Starting an allotment now

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Starting an allotment now - what to do
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Jb

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 7761
Location: 91� N

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 12:22 pm Post subject: Starting an allotment now - what to do
After much prevarication the council have finally got their allotments up and running. Being somewhat late in the season what could I plant now and still get a crop?

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 12:35 pm Post subject:
Late ??? ! I reckon you can still plant/sow most rotation plot veg : spuds, legumes, brassicas, roots. I've only put my spuds, JAs, broad beans and onions in so far. The rest follows now [first half of May] You may be a bit late with toms, chillies, peppers etc, but they will catch up, especially in a greenhouse.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 12:39 pm Post subject:
Perfect time to start sweetcorn, squash, beans etc.

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 12:49 pm Post subject:
This happened to me 4 years ago, when we first got our allotment, in fact it was mid-May. That was the best year we had, it has been downhill since then! The main reason was that I did not try to be clever that year, we just blitzed the weeds and then planted as much as possible regardless of what planting dates it said on the seed packets. A seed in the ground is worth 2 in the packet!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 12:51 pm Post subject: Re: Starting an allotment now - what to do

JB wrote:

After much prevarication the council have finally got their allotments up and running. Being somewhat late in the season what could I plant now and still get a crop?

Better to list what its probably a little late for. That would be summer brassicas, maybe getting too late for early potatoes but its worth a bash with main crop if you have some to plant. Getting a little late than I'd like it to be to sow broad beans. You'll get away with most other veg though.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 1:15 pm Post subject:
This is all good news! My plot will be ready to receive seed/plants this weekend.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 3:05 pm Post subject:
To late for onions, shallots & garlic. Still time to sow leek seed & just about everything else.

sellickbhoy

Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Posts: 45

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 3:48 pm Post subject:
i never planted anything til late may last year carrots, parsnips, beetroot, peas, strawbs, blackberry and raspberry, onions (sets and seed) fennel, early and main crop spuds all went in and did well did some lettuce as well

cricketbod

Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 146
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 7:50 pm Post subject:
good timing if you ask me. Still have to be wary of the odd frost, here in hampshire we had a touch of frost on tuesday morning. Veg such as chard, pak choi and beetroot like to be planted in mid may-early june to prevent bolting. Bung a few swede in in june too.........mashed swede with a bit of butter, lovely!!

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 8:03 pm Post subject:

Tavascarow wrote:

To late for onions, shallots & garlic.

I only put my onion sets in last weekend [up here]. Agree about garlic though, and never grown shallots so no idea about them.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 8:22 pm Post subject:
I'd be nervous with shallots or onions this late to be honest, but plenty of time for spring onions or Welsh onions.

alice

Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 2820

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 8:25 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

Late ??? !

I reckon you can still plant/sow most rotation plot veg : spuds, legumes, brassicas, roots.

I've only put my spuds, JAs, broad beans and onions in so far. The rest follows now [first half of May]

You may be a bit late with toms, chillies, peppers etc, but they will catch up, especially in a greenhouse.

Ooh, that could be me talking

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 09 8:30 pm Post subject:

Isn't there a quaint British tradition that all allotments should be knee deep in weeds (at least) and that the topsoil should be 10% root, mainly perennial weeds.

If you have such a plot, clear two or three feet, decide which veggies can be sown, proceed with the next three feet.

Start planning next year's crops.

I got my lottie in April, the first 4 ft were used for onion sets, the harvested onions were the size of large shallots (almost a waste of time). The second 4' was planted out with "Savoy" cabbages (a gift from a plotholder), surprisingly good. The next 4' was used for maincrop carrots, they were an outstanding success. After that I covered the soil with black plastic ready for next year. The remaining half was smothered in grass clippings provided by a local professional gardener, it worked.

Three years later, the plot looks like an expert has been working it

OP

Joined: 28 Jul 2006
Posts: 4661
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 7:54 am Post subject:

oldish chris wrote:

Three years later, the plot looks like an expert has been working it

After 3 years you are an expert - or at least a survivor.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Fri May 01, 09 8:16 am Post subject:
Is there a time scale for when you can start looking down your nose at Young Upstarts with a plot next to yours, and telling them that's not the right way to do things?

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