Gardening Advice

charltonkeston

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

addix

charltonkeston said:

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

Charles Dowding is a good guy to follow on YouTube etc if you want to try 'no dig' going forward once the plot is in shape.
Allotments can be hard work, but very rewarding in both the produce grown and mental escape, though this year has been tough getting much to even germinate! 

Arsenetatters

addix said:

charltonkeston said:

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

Charles Dowding is a good guy to follow on YouTube etc if you want to try 'no dig' going forward once the plot is in shape.
Allotments can be hard work, but very rewarding in both the produce grown and mental escape, though this year has been tough getting much to even germinate! 

I’d recommend no dig. It’s taken me a while to set up but it’s so much better than digging every year. I’d recommend making as big a compost system as possible (pallets are good) so you can create the good stuff to use on your no dig areas. 

I can recommend chicken manure as it really helps break down the other stuff. 

charltonkeston

Arsenetatters said:

addix said:

charltonkeston said:

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

Charles Dowding is a good guy to follow on YouTube etc if you want to try 'no dig' going forward once the plot is in shape.
Allotments can be hard work, but very rewarding in both the produce grown and mental escape, though this year has been tough getting much to even germinate! 

I’d recommend no dig. It’s taken me a while to set up but it’s so much better than digging every year. I’d recommend making as big a compost system as possible (pallets are good) so you can create the good stuff to use on your no dig areas. 

I can recommend chicken manure as it really helps break down the other stuff. 

As luck would have it we have on the plot two compost bins made from pallets. They are a bit rotten and will need replacing. We have moved the compost,(which looks good), from one to the other and started afresh on the empty one. I agree and are all for the no dig method but we had and still have some serious cleaning to be done. Nature has well and truly taken over. There is also a small shed that should last for another year but I will replace it with a 6 X 4 or maybe a slightly larger one if allowed. 

My wife wants to grow flowers for the house which is nice but maybe a little late for this year I’m happy with a couple of fruit bushes that are existing but will need attention. 

The real reason for taking this on is in 2 or 3 years time I will retire and will need things to occupy the time. It’s probably best to get things under way now rather than down the road. I / we do have other interests but always wanted a bit of ground that I could experiment with rather than our house where everything has to look in order. 

T_C_E

Garden along with all my pots of which I have 116 spread between the front and back of the house coming along nicely, another shout for chicken s*** manure pellets. 

Be warned, dogs love them I’ve had to start mixing them with water to stop the dogs eating them from the top of the pots! 😂
I also have two comfrey plants growing in the garden so comfrey feed is also used on alternating weeks when watering. 

Third year for climbing roses (red) second year for rambling roses (pink) along with honeysuckle growing amongst them. 

Fanny Fanackapan

T_C_E said:

Garden along with all my pots of which I have 116 spread between the front and back of the house coming along nicely, another shout for chicken s*** manure pellets. 

Be warned, dogs love them I’ve had to start mixing them with water to stop the dogs eating them from the top of the pots! 😂
I also have two comfrey plants growing in the garden so comfrey feed is also used on alternating weeks when watering. 

Third year for climbing roses (red) second year for rambling roses (pink) along with honeysuckle growing amongst them. 

Surely that's Chelsea ! 

Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch

charltonkeston said:

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

I well remember those aches !!

Don't rush this year, or feel the need to - as NJ might say, taking on a plot you're in a monster league. You just want to consolidate!

I can certainly recommend perennials in the long run - they're my cheat code. Yes, big up front investment in time and money but it pays off. My plot is the same size as yours - 10 rods. More than half my growing space is fruit trees, 3 asparagus beds, rhubarb bed, 10ft of blackberries, 50ft of raspberries, 2 beds of strawberries, 3 big pots of blueberries - stuff that crops year after year. Move the strawberries every 3. Pre-planting for all I generally dug in shed loads of manure or compost for the years ahead, then an annual top up. Bought the best crowns/plants I could source. That's the up front effort.

Anything that needs annual digging (to plant or harvest) or fiddly covering to keep the birds off... way too much effort. Spuds - forget it.

Onions and garlic nice and easy to plant out in autumn... leeks another easy one... courgettes, runners and sweetcorn easy in the summer. Parsnips go in soon, harvesting those are as much digging as I'll do.

Anyway, there's my 2 pence worth - allotmenting is a very worthwhile pastime - keep at it if the first few months are difficult. All the best!

charltonkeston

Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:

charltonkeston said:

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

I well remember those aches !!

Don't rush this year, or feel the need to - as NJ might say, taking on a plot you're in a monster league. You just want to consolidate!

I can certainly recommend perennials in the long run - they're my cheat code. Yes, big up front investment in time and money but it pays off. My plot is the same size as yours - 10 rods. More than half my growing space is fruit trees, 3 asparagus beds, rhubarb bed, 10ft of blackberries, 50ft of raspberries, 2 beds of strawberries, 3 big pots of blueberries - stuff that crops year after year. Move the strawberries every 3. Pre-planting for all I generally dug in shed loads of manure or compost for the years ahead, then an annual top up. Bought the best crowns/plants I could source. That's the up front effort.

Anything that needs annual digging (to plant or harvest) or fiddly covering to keep the birds off... way too much effort. Spuds - forget it.

Onions and garlic nice and easy to plant out in autumn... leeks another easy one... courgettes, runners and sweetcorn easy in the summer. Parsnips go in soon, harvesting those are as much digging as I'll do.

Anyway, there's my 2 pence worth - allotmenting is a very worthwhile pastime - keep at it if the first few months are difficult. All the best!

That’s a hell of a lot of produce. We’re pretty much the same with the stuff that requires special attention. We don’t ever put and pesticides on our garden, it started more out of laziness but mostly everything still grew so we stuck with it. Our Hostas are untouched by slugs and we have a quite few snails shells so we must a few predators around. 

Thanks for your insight into allotments and will take on board the advice. 

Arsenetatters

charltonkeston said:

Arsenetatters said:

addix said:

charltonkeston said:

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

Charles Dowding is a good guy to follow on YouTube etc if you want to try 'no dig' going forward once the plot is in shape.
Allotments can be hard work, but very rewarding in both the produce grown and mental escape, though this year has been tough getting much to even germinate! 

I’d recommend no dig. It’s taken me a while to set up but it’s so much better than digging every year. I’d recommend making as big a compost system as possible (pallets are good) so you can create the good stuff to use on your no dig areas. 

I can recommend chicken manure as it really helps break down the other stuff. 

As luck would have it we have on the plot two compost bins made from pallets. They are a bit rotten and will need replacing. We have moved the compost,(which looks good), from one to the other and started afresh on the empty one. I agree and are all for the no dig method but we had and still have some serious cleaning to be done. Nature has well and truly taken over. There is also a small shed that should last for another year but I will replace it with a 6 X 4 or maybe a slightly larger one if allowed. 

My wife wants to grow flowers for the house which is nice but maybe a little late for this year I’m happy with a couple of fruit bushes that are existing but will need attention. 

The real reason for taking this on is in 2 or 3 years time I will retire and will need things to occupy the time. It’s probably best to get things under way now rather than down the road. I / we do have other interests but always wanted a bit of ground that I could experiment with rather than our house where everything has to look in order. 

Zinnias come up quickly at this time of year for cut flowers. 

I recommend retirement as soon as you can. Take life at a different pace. I think you’ll find you won’t have enough time to do all the things you want to. I’ve never been busier than in retirement!

Arsenetatters

T_C_E said:

Garden along with all my pots of which I have 116 spread between the front and back of the house coming along nicely, another shout for chicken s*** manure pellets. 

Be warned, dogs love them I’ve had to start mixing them with water to stop the dogs eating them from the top of the pots! 😂
I also have two comfrey plants growing in the garden so comfrey feed is also used on alternating weeks when watering. 

Third year for climbing roses (red) second year for rambling roses (pink) along with honeysuckle growing amongst them. 

I’ve made comfrey feed before (wow does it stink!) how much do you dilute it by? My comfrey is growing fast at the moment but the bees are loving the flowers so I hate to cut it yet.

T_C_E

Arsenetatters said:

T_C_E said:

Garden along with all my pots of which I have 116 spread between the front and back of the house coming along nicely, another shout for chicken s*** manure pellets. 

Be warned, dogs love them I’ve had to start mixing them with water to stop the dogs eating them from the top of the pots! 😂
I also have two comfrey plants growing in the garden so comfrey feed is also used on alternating weeks when watering. 

Third year for climbing roses (red) second year for rambling roses (pink) along with honeysuckle growing amongst them. 

I’ve made comfrey feed before (wow does it stink!) how much do you dilute it by? My comfrey is growing fast at the moment but the bees are loving the flowers so I hate to cut it yet.

Like everything in the garden, I just wing it!
If works it works.
Using a watering can, I cover the bottom sufficiently to put some colour in the water, just enough to make it looks like dirty water unlike on gardeners world where it looks like treacle. 

T_C_E

The back of the house is coming on too. 💪

Raith_C_Chattonell

I've heard Monty Don say it should be like weak tea (looks not taste  ).  Maybe a 10 to 1 mix.

DaveMehmet

T_C_E said:

The back of the house is coming on too. 💪

Looking good Ray, although your lawn might benefit from some watering 

Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch

charltonkeston said:

Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:

charltonkeston said:

Me and my wife have just taken on an allotment. It’s 53sq meters and hasn’t been touched for 2 or more years. 

I don’t know how anyone can dig for a living, it genuinely feels like the toughest morning of my life. Just back from there and I hurt, god knows how I’m going to feel tomorrow. Digging on hot days is not my forte. 

I’m going to need a sit down and a few cold beers and a sit down. 

I well remember those aches !!

Don't rush this year, or feel the need to - as NJ might say, taking on a plot you're in a monster league. You just want to consolidate!

I can certainly recommend perennials in the long run - they're my cheat code. Yes, big up front investment in time and money but it pays off. My plot is the same size as yours - 10 rods. More than half my growing space is fruit trees, 3 asparagus beds, rhubarb bed, 10ft of blackberries, 50ft of raspberries, 2 beds of strawberries, 3 big pots of blueberries - stuff that crops year after year. Move the strawberries every 3. Pre-planting for all I generally dug in shed loads of manure or compost for the years ahead, then an annual top up. Bought the best crowns/plants I could source. That's the up front effort.

Anything that needs annual digging (to plant or harvest) or fiddly covering to keep the birds off... way too much effort. Spuds - forget it.

Onions and garlic nice and easy to plant out in autumn... leeks another easy one... courgettes, runners and sweetcorn easy in the summer. Parsnips go in soon, harvesting those are as much digging as I'll do.

Anyway, there's my 2 pence worth - allotmenting is a very worthwhile pastime - keep at it if the first few months are difficult. All the best!

That’s a hell of a lot of produce. We’re pretty much the same with the stuff that requires special attention. We don’t ever put and pesticides on our garden, it started more out of laziness but mostly everything still grew so we stuck with it. Our Hostas are untouched by slugs and we have a quite few snails shells so we must a few predators around. 

Thanks for your insight into allotments and will take on board the advice. 

No problem - yeah my boy eats a mountain of fruit and he gets through all that fruit and more besides - I need to add more! Apsapraus I grow more than I need but there's plenty of harvest sharing goes on at the allotment, which I hope will be the same at yours, so any excess given away always comes back some other time with something I don't grow. The onions and garlic from last summer we put in shed storage on racks and only just finished eating.

My first 3 or 4 years allotmenting were trying things out, all good fun, it was only 3 years ago I went for the perennials approach once I knew what did and didn't work for me. 

Also have a greenhouse at the plot and after years of trying out different things - peppers, aubergines, etc - I keep that simplified too to not over-burden myself - cucumbers and tomatoes only!

Bournemouth Addick

T_C_E said:

Garden along with all my pots of which I have 116 spread between the front and back of the house coming along nicely, another shout for chicken s*** manure pellets. 

Be warned, dogs love them I’ve had to start mixing them with water to stop the dogs eating them from the top of the pots! 😂
I also have two comfrey plants growing in the garden so comfrey feed is also used on alternating weeks when watering. 

Third year for climbing roses (red) second year for rambling roses (pink) along with honeysuckle growing amongst them. 

Is that a tetrapanix I spy there @T_C_E? Looks to be at a similar stage to my own one, I'll take a snap next time I'm out there. Absolute monsters when they get established in the gound, hence mines in a pot too for now. 

T_C_E

@Bournemouth Addick There is indeed, I have a couple in the back garden too.
One of them is growing into a bit of a lump of a plant after only one year.