tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-126706862011-12-14T18:54:04.686-08:00Gardening on an allotment for the first time? The experts will guide you through the trials and tribulations. If you are an experienced gardener, please leave your own hints and tips for others to benefit from.seedybeenoreply@blogger.comBlogger471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-83411642297637515282008-08-06T07:40:00.000-07:002008-08-06T07:43:33.748-07:00

Planted a Hereford bred Apple tree in Berkshire the other day. I think the russett is a great apple and look forward to the first crop in a few years time. It is a late cropper with the appearance of a Cox but much of the mouthfeel of a Russett apple. Should also prove to be a decent cider making fruit.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-52921493856188237752008-08-06T07:37:00.000-07:002008-08-06T07:40:07.305-07:00

If you are a lazy gardener like me you might consider pulling up the Jerusalem artichokes early. I pulled half my crop at the weekend, to reveal very small, but smooth and delicious baby artichokes that don't need hours of cleaning before being cooked. They really are a taste sensation and serving tiny little fellows like they are now provides a talking point for any dinner party.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-23860392211974032102008-08-06T07:35:00.000-07:002008-08-06T07:37:16.313-07:00

A recent spell of rain has meant the courgettes have grown quicker than we can harvest and eat them. 3 plants will produce enough for a family of four. Alternatively plant one or two more and when the glut comes (as it will) start pickling!

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-27714150065431792962008-07-17T07:41:00.000-07:002008-07-17T07:47:17.146-07:00

Our friends let their plot go to pieces for a while due to other comittments this year and it go covered in bindweed. Potatoes have suffered, but onions seem to have pulled through despite being completely strangled by the weeds.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-60010901204346130442008-04-20T01:36:00.000-07:002008-04-20T01:38:11.824-07:00

Two demijohns of wine still sitting in the under-stairs cupboard. Racked twice and it now looks clear. Time to try it.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-21284134267997372152008-04-20T01:31:00.000-07:002008-04-20T01:36:10.081-07:00

We planted 60 King Edwards seed potatoes. The patch had been rotavated, but the soil was stil clay heavy so we dug trenches one spadelength deep and planted the potatoes 10 rows of six , eyes up 15 inches apart. A light scattering of chicken manure pellets and some particularly rich loamy soil on top of the potatoes was all the extra help we gave them. the soil was wet enough that we didn't think

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-14611159684509488032007-10-29T13:36:00.001-07:002007-10-29T13:38:24.064-07:00

After visiting How to make cider we processed enough apples for 3 demijohns of the golden nectar. Then the grape harvest came in and now we have a cupboard full off fermenting white grape juice.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1168518586008269442007-01-11T04:27:00.000-08:002007-01-11T04:29:46.026-08:00

I went to the allottment yesterday and came home with a huge handful of spinach and Swiss Chard, both of which are still growing due to the mild winter so far. I chopped them up with garlic and ginger, wilted the stems and then added the lot to an omlette for a very tasty lunch.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1168264738849142192007-01-08T05:57:00.000-08:002007-01-08T05:58:58.850-08:00

We picked loads of them. With their smoky flavour these are the perfect winter vegetable. They grew well in our clay soil on a patch that had beans the previous year.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1168264625706922512007-01-08T05:56:00.000-08:002007-01-08T05:57:05.716-08:00

The Organic garden is a great new sitehttp://www.theorganicgarden.co.ukif you like your veg an stuff to be as healthy and delicious as they can be.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1163170019670962232006-11-10T06:45:00.000-08:002006-11-10T06:46:59.680-08:00

The Chard is doing phenomenonally well. The wierd weather this season seems to have really helped the greens although everything else suffered in our allotment.Tomorrow we will pull up the Jerusalem Artichokes and see if they ammounted to anything.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1153469853792773082006-07-21T01:15:00.000-07:002006-07-21T01:17:33.803-07:00

Went down to the allottment this morning to discover someone has strimmed over my Peas and Herbs. Whether it was down to malice or senility is still open to debate.When I discover the culprit, I will let you know what has occurred. I didn't realise I had made any enimies.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1149294847634272622006-06-02T17:34:00.000-07:002006-06-02T17:34:07.633-07:00

The potatoes - Solanum tuberosums are doing well and were earthed up about a month ago. The best is the potato on the patio growing in a bag of compost. Massive growth and I have high hopes that the spuds themselves will be large too.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1149294699371588212006-06-02T17:31:00.000-07:002006-06-02T17:31:39.423-07:00

So watering cans only at the moment. Still, the whole place is looking lush and my new cordless strimmer will clear the grasss tomorrow. As for the grape vines, two are producing lots of leafy growth while the other two are producing nothing but dead twigs. Still I will be patient with them.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1144129824852812782006-04-03T22:49:00.000-07:002006-04-03T22:50:24.863-07:00

Woolworths this weekend was selling both black and red grape vines for £3.99 each.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1143475167783296712006-03-27T07:59:00.000-08:002006-03-27T07:59:27.830-08:00

Potatoes went in at the weekend. There is something wonderful about putting the spuds in the ground. Onions sit near the surface but potatoes need to go about 4 to 6 inches below so there is a real sense of planting them, rather than just dropping them into a plot. I covered them gently with sieved soil to ensure I didn't damage the chits.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1141933540686444062006-03-09T11:45:00.000-08:002006-03-09T11:45:40.860-08:00

Potaoes Beating the BlightForget chemicals, it's all about chitting to ensure fast growth, proper nutrients in the soil and a bit of tlc. I was thinking about whether there are an optimum number of shoots per potato to allow?There are two modes of research; the less travelled garden path being to test a hyposition. So I have chosen twenty chits and I am going to split them into three groups with

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1141824443972102422006-03-08T05:27:00.000-08:002006-03-08T05:27:24.030-08:00

I Wish I had read how to grow potatoes without digging before the weekend. My back hurts like fury, but the ground is prepared, the spuds are chitting in the conservatory and I am so looking forward to spring.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1140684531496731042006-02-23T00:44:00.000-08:002006-02-23T00:48:51.506-08:00

The harvest was poor and so we put the allotment to bed. Then just this week we dug in 300 litres of well rotted horse manure and started planning what to plant. Early potatoes and shallotts will be planted this week. After that, the whole wonderful dig and sow cycle starts again.One tip if you are an organic gardener is to let the owners of the allotments around yours aware of that fact. We

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1126529873648312152005-09-12T05:57:00.000-07:002005-09-12T05:57:54.350-07:00

Growing Sweetcorn is pointless unless you remember to harvest it. The beans were great, but I forgot about the sweetcorn for a month and am afraid of what I will see when I go back this evening.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1124877930129206342005-08-24T03:02:00.000-07:002005-08-24T03:05:30.140-07:00

This week we have been harvesting beans and courgettes and plums by the bucketful. The wife is muttering darkly about making Jam tomorrow. My Cox's Apples will take a few more weeks to ripenThe sweetcorn is much smaller than anyone elses at the allottment.Pedro who owns the next plot along is experimenting with grape vines. I think I would like to do the same.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1120210672098987462005-07-01T02:37:00.000-07:002005-07-01T02:37:52.123-07:00

I never realised until now that Flowers convey meanings, or at leat they used to. There are some surprises in this list that Katie compiled.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1119874416399832572005-06-27T05:13:00.000-07:002005-06-27T05:13:36.410-07:00

Gardeners World recently reviewed the JCB ACR 310 lawnmower. Well not everyone agrees with the experts and when it comes to Turf grass mowing we are a picky bunch. For anyone over 6 foot tall, the handles of many mowers cause problems, forcing the gardener to stoop as they walk up and down the garden. The Flymo Mow n Vac is great for taller gardeners and is very easy to use. As simple as vacum

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1118988780631316812005-06-16T23:10:00.000-07:002005-06-16T23:13:00.636-07:00

Our allotment is behind great big gates and we were only given one key. Nic has it on her fob and she was away last night, so despite having trowel in hand I couldn't get in to weed the sweetcorn.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1118948841397875992005-06-16T12:03:00.000-07:002005-06-16T12:07:21.400-07:00

We were talking about growing wheat to make our own loaf, so I took the idea and thought about growing some ancient grain varieties such as emmer, spelt or einkorn.However, the local garden centre doesn't sell wheat to grow. Infact, here in suburbia I am at a loss where to go. Does anyone know where i can get a small handful of spelt to plant? It will probably have to be next year now, but it

seedybeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1118914622808552842005-06-16T01:48:00.000-07:002005-06-16T02:37:02.823-07:00

Fantastic strawberrys from the rescued plants we found on the allotment. It seems that the transplantation has done them the world of good. Very sweet large fruits all over the place. One of the neighbours suggests they are a variety called "Elsanta"

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1117668038715131472005-06-01T16:16:00.000-07:002005-06-01T16:20:38.716-07:00

How will the allotment cope when we are away on holiday. It was bad enough leaving it for the weekend to visit mum in Devon. The ground is definitely fertile. Weeds are shooting up and testing our organic credentials as we look at the unwanted growth and mutter darkly about weedkiller being a great idea.But this allotment is about good food, so pesticides and the like are forever banished. I will

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1117555646465654122005-05-31T09:05:00.000-07:002005-06-01T16:16:07.913-07:00

I found the haft of a white clay tobacco pipe on the allotment patch yesterday. Dunno if that isn't better suited to my archaeology blog Digging up Saxons?

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1117518364640034972005-05-30T22:41:00.000-07:002005-05-30T22:46:04.643-07:00

As it was the Bank Holiday we left Windsor and went down to Devon and visited the Garden at Rosemoor near Torrington.We found a Vegetable and fruit garden in full flower that has to be seen to be believed. This really is gardening at its most professionally exacting. The gooseberry bushes were astounnding.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1116955565499537392005-05-24T10:22:00.000-07:002005-05-24T10:26:05.503-07:00

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1116912827765452702005-05-23T22:28:00.000-07:002005-05-23T22:33:47.770-07:00

The prepared beds are just sitting there now, waiting till all chance of a final frost has gone. Weeds were coming up yesterday so we spent an hour redigging and weeding.If the weather is good for weeds at is good for planting in my opinion. ... Maybe tonight we will get some more sowing done."Ne'er cast a clout til May is out" has a french equivelent. Accroding to Celines excellent Translation

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1116593001662809502005-05-20T05:42:00.000-07:002005-05-20T05:43:21.666-07:00

Is growing your own organic food in the suburbs a) for sad old people, or b) anyone who doesn't want to die of GM, BSE, Sudan IV, Para Red or any of the other thousand of genotixic carcenogens that big corporations are pumping into our daily diet?

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1116416025687295382005-05-18T04:32:00.000-07:002005-05-18T04:33:45.690-07:00

There are plenty of websites about allotment gardening but most are UK based, which makes me think this may be a peculiarly british institution (or do they call allotments something else in other countries?

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1116396876982942532005-05-17T23:09:00.000-07:002005-05-17T23:14:36.986-07:00

Just days after rotorvating (or is it rotovating?) the site, we have weeds coming up. Spend ten minutes with the hoe yesterday evening before supper, building an appetite.We made the mistake of getting Mr B to knock up some old broken palettes into a compost container. However he built it on the slope at the back end of our allotment so anything you chuck in it has a chance of rollinbg out of the

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1116253117419819832005-05-16T07:18:00.000-07:002005-05-16T07:20:10.486-07:00

A hot and sunny sunday allowed us to get onions, sweetcorn and herbs into the plot. 3 of the transplanted straberries kicked the bucket, but the iothers have already started putting on new growth.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115910174828553082005-05-12T07:59:00.000-07:002005-05-12T08:02:54.833-07:00

Tell everyone at work you have an allotment. Fellow enthusiasts have been sidling up to me all week and handing over paper bags full of seeds. The MD has been giving me tips on growing fuscias and now even the marketing department are getting in on the act. I have just received a packet of sunflower seeds which arrived on the Marketing Manager's desk as part of some promotional pack from

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115876852034589512005-05-11T22:42:00.000-07:002005-05-11T22:47:32.043-07:00

This Season (spring 2005), the local CO-OP minimart (not normally most people's first choice when shopping for garden tools) is selling a terrific little hand trowel. It is ergonomic, solidly constructed and even features a good seration on the side for cutting twine. The cost is an astonishingly low 79 pence.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115821435108397752005-05-11T07:21:00.000-07:002005-05-11T07:23:55.113-07:00

Plant your allotment too early and you get hit by the last frost, too late and you loose valuable growing time. Well sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns, so tonight the first crop will be planted.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115499116487494072005-05-07T13:49:00.000-07:002005-05-07T13:52:38.860-07:00

In advance of going over the whole plot with the rotovator tomorrow, we dug up some old strawberry plants we found at one end of the plot and moved them to fresh earth in a sunnier spot. We found 18 plants in total but have no idea how old they are. We will, as ever, let you know.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115449767246319732005-05-07T00:09:00.000-07:002005-05-07T13:49:02.433-07:00

We decided to see how it should be done so we visited Savill Gardens in Windsor Great Park. Wow. You really must visit the woodland garden if you get the opportunity. I'm not usually a fan of camellias and rhododendrons but they have some stunning specimens. The whole place is absolutely gorgeous.http://www.windsor-berkshire.co.uk/savill_gardens.php

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115385642798470082005-05-06T06:19:00.000-07:002005-05-06T06:20:42.803-07:00

A site all about our hometownhttp://www.windsor-berkshire.co.uk

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115365157618528392005-05-06T00:39:00.000-07:002005-05-06T00:40:55.310-07:00

I had a dream last night that the entire allotment was covered with a crop of potatoes, destroyed by a sharp frost. The ghost of William Shakespeare was flying above the carnage telling anyone who would listen that he had warned me to put some fleece down.When I woke up, turned on the radio (to hear the general election results) and the BBC weatherman mentioned that we may have frosts this

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115301965509832702005-05-05T07:06:00.000-07:002005-05-05T07:06:05.516-07:00

  Our local allotment society even has its own webite at http://www.wahga.org.uk/  where there is a good range of information on events, seed availability pictures and so on.   Gardening is now officially a 21st Century past-time!

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115300775390774692005-05-05T06:46:00.000-07:002005-05-05T06:46:15.396-07:00

You will be holding the handle of that spade for the next 20 years or so. Therefore buy one that feels comfortable in your hands.  If you like the honesty of wood go for the vintage stylings and enjoy your digging.   If you are a gadget lover, go for the latest high tech garden fork with easigrip rubber handles and ergomic curves.   Whichever you choose, choose the one that you will be

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115297946196318762005-05-05T05:59:00.000-07:002005-05-05T05:59:06.200-07:00

http://www.gardenspace.newarchaeology.com looks promising.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115297877176233092005-05-05T05:57:00.000-07:002005-05-05T05:57:57.180-07:00

We will need to either dig for a week or hire the rotovator for an hour on Sunday morning.   No contest there, and so a tenner is added to the cost of gardening. The subscription to the Royal Horticultural Society http://www.rhs.org.uk that Nicola took out last year will stand us in good stead, as their magazine 'The Garden' is full of useful tips.

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12670686.post-1115296793683550832005-05-05T05:35:00.000-07:002005-05-05T05:39:53.686-07:00

Just a half mile from the Queen's backgarden at Windsor Castle, Berkshire you can rent a big patch of fertile soil (about 15 by 50 metres) for just £10.00 a year. Now the patch we just paid for already includes an apple tree, two plum trees and two gooseberry bushes, so we figure even if we do NO WORK we will end up in profit from the fruit harvest alone. However, we intend to dig, sow and grow a

seedybeenoreply@blogger.com1