Concrete, concrete & more concrete - do i need an allotment?

[Hayley]

I like to think I have a fairly decent sized garden, the problem is its around 95% concrete! The other main disadvantage is I also have 3 mischievous dogs who like to destroy everything.

Earlier in the year I managed to clear a small space at the bottom of the garden which I fenced off from the dogs and have grown a few cabbages, broad beans, peas and lettuces. The problem is its so small a couple of plants fill it and most nights my dinner plate is empty. I've tried using pots around the garden to increase my growing space but it gets to the point where too many pots just make the garden look messy and take me forever to water.

I'm beginning to wonder if I need to get myself on the allotment waiting list but as I work full time on flexi shifts i'm worried an allotment would be too much.

Does anyone have any ideas how I could transform my garden into my own little allotment?

I'll try and add a photo later

[ThorpeDave]

Hi Hayley

I think it depends largely on what you want to grow. If I had a choice I would cover all of my garden with concrete or gravel and stick to container growing. GYO Mag has a section every month for container growers.

If watering is a major problem for you, take a look at "self watering" pots for tomatoes, chilies, cucumbers etc. Potatoes can be grown in barrels or grow bags as can rhubarb, asparagus and many other vegetables.

A concrete garden and growing in pots has one major advantage, you can move things around. I have now moved my strawberries to a semi-sheltered position now that they have finished fruiting while I have moved tomatoes into the sunniest part of my garden to help ripen them off.

[weekendwellies]

could you perhaps build some big deep raised beds ontop of the concrete. if they are deep and large enough they shouldnt need watering during normal brit weather, only if it is extra dry.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I started out with the same problem concrete or water. This forced me into container growing and now I wouldn't have it any other way. The pics may give you some ideas.

Potty

[Floreal]

Container growing looks fine however, it's not the same as what I call proper gardening so, my advice is to dig up the concrete or take an allotment on.
Yesterday I harvested new potatoes, cabbage, sugar peas, spinach together with red and black currants.
The sheer joy of growing and, eating fresh produce should not be missed.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Not proper gardening? then what is it?

I use the same seed and growing methods as most other gardeners usually with better results.

Yesterday I harvested LadyC new potatoes, runner beans, cauliflower, baby leeks, courgettes.

Black cherry, Sungold & Tumbler toms with spring onions, mesclun, radish and lettuce.

The fruit was blueberries & blackberries.

Not bad to say it's not proper gardening.

Potty

[ThorpeDave]

All true - but you don't have to wear wellies

Must admit I have yet to find a use for a spade - except for using it to lob slugs into next doors garden - managed 3 doors down the other day

the object of the exercise, for me, is to grow healthy and tasty fruit and, even though I am new to this game, what I have produced this year certainly beats the hell out of what have have bought from the supermarket in the past.

[vikkib]

Hayley, the growing area you've set up looks great!

You can do an awful lot in pots/containers (as demonstrated by Potty!) but if you have issues with the aesthetics of lots of individual pots as well as the frequent watering they need then you can either think about much larger containers or getting rid of some of the concrete.

You could try using the big builders bags (the sort of thing gravel/sand etc. gets delivered in). They're pretty big so wouldn't need as much watering and you could build some kind of screening around them so they look neat and more like a big container/raised bed. That should also keep the dogs off!

Alternatively can you take up some of the concrete to make another growing area in your garden that you can fence off from the dogs? If you hired a small breaker and bagged up the broken concrete someone on freecycle may well come and take it away for hardcore.

An allotment would provide you with lots of growing space but I'd be a bit concerned that if watering all the pots takes too much time then the maintenance of an allotment may require too much time as well.

Have you tried the Landshare website? There might be someone local to you who has a bit of spare space that you could grow in?

[Compo72]

It's up to the individual whether or not they use pots .
Or prefer a traditional fruit n veg patch .

What matters is that you enjoy been out there . Growing and eating the produce .

[chefgage]

I would say about 50% of my growing is done in pots. I have two large raised beds at the font of the house but the rest of the fruit/veg is in pots. I would advise using the grow bag holders that hold the grow bag on its side, its a great space saver. We have lots of pots and these grow bag holders down our concrete drive.

[Hayley]

Thank you all for your great replies

[veggiechicken]

Hayley, I acquired some pallet crates that paving slabs are delivered in and lined them with Builder's ton bags (just about the right size). I have courgettes, radish, rocket, carrots and other salad things growing in them and they're doing well. Also the dogs can't get into them

[Snadger]

Hayley, I acquired some pallet crates that paving slabs are delivered in and lined them with Builder's ton bags (just about the right size). I have courgettes, radish, rocket, carrots and other salad things growing in them and they're doing well. Also the dogs can't get into them
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Is that your greenhouse site in the foreground? I thought you were joining it to the house?

[veggiechicken]

Yes that's the site. Here's a piccy taken from the kitchen door - its just a hop and a skip away

[Snadger]

Yes that's the site. Here's a piccy taken from the kitchen door - its just a hop and a skip away
[ATTACH=CONFIG]38476[/ATTACH]

Wait until you've got to dig a tunnel through a snowdrift to get to it..........