Winter Crops Suitable for a Community Allotment

[Samurailord]

Hi all

Alldigging and I took on a pretty derelict Community Allotment at a local school back in spring this year.

Since then we have had some successes, a few failures and a lot of fun so far, with quite a bit of food harvested and several novice gardeners helped along the way.

It is now time to start getting some beds planted up/sown with hardy crops that will survive the autumn and winter and will possibly even allow us some harvest opportunities along the way.

We have delayed this long as the soil is in desperate need of enriching, and we have just managed to get some funding from a local initiative to get some manure and compost which will hopefully be with us very soon.

Can anyone suggest some winter crops to grow that are both easy to maintain (we will only be able to visit probably once per week at most) and hardy (we are in the North West of England after all)

We have several beds outside with minimal shelter, but we also have the shared use of a large polytunnel so we could also use some of the beds and shelves in there.

We have thought of the usual suspects - onions, garlic, broad beans, christmas potatoes, brassicas, herbs and winter salads but would love suggestions as to other crops or even specific varieties from our list that are tried and tested in the North.

Thanks

Andy

[Bigmallly]

Hope there is something of use here Andy.

Hardy winter vegetables / Royal Horticultural Society

[Two_Sheds]

It is now time to start getting some beds planted up/sown with hardy crops that will survive the autumn and winter

Brassicas and leeks? Should've been sown in spring, and planted in the beds July, really

Christmas potatoes are an urban myth: if you really want to try, they should be in a greenhouse

the soil is in desperate need of enriching, and we have just managed to get some funding

You don't need funding, you need hard work & some black rubble sacks.

Collect all the fallen leaves you can, and leave them to rot down in sacks for a year. Mix some grass clippings in during the summer to speed it up and add some nitrogen.

Our school beds didn't cost me anything at all, just elbow grease. We collected all the fruit peelings from the childrens' snacks, and I put a bucket in the staffroom to collect other compostables.

This year the level of the beds has dropped (as it does) so I've put the daleks on the beds that need filling: in the summer I'll remove them, level it off and plant straight into the compost.
kidney beans | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Snadger]

To have your allotment full of produce throughout the winter months takes a lot of planning, a lot harder to achice than summer growing! You may be able to get Spring cabbage plants from a garden centre. Leeks should already be in along with sprouts and winter cabbage.
Japnaese onions and garlic sets can be planted now. I think broad beans can be sown at this time of year also.?

[chris]

Winter Radish too - grow really fast from an August sowing, then stand there waiting to be picked. Different taste, fun to try.

[Two_Sheds]

I think broad beans can be sown at this time of year also.?

A really tough variety, eg Aquedulce, but don't sow it until November (or it'll get too much leaf which will only die in the frosts)

[Samurailord]

Brassicas and leeks? Should've been sown in spring, and planted in the beds July, really

Yes, I know that brassicas should have gone in in Spring but we didn't get access to the site until June

Christmas potatoes are an urban myth: if you really want to try, they should be in a greenhouse

We are starting them off in buckets in the polytunnel - hopefully that will do as well.

You don't need funding, you need hard work & some black rubble sacks.

We need funding to purchase the manures and compost needed to replenish the soil - we dont have the luxury of ready made composts or leaf mould waiting for us, we are working hard to get some ready for next year but that doesn't help us this year.

There have only been three of us working on this on a regular basis so far, one session per week, which limits what we can do.

To have your allotment full of produce throughout the winter months takes a lot of planning,

To be honest, we aren't wanting a plot full of produce, just some plants that can be harvested over the Autumn to Spring period to try and keep the interest up of the other volunteers.

Andy

[zazen999]

We need funding to purchase the manures and compost needed to replenish the soil - we dont have the luxury of ready made composts or leaf mould waiting for us, we are working hard to get some ready for next year but that doesn't help us this year.

There have only been three of us working on this on a regular basis so far, one session per week, which limits what we can do.

To be honest, we aren't wanting a plot full of produce, just some plants that can be harvested over the Autumn to Spring period to try and keep the interest up of the other volunteers.

Andy

I think what two-sheds means is that you don't need manure and compost; make your own using rubble sacks by chopping down everything you weed out and let it rot down in the sacks and you will have compost; let it rot down and use it to mulch the beds and you don't need manure.

If you want crops all winter; and yuo haven't sown any yet - then a pinch of lettuce sown each week should keep you growing all winter. Esp in a polytunnel.

[Samurailord]

I think what two-sheds means is that you don't need manure and compost; make your own using rubble sacks by chopping down everything you weed out and let it rot down in the sacks and you will have compost; let it rot down and use it to mulch the beds and you don't need manure.

I understood what TS was saying, but if we want to be growing in the beds next spring I don't think we have enough time to turn weeds, grass cuttings and fallen leaves into something usable.

We have already created a huge compost pile which is quietly composting away, but my understanding was that we need to enrich the beds now, not some time next year when our home-made compost/leaf mold is ready?

Or have I got that wrong?

Andy

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, I know that brassicas should have gone in in Spring but we didn't get access to the site until June

just trying to help

I don't think we have enough time to turn weeds, grass cuttings and fallen leaves into something usable...

Or have I got that wrong?

You don't need to wait for it to turn into compost.

You just layer it all up in the beds, now. Keep adding materials as you get them, but alternate layers of brown (autumn leaves, straw) with layers of green (chopped up weeds, kitchen peelings).
You'll have seen this referred to as Lasagne Beds.

A final layer of well rotted leafmould or garden compost, or molehill soil, or topsoil from the garden, or bought MPC, can go on the top and you can plant into it straight away.

I did it myself at my school (no helpers, just me) ~ I didn't have all the materials available all at once, I just brought in a bag of something whenever I went to the school, on my bike.



What I'm saying is: you don't need funding, or even ready made compost. It's amazing what you can achieve when you set your mind to it.

[Two_Sheds]

my understanding was that we need to enrich the beds now

Not necessarily.

This bed was a gravel garden full of bamboo roots. Head wanted me to put veggies in there instead, but the soil was virtually sand, really horrible. I just planted it up anyway to see what happened.

We harvested loads of peas, lettuce, carrots & oats out of it this summer.

We still don't have any money to buy compost or other additives, so I'm improving the soil as we go, by chopping up green manures & weeds and leaving them on the soil as a mulch.
Every leaf & stalk we pull up, gets chopped and dropped too. It's still composting, but in a different form, and it's very much quicker than doing it in a bin or heap. We get the odd snail, but no hordes of slugs hiding under the mulch.

[alldigging]

We have weeded a few beds over the last couple of weeks and left the weeds in situ.

Amazon.com: How to Compost Quickly, in as little as 7 to 10 days, without a Bin, Pile or Tumbler eBook: Edley McKnight: Kindle Store

[mrgrower]

I agree with two sheds on this one soil enriches over time with a lot of help Id order a wagon of horse muck ASAP £40 or free if you can get it. volunteers will come and go thats th nature of it and the ones with a brain cell will know it's hard work

Use this time as an education period for the volunteers.

I know from meeting you and Alldiging that you two will do all you can to make the school comunity allotment work but the clues in the name.

If I can be of help if I have a few hours spare I will pop over and get stuck in with you guys just let me know what days you are there and the time.

I'm sure the staff will be happy to put compostables aside and stuff from the canteen use some of the grant for comp bins or check the local council as we just got a grant for bins and butts.

[Samurailord]

Id order a wagon of horse muck ASAP.

Unfortunately the only place it can be dropped is the school carpark, and the school doesn't want it blocking, even for a short time, so our only other option is bagged muck.

Use this time as an education period for the volunteers.

Yes, it's all about a learning curve.

If I can be of help if I have a few hours spare I will pop over and get stuck in with you guys just let me know what days you are there and the time.

Thanks for the offer - we may take you up on that once we see what is needed and when.

I'm sure the staff will be happy to put compostables aside and stuff from the canteen use some of the grant for comp bins.

We will have to speak with our contact at the school - from experience we know that these things move very slowly.

We are going to use some of the funding from the local council for things like compost bins, not sure about butts at the moment as we have access to a mains tap, but definitely something for the future.

Andy

[mrswadders]

don't forget freecycle either I often see water butts, topsoil, pots etc on there