# My new allotment



## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Well its actually half an allotment but I'm over the moon with it, its in my name but its mine & my best friends...& its only £4 per year so that's an added bonus. I get inundated with produce of my Dad-in-laws allotment + my Uncle & neighbour ...so has anyone got any ideas of things a bit more unusual we could grow, that's not too difficult?. We want to do this organically.

'Shed' has gotta go lol



I even love the pathway leading up to it


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## GeoffLondon (Feb 17, 2010)

And a great time of year to get it too! You can do all the hard work now so it's ready for planting in spring!

I love my allotment....wish I could get down there a little more often, though. So much time is taken up with writing and general life. Meh!

Enjoy! Looking forward to progress pictures.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

It looks great :thumbup:

It's reminded me that I need to put some feelers out for local allotments now I've finished college


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

Clearing those weeds is going to take quite a bit of work. 

Globe artichokes are unusual; look nice if you let some of them flower, and they attract hoverflies and bees. In turn, the hoverflies will help keep on top of greenfly.

You could plant Aquadulce broad beans this autumn, for an early crop next year. And that black kale, very tasty


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## GeoffLondon (Feb 17, 2010)

Burrowzig said:


> You could plant Aquadulce broad beans this autumn, for an early crop next year. And that black kale, very tasty


Yes, I've always found Aqaudulce really good for planting in Nov. Overwintering broad beans seem a little more resistant to black fly too, and it's nice to be able to get something growing early on.


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

Congratulations! How long do you reckon it wil be before you get a bit clear enough to plant? We are just about to clear the very last bit of ours and I am looking at potato varieties for next year, as that is what I use to "clear the ground" in the first season. But if you can get a bit cleared before November you could put fruit bushes or strawberries in for next year. 

On the unusual and/or delicious side for next year, borlotti beans, squash, chard, beetroot, garlic and sweetcorn don't seem to have to many pests. (Well once they are big enough to escape the slugs). 

What kind of soil have you got? Oh, and you need comfrey.


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Geat ideas guys, thank you. I really fancy having a go at squash, chard, aquadulce bean & kale in particular, my Grandad always use to grew the green variety. I like the look of artichokes..but what do they even taste like? I've never eaten one before

I haven't got very much further on with it so not much of an update, these pics are a week or so old & most of the digging at the back of the shed is done. We were hoping to plant some onions, winter cabbage, kale, and the aquadulce beans at the weekend Jonescat 

. Ive got plans for in front of the shed effort, I want a green house and compost bins...that's why my oh looks daunted - his job! lol. Then me & my friend fancy a nice herb garden in the space that's left.

Get your name down SS, Im finding it very therapeutic up there...& Ive been told that once its all prepared you only need a couple of hours a week on it. Though from what ive seen, I think some of the holders live on theirs lol


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## 1290423 (Aug 11, 2011)

Coming on a treat Noush 
xxx


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

I am just on my way out to plant my onions. How's it going?


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

> *DT* Coming on a treat Noush
> xxx


Thanks Sue 



Jonescat said:


> I am just on my way out to plant my onions. How's it going?


Its going well thanks I couldn't get hold of the beans, cabbage or kale, just about everything for autumn planting had sold out. But funnily enough, I planted some onion sets aswell So that's all ive got in at the moment lol

My manure arrived last week, think i'll let my friend see to that!

.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

That's looking great! I took on a plot in spring and it was a mad rush to get things in, I pay £80 for my half plot  but I've got my money back in veg. 

I've gown quiet a few squashes just harvested them and there fantastic hoping they keep well. 

Now is a good time to ask your family/neighbouring plots for fruit bush/raspberry cuttings. 

Also try and get some muck on the ground, freecycle often has fresh horse muck.

I joined an allotment forum which was great for seed swapping lots of unusual chillies and I tried achocha which were a prolific crop got loads in the freezer


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

emzybabe said:


> That's looking great! I took on a plot in spring and it was a mad rush to get things in, I pay £80 for my half plot  but I've got my money back in veg.
> 
> I've gown quiet a few squashes just harvested them and there fantastic hoping they keep well.
> 
> ...


Thank you!

Its astonishing how much plots vary in rent isn't it. In our mining village there are 6 allotment areas dotted around, most are council, one owned by the Lord of a local estate, another owned by a coal mining company. The mining company were putting their rents up to £250 per year I believe They are huge plots though, but my Dad-in-law has an allotment close by but his is one owned by the Lord & his is one of the huge ones, yet he pays just £5 annually.:skep:

I'm glad its still worth your while to pay the rent, you cant beat home grown crops can you. You clearly have green fingers - it sounds a very productive allotment I just hope ive inherited my Grandads green fingers lol

Thank you for the tips, we did fancy growing raspberries, & we have brambles all around the compound - love berries they are my favourite group of fruits!

I think I'll have to join a forum, seed swapping is a great idea. I'd never even heard of achochas, ive just had a google, and I've never seen one before either do they taste like a cucumber?

.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

The nearest thing I can discribe them to is a green pepper. I let mine get big say 2 inches then slice in quarters scraped off any seeds and put in quiches stir fries chilles curries etc. if you'd like to give them a try I'll happily send you some saved seeds. 

I'm hoping to get down this weekend and get some garlic in the ground. 

My site is owned and managed by the National Trust I dont know if its their standard fee because its a fairly new site, its lovely down there but can get busy with public at weekends. They also have a lot of rules no sheds or greenhouse, fires, animals, only allowed well rotted cow poo no horse, the list is endless. I'm hoping to move house and town next year so may give the plot up at the end of next year hopefully the council waiting list won't be too log for a new plot.


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

emzybabe said:


> The nearest thing I can discribe them to is a green pepper. I let mine get big say 2 inches then slice in quarters scraped off any seeds and put in quiches stir fries chilles curries etc. if you'd like to give them a try I'll happily send you some saved seeds.
> 
> I'm hoping to get down this weekend and get some garlic in the ground.
> 
> My site is owned and managed by the National Trust I dont know if its their standard fee because its a fairly new site, its lovely down there but can get busy with public at weekends. They also have a lot of rules no sheds or greenhouse, fires, animals, only allowed well rotted cow poo no horse, the list is endless. I'm hoping to move house and town next year so may give the plot up at the end of next year hopefully the council waiting list won't be too log for a new plot.


I'm sorry for taking so long to reply Emzy, I've only just noticed your post

They sound really nice, I use chillies a lot so these would be great for me to grow. I'd really appreciate some seeds, if you have a pay pal account I can pay you for them & the postage via that thank you!

Did you manage to get your garlic in? Do you just plant cloves off garlic bulbs? (im afraid im a complete novice lol)

I can imagine the NT to be stict like that. On these allotments we cant have livestock or burn rubbish until after a certain date in October, sheds & greenhouses are fine though. How do you go on with water if you cant catch off a shed roof?

Hope, if you go on the council list, you get one as quickly as I did, I think it was only about a week later

.


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## emma20 (Feb 7, 2012)

noushka how long were you waiting for your allotment?
sorry for being nosy, iv just applied for one I know theres different time scales for different allotments just wondering what a rough time is


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

emma20 said:


> noushka how long were you waiting for your allotment?
> sorry for being nosy, iv just applied for one I know theres different time scales for different allotments just wondering what a rough time is


Hiya Emma, my friend saw a notice on the main gate to the allotments saying there were some empty & to put your name down if you want one. From us putting our names down it only took about a week Ours is only half and allotment, the lad who gave it up couldn't manage a full one because he's been really poorly. Since we got it another half came available & they offered it us because its better soil than ours, ours has a lot of boulders in it lol. We didn't want to move though, we like where ours is better - we're at the top of the hill & its got a better view...daft reason I know

Hope you don't have to wait long for yours, good luck


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I'm more than happy to send you some for nothing, just PM me a name and address. Just remember me when you have extra seeds of something unusual 

Yea I got the garlic in, 1 garden centre bulb and 3 large supermarket bulbs about 40 cloves. The garden centre bulb cost me £2.50 and the supermarket ones were much cheaper! Last year I tried some cloves from HomeBase and some from the supermarket, the HomeBase ones never grew and I've heard other people say the same. 

There was some muck delivered over the weekend and I'm still feeling exhausted from all the **** shoveling! 

We have water troughs - I'm not so far from one but others have a fair trek. Some have set up bits of fencing and then attached guttering to this to fall into a water-butt but there quiet pointless without a roof area to collect water on. 

I was offered a council plot in my current town for £10 but they are 5x10meters which I thought was on the small size. (I think they had a lot of people leave as 2012 was a bad year) My Current plot is 3 x that size and I was feeling greedy so I took that.


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

emzybabe said:


> I'm more than happy to send you some for nothing, just PM me a name and address. Just remember me when you have extra seeds of something unusual
> 
> Yea I got the garlic in, 1 garden centre bulb and 3 large supermarket bulbs about 40 cloves. The garden centre bulb cost me £2.50 and the supermarket ones were much cheaper! Last year I tried some cloves from HomeBase and some from the supermarket, the HomeBase ones never grew and I've heard other people say the same.
> 
> ...


Thank you ever so much, that's so kind. Will drop you a pm - and when I get some unusual seeds I certainly will return the favour:thumbsup:

I have some garlic bulbs in, I think i'll break a couple up & pop the cloves in then - see how they go

We've said if we get on with this small plot, and things actually grow! lol we might upgrade to full one when comes vacant, looking forward to spring now then I can really get stuck in.

.


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## tincan (Aug 30, 2012)

Noush & anyone else interested this is a brill site , I get all my toms / peppers / chillis from here .... Such a lovely woman and very very reasonable xx Shirl 

Home - Moreveg vegetable seeds most at 50p also herb and flowers


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## emma20 (Feb 7, 2012)

tincan said:


> Noush & anyone else interested this is a brill site , I get all my toms / peppers / chillis from here .... Such a lovely woman and very very reasonable xx Shirl
> 
> Home - Moreveg vegetable seeds most at 50p also herb and flowers


Oooo this site is going to make my favourites list when I'm on my computer 
My last lot of stuff came off Amazon or from Wilkos


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

tincan said:


> Noush & anyone else interested this is a brill site , I get all my toms / peppers / chillis from here .... Such a lovely woman and very very reasonable xx Shirl
> 
> Home - Moreveg vegetable seeds most at 50p also herb and flowers


Wow this is fantastic, I'm so grateful thank you ever so much xxx:thumbsup:


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I brought about 20 packets of herb seeds from more veg earlier in the year great value for herbs when you just want a few plants. 

I got 12 packets of seeds for under a pound, 2 weeks ago from the Findon branch of the garden centre group, they were 10p a packet and then had a further discount at the til  all the expiry dates are 2015 too so its always worth keeping an eye out for sales come autumn.


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

If you are planning to grow spuds there are great bargains now, as they want to despatch them by the end of Jan. I just finally made my mind up what to buy and got the first and second earlies at 30% (2.99 instead of 9.96).


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## tincan (Aug 30, 2012)

Nice little website here , only just found it so going through it myself slowly lol .. So Noush & anyone else interested fill ya boots 

Allotment Garden: Vegetable, Fruit and Herb Gardening on an Allotment, General Gardening Help and Advice


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

Ive been meaning to check this thread out for ages, sorry to see I missed some posts.

Well I now have a full allotment, the lad who had the other half to ours hasn't bothered with it, so the secretary said we can have it:thumbup1:. Its breaking my back weeding it mind lol



emzybabe said:


> I brought about 20 packets of herb seeds from more veg earlier in the year great value for herbs when you just want a few plants.
> 
> I got 12 packets of seeds for under a pound, 2 weeks ago from the Findon branch of the garden centre group, they were 10p a packet and then had a further discount at the til  all the expiry dates are 2015 too so its always worth keeping an eye out for sales come autumn.





Jonescat said:


> If you are planning to grow spuds there are great bargains now, as they want to despatch them by the end of Jan. I just finally made my mind up what to buy and got the first and second earlies at 30% (2.99 instead of 9.96).


Thank you both for your great money saving tips. TBH I've hardly bought anything, most of my stuff has been donated. My relation has given me a row of raspberry canes, some broad,runner & dwarf beans. Another relation gave me tomatoe, parsnip, beetroot & basil seeds. An allotment holder gave me some broad bean plants, and Emzy kindly sent me the oca & achocha which seem to be thriving - Ive been very lucky.



tincan said:


> Nice little website here , only just found it so going through it myself slowly lol .. So Noush & anyone else interested fill ya boots
> 
> Allotment Garden: Vegetable, Fruit and Herb Gardening on an Allotment, General Gardening Help and Advice


Aw thank you so much for thinking of me, I certainly shall fill my boots This looks a great site & I need all the info I can get xx


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