Greetings from Glasgow

[greenstar]

Hi, just registered. This is my third year of allotmenteering on the south side of Glasgow and I'm still on a very steep learning curve. This is my first year on a full plot and already I've run out of room - I'm sure you all know the feeling too well.

I'm off to have a gander at the rest of the site before I ask too many daft questions and then find out that they've all been asked umpteen times before.

[Alice]

Welcome to the Vine Greenstar. Do come back and tell us what you're growing.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Greenstar,

Welcome to the vine, nice to have another 'local' grape

Please let us know what you are growing and how conditions are over there.

Mandy

[greenstar]

Thanks Alice and Mandy, and hello!

OK, so this year I will mostly be growing...
Potatoes: Lady Christl, Marfona, Verity and Robinta (sounds like a posh girl band!)
Beans: broad - stereo,
french - cherokee trail of tears, coco sophie, cupidon,
runner - sunset
Peas: telephone, some yellow climbing mangetout and some sugarsnaps
Sweetcorn - my first try at this and I'm not sure how it will fare in Glasgow
Squashes:- winter - early golden hubbard
summer - yellow crookneck and a bush variety of courgette
Loads of salad just stuck in wherever there's space
Celery and fennel - never tried this before either so fingers crossed
Three types of kale and a couple of varieties of purple sprouting broccoli

And him indoors wants to plant neeps and parsnips and is building some contraption so that he can grow carrots without the carrot fly attacking.

We've also got a greenhouse that the previous plot holder built out of old windows - it's great! In there we'll have tomatoes (purple ukraine, latah, galina, tigerella and black cherry) peppers and chillis.

The best bit is that the guy who had the plot before us left us his raspberries, currants, rhubarb, strawberries and blackberries. Yum!

That'll teach you to ask me what I'm growing! That list sounds like I know what I'm doing, but I can assure you it's all an illusion!

[Alice]

Sounds like you've got a great allotment there Greenstar. Any pics - we're all nosey and love to see.
About the sweetcorn - I think you've every chance of success.
Last year (I was living in west Dumbarton then) I grew Swift and Minipop.
You'll remember what a dire summer it was.
Unfortunately I decided to stagger the planting but the stuff which was planted first ripened and was gorgeous. The later stuff got caught in the abrupt early end to summer and didn't manage to ripen fully. I reckon another 2 weeks would have made a great crop.
So if you get yours on their way and we get any kind of a summer at all I think you'll be successful. Keep us posted.

[greenstar]

Cheers Alice - when did you start your sweetcorn off/plant it out? I'm thinking of starting mine in loo roll tubes soon to plant out in mid May. Do you think that will give them a long enough season?

I've bought most of my seeds from Real Seeds this year, so the sweetcorn is not a F1 hybrid like most, so I've got no idea what'll happen to it.

I'll have to see about posting pics - I only joined this site yesterday and have no idea how to do it!

[mandyballantyne]

Wow,

you are growing loads, I am way behind again this year

As Alice says you will be fine with sweet corn, I grow super sweet last year and they were YUMMY! I am in Falkirk and had real bad weather but still got some great cobs.

Have fun, Mandy

[deezyb]

welcome greenstar...I'm a novice too...but this forum is great and no question is too daft! you're growing alot - have fun!

[greenstar]

Well, I'm planningon growing lots, whether it all comes up is another matter!

It's great that there are so many Scottish gardeners on this forum. I feel right at home! (Even though I'm English - I'm nearly naturalised, I've been here for 18 years. And I support Scotland at the football! )

[Flummery]

Welcome greenstar. Nice to see people growing unusual varieties. I reckon you can get the common stuff in the shops. I like to grow stuff I can't buy. We do have a number of keen Scottish growers here - and they grow some amazing produce. Never say never!