Hello from Ealing

[jpdw]

Hi thought I'd say hello as I've recently joined & it seems the polite thing to do.

My/our main aim is to grow as much veg as we can including canning produce for use through the autumn/winter/spring (we still have 1 jar of last years toms left!).

I've been growing a few things for the past 3-4 years.. mainly toms & chillis & strawberries. Last year was the best with just over 20kg of usable toms!

This year "diversified" to other fruit (raspberries, tayberries, rhubarb) and veg (potatoes, carrots, peas) as well as trying a few different varieties of the old favourites (Roma & Fermine toms, several chillis).

My limitation is space -- we've a narrow victorian terraced house & the garden is only about 6 m deep (including a large shed). Our main growing space at the moment is 2 raised beds each approx 1.8x2m. Though a few tomatoes have invaded the borders and other things like grape vines, potatoes & rhubarb are in pots/bags.

I'm on the list at 2 allotments but understand it'll probably be another 2-3 years before I get to the top of the list [ I blame jamie oliver etc]

So till I finally get a lotty, my main challenge is getting maximum yield from the limited space - like what can I put in toms come out later this month?

All hints & tips welcome! -- though already from lurking I'm learning a lot.

thanks for reading.

[firstimer1]

Hi and welcome, i no what u mean about lurking you pick up so many tips and good advice, i've just aquired half a plot a couple of weeks ago and then last night aquired the plot next door aswell i new if i didnt id regret it so plenty of hard slog ahead to get ready for next year an lovin every bit of it good luck on aquiring your plot and until then good luck in your grden best of luck belle

[Two_Sheds]

So till I finally get a lotty, my main challenge is getting maximum yield from the limited space - like what can I put in toms come out later this month

Hello, welcome aboard.
I'd be putting Japanese over-wintering onions and corn salad or lambs lettuce in your raised beds. Save some space for Aquedulce broad beans too (the best variety for over-wintering, in my opinion)

[jpdw]

Hello, welcome aboard.
I'd be putting Japanese over-wintering onions and corn salad or lambs lettuce in your raised beds. Save some space for Aquedulce broad beans too (the best variety for over-wintering, in my opinion)

Will these all be ready to come out in late spring in time for me to use the beds again for the "summer crops" ? Onions, I thought, took longer? (I'm probably wrong).

[jpdw]

At last, a lottie plot !

18+ months later, we have now had a half-plot on the nearest allotment for 10 days, so we've been doing lots of clearing.

Although we've only cleared about 1/2, we have bunged in a few potatoes and some cut-and-come-again lettuce. This is more symbolic than anything else -- I wanted to feel we'd got something growing already as it'll take us another couple of weeks to finish clearing and work out a long-term plan for what to put where.

Given it's now June, our plans for this year are
- clear plot of weeds & grass
- tidy up the existing raspberry, blackberry & rhubarb on the plot
- get growing some
- lettuce
- potatoes
- carrots ( is it too late to start some of the quicker varieties? )
- try some french beans (planted some seeds in pots @ home today)
- plant some fruit bushes for next year (we got 4 for £5 from lidl)
- come autumn, garlic & japanese onions anything else overwinter-able

We've already got a number of toms & strawberries & some caugettes & chillis filling every corner of our small garden, I might take the overflow to the lottie as well simply as it's space we dont have at home. The lottie has water but we dont yet have our own water butts so I'm cautious about putting in anything (like toms) that needs pretty constant watering.

Is there anything else obvious/easy for us to get going now and still harvest reasonable easily while we continue to clear & plan for next year?

[Florence Fennel]

Hello and welcome to the Vine!

[Jeanied]

Wow jpdw - (and a neighbour of mine I see) - you have been a member of the vine for way longer than me! Hope your new plot gives you half as much pleasure as mine does - and you are not too far away for a quick visit!

[jpdw]

Hello and welcome to the Vine!

Thanks both for the welcome. As jeanied notices, my account here was started some while back, but with so much allotment talk I felt a bit of an imposter ! [ not to mention being dead envious of all the people talking about their allotments.

The good thing about having lurked here for so long is that I'd built up a few ideas in my head ready [ hm, how soon can I build a GH/polytunnel? ]

[ginger ninger]

Hello jpdw, welcome back to the vine.

[Pumpy]

You are in the same area as me, 13 or 5?

[jpdw]

Hello jpdw, welcome back to the vine.

Thanks. Now we've got an allotment I seem to be reading the vine every day !

You are in the same area as me, 13 or 5?

13 (I presume you mean postcodes).