Winter plot maintenance

[Laura Hillier]

Hi Everyone,

It seems odd to be talking about the cold when it is still so gorgeous and sunny outside, but we were just wondering - how do you maintain your plot over winter? Do you carry on regardless of the weather, or do you use the colder months to plan for the crops ahead?

Answers may be edited and published in the November issue of GYO.

Laura

[bearded bloke]

Having now gone fully to raised beds,any that have no growing crop in will be filled to the top with donkey poo & covered with black polythene weighted down onto the paths,hopefully nourishing the soil & retaining heat at the same time.Those with crops will get the same as they empty & the one having the freshest layer at sowing time will be cucurbits & the oldest will be for roots.

[Fleurisa]

I'm going to try growing winter hardy peas and broad beans for the first time. I know I need to protect them from mice and pigeons.

I grew very successful purple sprouting broccoli last winter, so I'm going to try it again.

New for me this year is a greenhouse, so I'm going to have a go with some crops inside over winter.

[Alison]

If the weather is dry and the ground not frozen I'll be catching up on weeding and preparing although I try to do as much of that as I can before winter starts. I'll also repair fencing and take the oportunity to clear the shed and check on supports and netting. Can only get to the plot in winter at the weekend but also harvest all my winter crops when I'm there. If the weather is wet I can sometimes work in the tunnel but I also enjoy looking after my early swings andplanning what extras I want from the seed catalogues as well as packet up my saved seeds.

[Alison]

Blooming phones, no swings, should have been sowings !

[wellywoo]

We maintain/repair the shed,raised beds and all the paths (they are covered with wood chips) This year we plan to build a fruit cage and put new guttering on the shed.

We also catch up on any weeding that we didn't get round to doing in the summer (there is going to be loads of weeding this year as we have neglected the plot of late since our twin girls were born)


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[alldigging]

I'll be out there hopefully picking a few things for eating over winter.

There'll be some general tidying and preparation work done for next year including topping up paths with bark. I've got a huge pile of soil from a compost mound to move too across to the beds that need topping up.

[Snadger]

Keep calm and carry on.

[zazen999]

Hi Everyone,

It seems odd to be talking about the cold when it is still so gorgeous and sunny outside, but we were just wondering - how do you maintain your plot over winter? Do you carry on regardless of the weather, or do you use the colder months to plan for the crops ahead?

Answers may be edited and published in the November issue of GYO.

Laura

We just carry on, and do any large tasks whilst all the fair weather allotmenteers are all sat in front of the tv. We would have redone one major path job last winter but the plot was flooded for the whole time we were off work. Yesterday, the first day of rain, we were the only ones there, raking and levelling and reseeding a new grass path.

[Littlefox2000]

We're still in throws of summer, but have shallots, onions peas and broad beans planned for planting over the next few weeks. We'll also sow winter salad leaves
Apart from that we'll mulch each raise bed as it frees up. I'm gonna cut the pepper plants back for next year.too


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[Vince G]

Winter plot maintenance for my wife and I involves mucking empty beds and covering them, planting peas and broad beans for overwintering, and enjoying all the tasty brassicas and parsnips we planted in the spring. We're also going to try winter salads in the polytunnel this year. Almost can't wait for winter to arrive!

[datz]

We will be converting the remaining open beds into raised beds, and putting down some more clippings for paths. We also need to look at doing some drainage channels as our garden is on a hill slope and we need to channel the water during downpours. Tho the conversion of the final open beds will stop the flooding that we have had occasionally this year. Fruit trees also will get a prune.

[yorkshiregarden]

I've just took our allotment on so I will be clearing weeds, making paths and having a bonfire night with all the rubbish. Then hopefully get it ploughed in time before it starts getting really cold. It's in a bit of a state. Great forum, new here.

Andrew

[WendyC]

I quite enjoy putting the allotment to bed for the winter. There is less of a rush and no need to feel guilty if a job doesn't get finished as it can wait a week. I like to tidy as much as possible. Some plot holders seem to walk away once the beans have finished, but the sight of skeletal runner beans, clinging to bamboo canes in mid winter is really depressing! As crops are cleared I either manure, sow green manure or cover the beds. There are winter crops to keep an eye on. Somehow these are so precious compared to the bounty of the summer crops. With beds tidy and the soil prepared, when that day arrives in March or April when the soil is just right for sowing, it's all systems go and the new growing season has begun!

[Bill HH]

I quite enjoy putting the allotment to bed for the winter. There is less of a rush and no need to feel guilty if a job doesn't get finished as it can wait a week. I like to tidy as much as possible. Some plot holders seem to walk away once the beans have finished, but the sight of skeletal runner beans, clinging to bamboo canes in mid winter is really depressing! As crops are cleared I either manure, sow green manure or cover the beds. There are winter crops to keep an eye on. Somehow these are so precious compared to the bounty of the summer crops. With beds tidy and the soil prepared, when that day arrives in March or April when the soil is just right for sowing, it's all systems go and the new growing season has begun!

You mentioning "That day in March or April" reminds me of the day I went with my dad to beg the bank manager to increse our overdraft. The Bank Manager said "I think spring is in the air" My Dad replied "Yes that smell is all the little orgasms in the soil"