Wednesday 27 February 2008

December 2007-February 27th 2008

Hi
Well here's my first post just to tell you what this NOVICE allotmenteer what Ive been doing since i got the Lottie and what i plan on growing...
As you may be able to see from some of my pictures most of my time has gone into cleaning my Lottie up and the neighbouring Lottie on quite a big scale but I'm almost done now.I started on the Lottie in mid December clearing everything out all the IVY what had taken over removed all the weeds turned all the beds over painted the shed fixed the chain link fencing. Repaned the G/H on the neighbouring Lottie TODAY (Thanks to some glazers at work i acquired some old perspex on 25Feb from the train station shelter at work) everything's looking good now. I've planted some seeds in modules on the 23rd Feb.. Carrots (early Nantes) Parsnips ( White gem) Cabbage (Greyhound) peas(early onwards)Cauliflower Also some fruit .Rhubarb,blackberry,gooseberry,raspberry...... also some herbs Garlic coriander..parsley..mint...thyme.. Some tomatoes(moneymaker) in the greenhouse on the 17th Feb still no signs of germination yet though.I've got some growing at home in a propagator (gardeners delight,marmande,moneymaker..also some chilli's Cayenne,toro rosso ,worldbeater And i have some potatoes chilting in my shed which have been there since 3rd feb the shoots are about an inch or two now but i sprayed a few with water because i thought it might help but today i thrown them away because they went black :( i wont be doing that again)
Hopefully i will be able to post a lot more in time and show you my results but until then i will keep going enjoying my self
What i intend to grow(This year)
Potatoes,leeks,onions,parsnips,cabbage,carrots,beets,peas,caulis,sprouts,lettuce,radish,tomatos,chillis
rhubarb,blackcurrant,raspberry,strawberry's
garlic,chives,parsley,coriander,mint,thyme,dill

Thanks for your visit i will be back with more posts & pics Lee
(visit the link my pics to view the lottie)


If you can i would be very grateful of any tips or advise you can give me (These books & magazines make it complicated for novices)

2 comments:

HayWayne said...

Looks like you've already made great progress clearing the site. You'll have a fully functioning plot before you know it - then the fun begins!

Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Looks like you've got it sussed, for a beginner you seem to have grasped the essentials - beg, borrow or steal, keep thinking of what would be handy at the allotment...(and give the surplus to whoever helps you, with profuse thanks!)
Advice ? Feed the soil, not the plants. (Old gardeners' saying.) If you have problems with things not germinating, it is usually the soil conditions - a lot of growing kits or cheap composts use too much peat which dries out very quick. Water from below, especially the seedlings in trays and wee pots. Use liquid seaweed feed. Sprinkle as much salt as fits on your thumbnail around your brassicas - they like it, the soil likes it, the slugs don't. Try putting moss in the bottom of your seed trays - it helps retain the moisture, and it is far far cheaper than Swellgel !
Any fool can grow some veggie seedlings - it's growing veggies on a shoestring, when the soil, the pests or the climatic conditions are naff, and when every plant that you grow is a bite less hunger and a penny more saved - that's the real challenge.
Oh, and watch out for the words "self-seeds freely" - eg Amaranth !