what should I focus on?

[chrissie the chippy]

Starting to panick!!! I've got one bed cleared (thanks to my mum ) which is quite big, big enough for one rotation set (if that makes sence?!?) and a half assembled greenhouse!

It's 5 weeks today until the baby is due and I can't do any kind of heavy work due to inflamed ribs or something! Typical! And there was me telling the other allotment holders I'd have it all done by April!! lol

So, what should I focus on? I want to grow as much as I can, but I wont be able to get down there with a spade until the end of April/ begining of May! My mum will help out with the digging, so can clear some more space, but don't like her having to do all the heavy work!

The bed that is ready has been manured, so I'm limited to what I can plant there I guess!

I really, really want to grow a lot of carrots, parsnips, swedes, turnips etc

and broccolli and sweetcorn and peas and beans and leeks and soooooo much more!

I'll be using the greenhouse for toms, peppers, cucumbers etc..... hoping to get the other greenhouse up in time to get some good crops from it too.....

I've already got raspberry canes, a few strawberry runners and gooseberry bushes, so we will see some return from the plot regardless of what happens

Someone tell me what to do!!!!! What should I start with? What can wait until the end of April? Should I start things early? I'm in good old sunny Southampton if that helps!

Oh and any suggestions for unusual but traditional boys names would be welcome too!

[marialittlebzz]

I don't have an allotment but I would suggest to just wait until you can plant straight into the ground...which hopefully will be around April! or maybe just start to sow indoor (or a cold frame close by) and you will be able to control your seedling... I heard that planting early is good but a lot of work, so just plant when the day gets really warm and it will catch up anyway!!
Hope this help...

[HeyWayne]

I think you should focus on making sure both you and the baby are fit and well before doing any allotmenteering. From what I know you will need to take it very easy for a while to recover.

As for names, how about Arthur, or Stanley?

[SarzWix]

Sweetcorn & beans will wait til the end of April I should think, and they will appreciate the manure too!

[Seahorse]

Firstly, focus on yourself and your bump There's no point in putting your back out (or worse) now and not being able to do anything for the rest of the year. The soft fruit sounds great but for the rest, I would just wait. And if you really can't, I'm *sure* your Mum won't mind you sitting on a garden chair and giving her directions!

You've probably thought of both of these already but a back carrier and a battery operated swing would be great for keeping baby happy on the plot later in the year.

If I didn't have a 'thm' sound in my surname, I'd have liked to call one of my boys Ethan, so that's my recommendation

[Protea]

As others have said, concentrate on staying fit and well (both before and after baby comes) your Mum is obviously a total star in helping you get some stuff done now.

You can leave a lot of sowing until April and even later, perhaps after the little one arrives you could do some sowing at home (on a small scale) and your Mum could plant them out later for you. Most things will wait until April - i started my first allotment in May and got tons of crops out of it so don't worry! At the very least you'll have lots of yummy fruit in the summer.

My fave boys name at the moment is Duncan.

[janeyo]

My 3 yr old is Louis and baby is Dominic.

I had plans for my garden too and thoght having the first baby would affect nothing - how wrong I was! Had emergebcy section and that put a stopper on anything gardeningy for quite some time!

good luck with the baby - am all broody again now (baby is only8 months so someone get my OH down the snip clinic quick! lol)

janeyo

[piskieinboots]

take care CTC and take your time

Henry
Albert
George

[brooklynodog]

All advice as above and my sons name is Mathew (1 t not 2) Only reason for misspelling was that midwife wrote it that way on his wrist tag and the spelling seemed different!

[SarzWix]

I wanted to call my #2 son 'Tobias', but the OH wouldn't have it (he had a dog called Toby when he was little.) So he's Michael instead, with Lawson for his middle name after my Grandad

[sarahspatch]

Hi Chrissie

You could probably start sowing salad leaves, but I would try and take it easy, as difficult as that can be! I know the 'nesting' thing drives you to do everything you possibly can before the baby arrives, but you really should take it easy - you'll be busy enough soon with baby! It is your first?

I love the idea of a baby carrier while you are pottering - I wish I invested in one with my daughter when she was a baby.

I've got baby number 2 on the way, so I'm sure I'll be panicking nearer the time too!!

As for names, I'm stuck for boys.......how about Archie, William or Alfie.....?

[Paul Wagland]

If you're waiting till April then you shouldn't plant anything with a long growing period, as the summer will be over before the crop is ready. The root crops you list should be ok - they are often sown successionaly through the year so you don't get a big glut all at once.

Sweetcorn can be sown indoors from March, but outdoors you can do it as late as May - especially if you look for a fast cropping variety.

Hmmm... unusual but traditional heh? Elijah, Felix, Gabriel, Casper?

[HeyWayne]

You could always try and focus on this....

[seasprout]

Jesus... dont do that.. I thought i had a migrane kicking in.. ugh...................feel sick..........................!

[chrissie the chippy]

sent me bozeyed!

Thank you for all the tips, will have to go through my books and really focus on dates for sowing!

I'm such an impatient person, want everything done last week!

Number 2 for me Sarah, my daughter turned 7 last week Good luck with your pregnancy!

Really looking forward to weaning him on our home grown stuff! Great incentive along with seeing my dd scoffing all the peas before we even left the plot last year!!!

Going to pop down there today with my mum and get the potatoe bed ready (don't worry, nothing strenuous!)

Thank you for name ideas too, will suggest them to the oh!