Grow Your Own

[budgester]

Depends what you want the shed for.... if it's just tools then get some old pallets, a big bag of nails and build a tool box.

[Hightower]

Depends what you want the shed for.... if it's just tools then get some old pallets, a big bag of nails and build a tool box.

 

Well in the alottment I would want a shed for storage of tools and other equipment (plant pots, foods, bottle of bourbon etc), and also to have plenty of room to act as a potting shed too, so general storage on one side, and then a workbench on the other to pot up. Doubt I could knock that up, but who knows. I'm planning to create 3 compost bins out of old pallets first.

 

My grandad doesn't want his alottment any more, but I'm in two minds whether to:

 

a) wait it out and get my own

b) use grandad's under his name

 

My grandad never used his for veg or anything - he used it for pigeons. This means that there's a whole lot of work to be done to it, but on the plus side there's already a cabin built, along with an array of pigeon sheds that can be dismantled and the wood used. There's also a caravan kicking about that would need shifting. And I reckon the place might have a rat/mouse problem.

 

With that said though, I could wait for a garden and find I get one in the same state that has never been used for veg. Also, my uncle contructed a massive polytunnel in one corner years ago, with raised beds and everything. The plastic is not on yet but I'm led to believe he has it somewhere, so this would be a massive bonus.

 

Not sure what to do

[budgester]

With all them pigeons, at least it'll be well fertilised :-)

 

From my own allotment experience, get a plot with a few nasty perenial weeds as possible.

[sparkeh]

Just another word on watering tomatoes, I am looking at getting something like this to regulate the watering:

The Big Drippa

[Sirbendy]

The house we're buying has an attached "strip" of odd garden (looks like a previous land purchase) that the missus wants to convert to a planting garden for Veg..it's been AGES since we've had that opportunity.

 

We do container planting at the moment..I have a dwarf apple tree that's been through 3 moves so far!

 

Re: Slugs..ooh, that's a naughty word in our house. We used to go out about 11pm with a headmounted torch and a salt pot...heh. That was FUN..

 

Also copper wire - they dislike copper. They disliked ours especially, as I hooked it to a 12v SLA battery. Sizzly! Eggshells never seemed to work for us.

 

Re: watering...apparently tapwater is not so good, rainwater is better..so I'll be investing in a big butt (snigger). Always wanted one.

[Butters]

My dad has had an allotment for about 5 years or so now.

 

No vegetable is bought at home, he grows the lot. Built up quite an empire over there and grows all sorts of funny stuff.

 

The amount of massive pumpkins we'll have at the end of the summer will be a new record this year.

[witch]

With all them pigeons, at least it'll be well fertilised :-)

 

Pigeon droppings are quite dangerous though - they can cause all sorts of infections and nasties

[NikChillin]

All I know is - my peas havent come up this year -why, I have no idea! The corn is looking good, as are the carrots, lettuce, raspberries and gooseberries, but no sign of the peas *sigh*

 

So you are a bit 'pee'd' off?

[witch]

So you are a bit 'pee'd' off?

 

oh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....and so on...

[mats]

Mice like peas, they dig 'em up and eat them. Try replanting with some dead bits of bramble around to put them off.

[NikChillin]

Trying this rock mineral dust on my allotment this year, being down here we have less rain and the allotment has no water supply.

 

[Hightower]

Wow, so I've just been given my first allotment, and it's a double allotment. My grandad had quite a few lofts for the birds. I think I'm going to take down the older ones and try and reuse the wood on raised beds and compost areas etc, but I'll be keeping the new one up and getting a bit livestock. Then I think I'll start on the raised beds in the polytunnel so I can start planting, and then start to work on each section bit by bit.

 

Got a long hard slog ahead of me. Think the first port of call is getting a little bit of thin hose so I can fix the fuel line on my strimmer.

[Sirbendy]

IIRC, I used to use Aquarium air hose on one of our old mowers..that worked well.

[Hightower]

Got something off our DT technician, might be a bit small but should warm and slide over with a bit of luck.

[Andie]

:shocked:Garden Organic do a set of growing guide cards that you can download in pdf form - one veg on each card (you don't have to print them!).

 

Growing info cards. Growing Cards - Grow Your Own info in bite-sized chunks

 

As an alternative to Tomorite, liquid seaweed is good for anything that fruits (peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, etc.). When you really get up and running, you can grow comfrey (variety Bocking 14) and make your own liquid feed!!

 

There is lots of allotment advice on the Gardener's Click website. You can also find the Radio 2 allotment expert, Terry Walton, on there who does a fairly regular podcast.

 

Terry's Podcast « Gardening Articles « gardenersclick

 

And of course you will want to start composting:

 

Recycle now - Home Composting

 

That should keep you going for a while.....

 

:shocked: