The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: nutterly_uts on August 20, 2014, 09:41:02 pm
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Hi everyone :)
I've just had word that I might be offered a sort of allotment :) Its part of a larger organic field that has been split down a bit as the owner found it too much - there are currently 2 other people with plots as part of it, and their "rent" is produce swapped back to the owner, as well as tips and help as they have lots of experience.
I have no experience, but am more then happy to give back produce :thumbsup:
Now I don't know how big an area I'm being offered, but I'm going to look at it end of this week or early next I think.
What do I need to get on and do if I take this on/get offered it? What should I be planting now for over the winter?
Can you recommend any books to look at? I'm off to explore this forum now
Thanks :excited:
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Geoffrey Hamilton wrote excellent books about organic gardening. I presume you would have to keep it organic as the field already is. Growing this winter will largely depend on what it's like at the moment. Has it been cultivated regularly or is it pasture or weeds? If the latter, you would be best covering it with black plastic or large, flattened cardboard boxes with weights on top to kill off everything, then starting next spring.
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Congrats. A lot to think about and depends on size of plot, enthusiasm, resources and how long you're likely to be there and what you may be allowed to plant: veggies, flowers, soft fruit, trees...
This is the time of year to start cadging stuff from seeds to strawberry runners and still not too late to try a few cuttings..
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Congratulations, very exciting times ahead.
There's a good bit about winter crops in this months homefarmer mag and a special offer on seeds to plant in the coming weeks if you want to start on a little of your plot to get something for your wok before next summer.
They can be growing nicely while you deal with the rest of the plot, depending on how much work needs done of course. If you live close and are permitted then what about a couple of hens to dig part of the plot, fertilise and give you some eggs at the same time if you get pol now :chook:
Whatever you do, it is sooooo rewarding :garden:
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Congratulations.
Try and get rid of any couch grass if its there. Same for docks and thistles and any other weeds that are there in abundance. Cover with plastic or carpet or pull up and compost. Don't compost couch and before you compost the likes of nettles, docks etc make sure they are dead first - leave out in the sun for a day or two before throwing on the heap.
If you are going to be on the site for some time it may be worth you trying to plan out your area - put carpet paths down, place boards down for the edging of beds etc.
Planting wise - winter cabbages, winter onions, late kales, winter salads, you can sow spr onions and leave them in the ground over winter and they should come away in the spring. Over the winter, plant any fruit bushes - currants, gooseberries, rasps, bare root strawbs, brambles.
You could always plant a green manure for over the winter. Things like rye, phacelia, clovers, ryegrass, forage rye, mustards, vetches etc. They will help smother out weeds, help improve soil structure with the roots, if its a legume cover crop it will leave residual nitrogen for next years crop. Some will stand through the winter, some will be killed off by frosts. at the tail end of the winter, chop down the crop and dig down.
Books - The Veg Expert and The Fruit Expert books are my bibles when it comes to plant specifics of plant times, spacing's etc. I think they are great books.
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Congratulations Utterly ,
What part of the UK do you live in ?
Those two books ,Veg & Fruit expert by DG Hessayon are indeed excellent books, so is the flower expert.
I kicked off with them donkeys years ago and still buy new ones every few years to keep up to speed with seed types and anything new on the scene .. lots of organic places like you to include bee friendly saleable flowers as well flower all year or help prolong a yeas worth of flowers .
My eldest daughter was allowed a large 1/3 acre organic plot because she stated she intended to grow at least 1/5 of if for cut flowers.
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I bought a book many years ago called the allotment month by month, by Alan Buckinghamshire. Also of you look for bob flower dew's no work garden, it talks about various plants which do well in various temperatures and soils.
Hope this helps