Empire Expansion

[Tomr]

After about 6 months on the waiting list I have now been assigned an allotment just round the corner from me.

It’s actually a half plot but that’ll do just fine for starters. I went down today and measured up and it’s roughly 4.5m x 20.5m (just under 1000 sq ft in old money) of assorted mud, half a Blackberry bush, a smallish limb of a Elder tree, a medium sized Hawthorn and a cracked old bathtub someone has sunk into the ground. Oh and some man eating stinging nettles.

I’ve been told there’s been nothing grown on it except grass and weeds for a couple of years. The council have been and rotovated it which I’m not sure was the best of plans as it’s probably chopped the weeds into loads of little bits. Oh well.

I’m going to sit down over the next couple of days and plan it out properly but I’d like to get something in the ground as soon as possible. I think I’m going to keep my salad crops in the garden for connivance but any suggestions as to what can be planted/sown in the near future for a crop this year or next?

Pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/tom.reason2/Allotment

[JR]

We are planting this and next month, spring cabbages, kale (redbor), carrots and potatoes (for november onwards digging saving some in the ground for xmas dinner), salad and green manure (mustard).

End of october into november plant onions sets and garlic. We did lots last year as our plot was empty and are now reaping the benefits with lots of freah garlic and home grown cricket ball sized onions.

Broad beans can be sown october time onwards too.

One good thing with ground that has been rested is that you should have a good crop next year. Down side is lots of weeding during the year as they like the soil too.

See the link below for information we obtained starting out and our progress this year.

[red]

[ina]

Great! I'd just mainly get prepared to plant fruit bushes etc - plus onions and so on as mentioned above. And try and stay on top of the weeds. Might be an idea either to sow a cover crop (phacelia, or some legume), or cover with black plastic - or do a bit of each...

I just don't understand the council's obsession everywhere to rotovate.

[Jandra]

Have a look at this thread for tips what to sow this time of year.

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 12&t=10631

Also check out the summer sowing guide of the Real Seed Catalogue for good tips.

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/summersowing2.html

Congratulations on your plot!

Jandra

[JR]

I think they feel they are doing you a favour, I did have the option on ours once we had cleared it. I decided due to the amount of bindweed I would use a good old fashioned implement and dig it by hand sifting out the bindweed as I went. Not easy but worth while.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Any bits that aren't going to be used for brassicas and so forth could be sown with a green manure. Lucerne (alfalfa) and vetch (tares) are my personal favourites because they fix nitrogen like billy-ho. Lucerne roots deeply and brings up all kinds of minerals from the sunsoil too.

Good luck!

[Tomr]

Thank you all very much for your replies! The wealth of knowledge present on this bored never ceases to amaze me!

I now have a rough idea in my mind of what I want to grow and how I’m going to lay it all out and I’ll try committing it to paper today.
From the look at what’s left at the end of the plot I think most of what’s been rotovated in was a coarse grass so hopefully it won’t be two difficult to keep on top of.

[Bluemoon]

I wouldn't put in anything permanent until spring. Try to visit your plot several times during the winter, especially in foul weather, even if only for a few minutes. That way you'll be able to identify frost pockets, areas of water logging, how exposed it is to the prevailing wind and, daft as it sounds, where any shadows from fences or sheds fall. It's so easy to plant overwintering cabbages, for example, in a sunny spot in summer, only to find them languishing in the shade all winter because the sun is lower and therefore the shadows longer. Get to know your plot before you make any irreversible decisions. It's far better to work in harmony with what you have than to constantly battle to try and bend nature to your own ideas. Ultimately it's far more satisfying to work this way too, and probably more productive and cheaper.

[JR]

I would put Garlic and onions in, even if it were only a few. We did last November and the rafters of our shed is full with cricket ball sized onions and half a dozen garlic platts. They like a bit of cold to get them going!