new allotment

[woodfettler]

just recently got my new allotment. Having cleared it of weeds i am just in the process of digging it .Cwhat veg should i be looking at planting ?an anybody give me some tips on what i need to get in the ground first so that i dont miss out ! The allotment has 3 gooseberry bushes ,4 current bushes and lots of raspberry canes .What should i be doing with them?.What veg should i be planting ?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .Thanks a lot Regards Mike

[pete10]

Well good luck to you keep on the digging .As for planting are looking to plant stuff now or in the spring ? If it was me would dig in horse muck or compost etc and let the worms get stuck in and ,Then plant away in the spring . As to
what to plant all depends what you like to eat .

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Woodfettler! Congrats on the new plot and getting it cleared, it can be extremely hard work just getting that far, I know it has been for us!

Most of your planting will be done from February onwards, but if you want to you could try planting garlic and onion sets now, and perhaps some rocket peas or aquadulce beans, but it may be a tad late for them.

As to what else you can be doing, the goosegogs will probably need pruning (aim for a goblet shape) and the rasps should be dormant, so if they are where you dont want them to be, now is the time to move them! We've just moved ours to create a 'fedge' (edible or food bearing hedge) supporting them between wires and posts. You could do with knowing if they are summer or autumn fruiting raspberries, as if they are autumn fruiting then they will need cutting back to about 8" above the ground in february.

Other jobs are creating your paths and raised beds, double digging and adding well rotted maure to improve your soil, but if the plot has not been worked for a while the odds are in your favour that the soil wont be too bad.

Anyhows, hope you continue to enjoy your new plot and that this has been of some help!

[nick the grief]

just recently got my new allotment. Having cleared it of weeds i am just in the process of digging it .Cwhat veg should i be looking at planting ?an anybody give me some tips on what i need to get in the ground first so that i dont miss out ! The allotment has 3 gooseberry bushes ,4 current bushes and lots of raspberry canes .What should i be doing with them?.What veg should i be planting ?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .Thanks a lot Regards Mike

Hi WF,

Still time for Garlic I think & broad beans (especially while we've got this mild weather mine are romping away) You may even be OK with winter onions still but it's getting a bit late for them now.

The raspberries - do you know if they are autumn or summer fruiting as you treat them differently.

Autumn ones you can cut to the ground summer you take out last years wood that fruted & leav the new stuff that grew this year to fruit next year - bit like the offside rule isn't it

the currants & goosgogs I think I'd be tempted to leave them tll after christmas then you can have a go at them, any ways you can put a good layer of muck or compost around all of them but dont put it up to the base of the stems.

[JennieAtkinson]

Just take a (really) deep beath WF and start planting in February. You'll never look back but will be grateful for these couple of months of planning!

[rustylady]

Leave the fruit bushes and canes alone for this year to see what happens. If you go too mad and cut them all back you will never know what could have been. Raspberries especially, you need to see if they are summer or autumn fruiting. Treatment varies, but you need at least one season to see what you've got.

I never throw away any (possible) fruiting plant or perennial until I am sure exactly what it is - One season in the great scheme of things is not a lot to lose, and you could gain so much

[goddess]

new allotment

hi wf.i've just got half an allotment 2 weeks ago.i started laying paths to avoid walking on soil while weeding.planted my bluberry bush and some rasberries 2 days ago and hoping to plant garlic as soon as it arrives.iam also going to experient with half a packet of broad beans and leave rest till feb.good luck.g

[woodfettler]

Thanks For The Encouraging Reply . The Guy On The Next Allotment Tells Me That The Raspberries Are A Mixture Of Summer And Autumn Fruiting And As I Have Lifted Them In Order To Weed The Area They Are All Mixed Up So Its A Lottery What I Will Get !! Your Tip On Garlic Is A Good Idea The Rest I Think I Will Leasve Until Feb .,thanks Again Mike

[salamander]

Hi Woodfettler,
2007 will be my second year on my allotment. I took over a badly neglected plot in March this year, and have spent months trying to clear it! It still needs lots of work now! Best advice from another newcomer is to spend a good few months tidying up, digging out any deep tap root weeds, and then digging in lots of manure. Then you can spend the growing season actually growing things, and not constantly digging out weeds!! My back's still killing me!

[nick the grief]

Hi Salamander,

Welcome to the Vine. It's easy to overdo things at the start as enthusiasm take over the brain still at least you can have a rest over christmas

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi woodfettler and salamander - welcome to the Vine! I was lucky enough to get my first lottie yesterday - lets hope 2007 is a very productive year for us! and of course, for all the other Grapes as well! Dexterdog

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Salamander, welcome to the vine and congrats on the new plot! We've had ours for all of 13 weeks now, so getting to be seasoned old hands now! lol!!!!

Next year will be our first year of growing, so it will be good to share our successes and failures with each other on the vine!

[woodfettler]

hi dex
congrats on the allotment !.Get stuck in . It will soon be time to get planting