuds, this year that is 3rd April, some years it's the other end of April. You have to take into consideration the last frost date of the year and time your spuds so that emerging shoots do not get frost damaged, blacken and die off.

However, I always plant mine at the end of March, ridge the soil up quite high over them then keep my eye on the weather, if frost is forecast I will go out and cover emerging shoots with fleece.

If your plants get frosted, all is not lost, new shoots will grow but your crop will be delayed due to this, or you can wash frost off with a watering can before the sun gets onto the frosted foliage as it's this that does the damage. I have done that once only but it worked.

Others plant their spuds much later.

Steve...

 

Managed to rake over and clear off some of my plot, but rain has stopped play on my intention to go and hoe it. Booooo