Hobbit Allotment!

[Hazel at the Hill]

Haven't even thought about corn. Not sure it would make it on my patch. Other people have it-our site is windy-but I don't feel so brave.

I've never had problems with corn, HH (apart from the year that I caught next door's cat eating the seedlings in the pots in the courtyard I wondered why they were looking a bit scrobby...)

I sow them in pots like the dfb's and plant them out mid/end May in a block about 12" between each one. I wouldn't have thought you were overly exposed on your site on south of the City, but if you were really worried you could always use a bamboo can as a stake for each one - but they have really good roots, so I don't think it will be necessary.

Nothing beats munching on the ripe cobs fresh from the plant!

[horticultural_hobbit]

I agree, Hazel, it would be ace. Alas, it's the issues of where to put it, where it won't drown, will it be productive.

I have the seeds, and I would love to sow them. Would need to figure out where and in what square formation. Would put them in raised beds as my patch is so low and miserable.

[Hazel at the Hill]

I agree, Hazel, it would be ace. Alas, it's the issues of where to put it, where it won't drown, will it be productive.

I have the seeds, and I would love to sow them. Would need to figure out where and in what square formation. Would put them in raised beds as my patch is so low and miserable.

If you wanted a dozen plants (4 x 3) You could use buckets (I think the 2gallon buckets that I use for my tomatoes were 89p each from Wilko) and half fill with your soggy soil & half mpc; and plant out per bucket. You'd need to keep them watered, and drill holes in the bottom of the buckets. You could half bury the buckets if you were worried about stability. A sort of movable raised bed!

[Two_Sheds]

you could always use a bamboo can as a stake for each one - but they have really good roots

You can earth them up too, and they'll put more roots down to really anchor the plant in. You can't be windier than me HH: my sweetcorn stays up but the sunflowers usually cop it

[horticultural_hobbit]

Progress

Made some strides today. Because the star came out.

Cara, orla, kestrel, Maris piper, king Edward, Sante and lady Balfour sunk into three pooped raised beds. Cara and Sante were sunk as a risk into open ground.

Transplanted broadies- i could hear aunties in my head as well as James Bond theme.

Direct sowing of another, fava de something.

Red Baron sunk-again-half a bag of golden ball. Have a bag of mixed onions.

Sooooo liberating. But if I get another 'we felt so sorry for you' I might have to blow a raspberry. I do generally have my earphones in, taking them out should someone walk past so I can be polite and say hello.

James Bond themes, amazing for playing on the plot.

[horticultural_hobbit]

picture painting a thousand words



I realise that I don't describe things very well. I need a diagram. Attached, is the view from the rear onto the plot. I've tried to annotate it, for a better outline of what I would like to do. Like, in that it is no good making concrete plans. We are working on hypothetical may be's.

What dawned upon me yesterday, was where exactly do I plan to put things. The amount of space that I have is 88 square metres, and in being told repeatedly that folks feel sorry for me; it gets very, very wet.

Organisation, is being applied very, very loosely whilst working with the conditions. Wanting to play with dwarf French Beans and runner beans, I've failed to figure out where they are to go exactly. One of my lotment neighbours-a nice one, yet to pity me-has advised that if the soil in a particular area appears challenging, throw beans at it. I'm taking up that advise. As best I can, in that I have put onions, shallots and garlic all over the shop. Should I see a small bit of dirt, I would like to sow DFB's or runners. I don't think I have left enough wiggle room for a bean frame, so may think about wig wams dotted around for runners. Peas are sat there looking at me.I have yet to think about those, to be fair. Still too early anyway.

There was a pleasant surprise in planting potatos. The beds indicated have poop in them-the stuff Pops kindly shovelled for me-so it was beautiful. Job done. My worry is of sante and cara tatos just failing in the open ground clay.

The rest of the beds, as ever, need topping off. I am mindful, that i don't need to fill them entirely. Will work on those bed by bed.

With it being too early, I will sow squashes and things later this month. Not quite sure which ones. These I do envisage going into any of the as of yet unallocated beds. There are lots and of DFB's in the seed boxes. Yellow, green, purple. I might, start with paper pot babies. Comparing them then, with direct sown ones.

Celary, died some time ago. Cauliflower, died some time ago. Purely as they got leggy and I didn't react as quickly as I should have. I can hear the seed wasting lobby....

Will try again, with further reflection.

Sweetcorn! Now where do I start with this. I know that they have to be sown in a block. The plot is windy, very windy. Just look at the carcass of the wendy house-it will be re-covered at some point.

[horticultural_hobbit]

any words of wisdom please?

I have sunk a few varieties this year. Last year, me and tatos failed miserably, now didn't we. So of course, I had to go bigger and better didn't I.

Any advice for these please? I am a complete hatchet job, when it comes to tatos, so please pass on your pearls of wisdom

‘Orla’ (First early)
‘Kestrel’ (Second early)
‘Sante’ (Early maincrop)
‘Cara’ (Late maincrop)
‘Lady Balfour’ (Early maincrop)

As well as Maris Piper and King Edwards

[horticultural_hobbit]

Woo-hoo!

Have filled all of my raised beds.

Tis gonna hurt in the morning, but where did I Aunty Tish's saag seeds....

[Feral007]

I sowed only two rows of corn last year and it's so windy here HH, none of them fell down. I was amazed at the strength of the roots!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Have located my seeds. Will sow in modules in the morning

Then transfer late mayish to the beds with a squash to keep them company.

[binley100]

Unless you have somewhere coolish to keep them after they germinate I would hold off for a couple of weeks. Also , I wouldn't consider planting them out before june. You're only down the road from me and unless the weather pulls its socks up bigtime I don't think it'll be warm enough and we may still get a frost.

[VirginVegGrower]

I said the same ^^^

[Two_Sheds]

Wanting to play with dwarf French Beans and runner beans

you get more for your space with climbers. They take up the same amount of ground as dwarves, but you get the vertical space too. Four canes, tied at shoulder height into a roughly X shape. One bean at each cane, then another in the gaps: tie some string to the top of the canes and put a tent peg in the ground. Grow the "gap" beans up the string, but keep it tight not flappy

Peas are sat there looking at me.... Still too early

No it's not. Peas are cool weather plants

I might, start with paper pot babies. Comparing them then, with direct sown ones.

Direct sown ones tend to get eaten by slugs as soon as they germinate

Sweetcorn! Now where do I start with this.

It takes up a lot of room and you don't get much of a crop for the space it takes. Plant them 12"-18" apart, in a block as you say.
Earth the bottoms up to really anchor them in the soil. Then plant your squashes at the bottom, to sprawl at the feet of the corn

Last year, me and tatos failed miserably

In what way did they fail? Spuds are easy, aren't they? What biblical catastrophe struck yours? Too wet, you say? Then plant them in Morrisons pots, partly sunk in the ground

[horticultural_hobbit]

Well, the half plan for the weekend is as follows. Direct sowing of broadbeans and peas. Perhaps string up pea/bean netting for runner beans and climbing beans.

:: braces ones self for sucking of teeth:: and Mother's spinach, chard, mustard and fenugreek.

Doing as advised for sweetcorn and squashes when necessary.

For all my paper pot enthusing, need to make some more and be persitent with them. I have to shuffle things on window sills.

Tatos, last year it was slugs and rain. This year, they are in raised beds, and I have crossed fingers.

Despite what Aunts VVG and Binley say. I am sowing squashes, and they will be inside in a coolish place. I can lurk with fleece when they have to go out. As well as half pop bottle cloches to cover them. Bruno the ghost rider pumpkin was a tiddler when he was transplanted out the year before last. As flukey as he was, i did well with it. Have half thought about it, and reflected on what worked wel. Though weather is the unknown variable.

Going to sound funny, but I swear I hear Aunty Two_Shed whenever I loiter on the plot. Though I do stand there, hands on hips uttering that she'd probably boot my behind for half the stuff i do and half the stuff I don't.

[Samurailord]

Just remember that advice can be both good and bad, and only you, as you stand on your plot, can make the final decision of which to take and which to ignore (for now).

It all depends on youir circumstances.

Speaking of advice .....

Have you tried growing potatoes in 20 to 30L buckets? I am trying that this year, standing them inside one of my raised beds and earthing up around the drainage holes so that any questing roots can get into the soil of the bed itself.

Later when I tip them out to harvest I will also fill the bed with compost as a nice side effect.

Andy