Allotments

Looks very tidy... presume it's a private allotment, not council?

Were would we be without water and gas pipe.

Very eco friendly, you've even got a heron:ROFLMAO:
 
Mr Chibs said:
Looks very tidy... presume it's a private allotment, not council?

Were would we be without water and gas pipe.

Very eco friendly, you've even got a heron:ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
It’s actually a Council one - there’s quite a few round my way. Oh, and the Heron is plastic - I found it behind our house when walking the dog the other week. Just a bird deterrent (I hope!)
 
Had an allotment for many years and grown a lot of fruit and veg in that time.
Tried many different styles of gardening in that time, constantly experimenting and trying new things.

Came to the conclusion last year that the Summer's are now so harsh it is best not to grow much in the way of annual veg and to focus more on perennial fruit bushes and trees. Once they are established they look after themselves with the exception of the odd prune.

I'm actually eyeing up a new plum and 3 new apple trees to go on my plot; in place of the veg beds.
On my allotment you have to apply for planning permission because they don't want plots with only trees on them.
I can't really see the problem providing they aren't shading a neighbour - but there you go lol - someone always has a problem.

The heat loving plants like tomatoes and peppers do well but a lot of stuff needs constant nannying and I'm just not up there often enough to keep plants watered. That's the case for most people lol. Maybe up North the summer's aren't quite so harsh and dry but down south you may as well not bother with annuals unless you can come up every evening or morning to water in mid-summer.

One thing I will say is though that any root veg usually does well. I never water my potatoes and they always give a good crop. Carrots are a bit on the delicate side as they go all small and hairy if you don't provide a fair amount of moisture. Shade is a prime real estate on my plot.

For me it's basically : cabbage, carrots, potatoes, garlic (over-winter), tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse (annuals)
And for perennials : plums (different varieties), apples, gooseberries (dessert varieties), rhubarb, herbs (sorrel, rosemary, thyme etc etc)

I'm looking at adding a few more (and widely unheard of plants) to my plot, like Welsh onions - a type of perennial onion.
There's a great resource called plantsforafuture.org and they provide information and publications on what plants do well and where.

It's a nightmare trying to fight for the water when everyone is up there as well lol.
Even if you manage to get the water, at peak time all the pressure gets drained from someone else using the water from another tank. You end up standing there with a dribble coming out the hose - just a ball ache.
 
We're only allowed one fruit tree per half plot on our allotments. Some who have been there since long before this rule practically have an orchard on their plot. Water is not a problem as we have approximately 20 horse watering troughs that are automatically filled and hosepipes and 12v water pumps are banned. A recent rule is that if you put a shed or greenhouse on your plot, you must harvest the rainwater from it. Our rents are now due - £66 per full plot, £33 per half plot plus £2 membership fee. The allotment manager estimates that £25 per half plot is to cover the cost of the water rates.
 
HawkEye244 said:
Had an allotment for many years and grown a lot of fruit and veg in that time.
Tried many different styles of gardening in that time, constantly experimenting and trying new things.

Came to the conclusion last year that the Summer's are now so harsh it is best not to grow much in the way of annual veg and to focus more on perennial fruit bushes and trees. Once they are established they look after themselves with the exception of the odd prune.

I'm actually eyeing up a new plum and 3 new apple trees to go on my plot; in place of the veg beds.
On my allotment you have to apply for planning permission because they don't want plots with only trees on them.
I can't really see the problem providing they aren't shading a neighbour - but there you go lol - someone always has a problem.

The heat loving plants like tomatoes and peppers do well but a lot of stuff needs constant nannying and I'm just not up there often enough to keep plants watered. That's the case for most people lol. Maybe up North the summer's aren't quite so harsh and dry but down south you may as well not bother with annuals unless you can come up every evening or morning to water in mid-summer.

One thing I will say is though that any root veg usually does well. I never water my potatoes and they always give a good crop. Carrots are a bit on the delicate side as they go all small and hairy if you don't provide a fair amount of moisture. Shade is a prime real estate on my plot.

For me it's basically : cabbage, carrots, potatoes, garlic (over-winter), tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse (annuals)
And for perennials : plums (different varieties), apples, gooseberries (dessert varieties), rhubarb, herbs (sorrel, rosemary, thyme etc etc)

I'm looking at adding a few more (and widely unheard of plants) to my plot, like Welsh onions - a type of perennial onion.
There's a great resource called plantsforafuture.org and they provide information and publications on what plants do well and where.

It's a nightmare trying to fight for the water when everyone is up there as well lol.
Even if you manage to get the water, at peak time all the pressure gets drained from someone else using the water from another tank. You end up standing there with a dribble coming out the hose - just a ball ache.
Click to expand...

I assure you the summer's oop norf can be as hot as an Arabs armpit. This year saw temperatures reach 36 degrees c. and our apple trees needed plenty of water. We planted two miniature trees when we first arrived: Bramley, for cooking and Greensleeves, for eater's. If you're stuck for space or need to keep them low for the neighbour's sake, then i'd recommend a mini-tree that grows no more than 3m high, or less if you prune wisely. You can even train them along a wire on a south facing fence if you have patience.
Shop around but you can find a few ideas here.
It's been a good year, after an excellent spring and a hot summer, and there's almost 10lb of Green's to eat and i'm starting on the Bramley's today by boiling them down for juice to make a jelly. If i had room i'd make cider but Herself made it very clear what she thought of that idea.
 
Haha Mottie, always a double standard on allotments isn't there. Sounds like your site is even more strict than mine. If I was restricted to one tree I'd be off

Hi Odds, sounds like you've got a neat setup there. I like the idea of making cider myself.. can you use any apples to make cider or do they need to be a certain type ?

My allotment restricts us to 3m high trees. So I only have dwarf root stock trees at the moment.

Can't remember which rootstocks I just got permission for..It must have been M27 or M9.

Sadly, I wouldn't want to spend time doing espaliers because the site is on a south west facing slope with a fair amount of overzealous people around.. so if the wind wouldn't smash it up a person or wild animal probably would. I'll have a look at that website.
 
HawkEye244 said:
Haha Mottie, always a double standard on allotments isn't there. Sounds like your site is even more strict than mine. If I was restricted to one tree I'd be off

Hi Odds, sounds like you've got a neat setup there. I like the idea of making cider myself.. can you use any apples to make cider or do they need to be a certain type ?

My allotment restricts us to 3m high trees. So I only have dwarf root stock trees at the moment.

Can't remember which rootstocks I just got permission for..It must have been M27 or M9.

Sadly, I wouldn't want to spend time doing espaliers because the site is on a south west facing slope with a fair amount of overzealous people around.. so if the wind wouldn't smash it up a person or wild animal probably would. I'll have a look at that website.
Click to expand...
I think certain varities of apple are better for cider than others - but i never had the chance as Herself put her small, but perfectly formed foot down very firmly on the idea. :(
She probably has a point. It would've taken up a great deal of room with the press and barrels and a lot of time and effort into the bargain, too. Wise woman.
I've been trying to clear an area for cloning the old apple tree at the top of the garden but i still haven't got round to it. Next year, maybe. Although i did consider training one along a wire i decided to use the space for a cherry tree instead. Three apple trees in the garden is enough, especially on a good year when the amount of apples takes some work to harvest and use up.
I'm currently looking for an ornamental tree to put at the top of the rockery and find it easy to lose a morning browsing through. Enjoy.(y)
 
Anyone considering planting a pear tree, I would thoroughly recommend "Invincible".
In all my years I have not seen a more reliable heavy cropping pear.
The beauty of them is they are self pollinating with two flushes of flowers so if the first is hit by early frosts they have backup.The fruits are very large and so juicy one could drown in it.
About 4 years ago I posted I had grafted buds on to a Hawthorn , this year we have blossom on it so can't wait to see if a few fruits are harvested
 
Nice thread -- good to see others' efforts.

I've only been growing about 5 years. Just do the basic vegetables (runner beans, peas, salad potatoes in pots, lettuce, carrot and tomato).

Finally got a greenhouse gifted to me from next door. Looking forward to having it full of veg this year. Plan is to put the toms in there but also a few cucumber plants to (maybe two or three of them).

What else do people grow in their greenhouses?
 
This year, I've grown asparagus from seed in the green house and a cobnut sapling from a nut. A first for me, and have just let them get on with it.
I have transplanted the cob nut saplings and will wait until to move the asparagus.

I normally do tommies and basil with a few cucumbers and physalis (cape gooseberry) plants, cucumbers are more work than the other two.
I also put a couple of French marigold plants in there as well, as some insects don't like them, so don't get any infestations.

As for cider making, I'm told the best results are from a blend of apples. I've tried some from a neighbour on the allotment and it's like a good commercial cider...
I tried it for the first time last year, and sadly I have something that looks like something a transit driver would throw out of the window.;)
It's also quite strong, and 2 litre bottles are a lot to consume in one go... looking forward to attempt 2 in October!
 
cwhaley said:
What else do people grow in their greenhouses?
Click to expand...
Mrs Mottie is growing some flowers in ours - Zinnia, Aster, sweet peas and Cosmos. So far I’m starting off dwarf French beans, runner beans, sweetcorn, kale, cauliflower, squash, pumpkins, green and golden courgettes, three different types of tomatoes, petit pois, strawberries, peppers, chilli peppers, beetroots and lettuce. When they are out I will be growing on some tomatoes and chilli peppers in there. I’ve got a similar amount in the communal polytunnel.

14EC4B93-1E0C-4173-AE2D-0A9C4D7EE707.jpeg
 
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