A year away from the plot tips and suggestions please

[darcyvuqua]

Firstly sorry if I have posted in an incorrect place so feel free to move

Ok just over a year ago I have surgery on both of my legs as a lot of you know and I took it in my path it led to a pretty good season with progress and produce from my plot until a recent bereavement! However.......

I have been having follow up appointments with my surgeon who has been absolutely great and I had an appointment on Friday with the outcome of a pretty big operation early next year with a recovery time of between 10-14 months! 5 of which will be non weight bearing and Then trying to learn to walk again

That rules out 2014 as a growing year for me but is there anyway that I could get the most from my plot without doing anything??

I am thinking about digging over in coming weeks dressing with manure and covering making my soil more fertile and adding texture but keeping weeds down I will try and get my wife to have a few toms a cuc and salad leaves in the greenhouse no need for weeding etc

What would you guys recommend doing during this time??


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[veggiechicken]

Poor you Darcy - facing another big op. It'll be worth it though if you can get your mobility back and be free of pain.
What about having a chat with the allotment manager? Tell them what is to happen but how you want to keep the plot on, for when you've recovered. Maybe there is someone who is waiting for a plot who could give you a hand until then.

[darcyvuqua]

There no one waiting VC there's lots of plots empty up here if I can't sort anything out I will be forced to give up the plot move my greenhouses and make do with the garden at least I could potter around out there on crutches


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[veggiechicken]

Can you just cover it then - if there's no one waiting they shouldn't object, especially as you'll be using the GHs.
Maybe stick in some long term veggies, perhaps potatoes, and just leave them to grow. Not bother to earth them up. The leaves should keep the weeds at bay and it will look cultivated.

[darcyvuqua]

Yeah even if I just do the potatoes in one big bed I suppose and use the greenhouses then there will be stuff growing with the presence of my wife in the greenhouse the committee are pretty good to be fair


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[Tripmeup]

Hey Darcy

Sorry to hear that you will be out of action again..

What about a load of garlic and over wintering onions to get you thru to around July next year.. You could do that yourself before the op Then get a mate or the missus to plant some more longer term crops for the remainder of the year from July on.... Like carrots, turnips, cabbage and something with an eye to 2015.. like PSB..

That way, worst case scenario, you get to feed the neighbours with onions and garlic, ensure the neighbourhood is vampire free, then sicken them with turnips ( although I love em) and ensure their eyesight is spot on from carrots.....and then have PSB to look forward to in 2015 ( please let Darcy like PSB

[taff]

Been in a similar position for last couple of years [ not being able to walk very much] and one thing i did learn was that it will look messy and you can't do everything, so cover what you can, and plant long term crops that dont need much looking after.
Chard, rhubarb, fruit trees, raspberries, fruit bushes etc, will all do by themselves without your help.

[WPG]

Sorry to hear you'll be out of action Darcyvuqua, that sounds like a serious operation
If you can't cultivate all the plot, would you consider a long term green manure on part of it to keep the weeds down? Cotswold seeds do a clover and grass mix designed for long term use
https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/produc...o-year-mixture

[zazen999]

If it was me...

I'd cardboard 3/4.

the fourth 1/4 I would put overwintering onion sets in now. Looks after those for as long as you can.

The other 3/4 I'd leave and depending on when you can get mobile again, either grow 20 pumpkins and winter squashes in pots and plant them through holes in the cardboard; or sow directly into small holes in the cardboard which can be done a month or so later than sowing in the pots.

[chris]

I was going to say the same as zaz.

Tromba d'albenga have *huge* vines... you can leave them on the plant to cure too and use them as you would do a butternut.

What about also sticking in a few perennial jobbies? GA? Cardoons? Dare I say it - JA's, couple of fruit bushes? I'm due to prune my currants, so if you want any decent lengths of pruning to stick in you'd be welcome to them.

As long as your plot looks like it's growing produce - i.e. is being used, you'll be fine. If your wife/partner could pop up once a week to dehead some weeds come mid summer to keep your plot neighbours happy (if any poke their heads up above the cardboard) I'm sure that'd be fine (+ to water too).

Get yourself a solar water dodah thingymajig too - for your GH's and that'll ease the watering too.

I have large sheets of cardboard I'm just about to take to the tip too, if you want it.

[Two_Sheds]

grow 20 pumpkins and winter squashes

Perfect for ground cover and to look like you're growing something. The rest of the plot: cover it in green manures, which will attract 1000s of bees, and prevent a lot of weed growth.

Don't leave that till last minute though, you need to sow the GMs when the ground is warm: April - Oct

[Bigmallly]

Sorry to hear of your dilema Darcy.......as above, cover what you are not going to use, depending on your limitations plant some spuds, courgettes, p****nips, beetroot, sprouts. Basically anything that can stay in the ground a long time. Good luck with your op mate & I'm sure your amazing missus will do her best to help you.

[Two_Sheds]

If you're prone to blight, then spuds might be more trouble than they're worth. Imagine having to dig out a field of black slimy potatoes ....

[Hans Mum]

Good luck sounds as though youre committee will support you which is a good thing, communication is the key....

[Samurailord]

Hi Darcy

I would plant a few PSB and other winter brassicas now into a couple of your best beds along with loads of garlic and onions.

I would then suggest covering the rest of your beds with weed fabric and cardboard.

Next season you could plant potatoes in buckets (making sure there are holes in the bottom to leet roots out) and put a couple of buckets onto each bed to spread the crops around and make it look like there is more happeneing than there is.

I would plant a load of pumpkins and squashes through the mulches which can trail and give loads of ground cover, and get some leeks in as ealry as possible as they can stay in the ground for as long as you like.

Perpetual Spinach is another good 'plant and forget' crop, as are rhubarb and comfrey.

If you have half of that lot on your plot I am certain that no one will complain that you are not working the land, especially as there are already empty plots around you.

Good luck with the treatment

Andy