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Calling SMB veg growers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 5265
  • Start date Start date
Wilfy said:
Looks like I will have an allotment next month, it’s in good nick as the old fella giving it up is only doing so as his arthritis is getting bad. Got to negotiate a price for the shed and greenhouse on the plot. What jobs should I be looking at doing and what’s the easiest stuff to grow?
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Just sowed my onions seeds last week indoors in a propagator for planting out late march time. It's been so wet that I haven't done much over Dec/Jan.

  • I have covered some beds with cardboard to keep the weed growth down come spring.

  • Tidy up and prep/plan where and what you want to plant out.

  • Bare root fruit trees can go in now if it's not too wet.

  • Make/create a pond, I just have a plastic tub buried, great for wildlife and slug eating frogs/toads.

  • Make a compost heap area if you don't already have one.
 

Georgewhitt said:
Get the soil turned owa and get some goodness in to it.
Decide what you want to grow before you put manure on it though. If you want to grow onions, dont put maure on that bit. Onions will bolt if soil is too rich.
You done any growing b4?
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Not really grown much before, that’s why I’m asking the experts on here. I get free manure on the site, they also have a rotivator for hire. Which crops like manure?
 
Wilfy said:
Not really grown much before, that’s why I’m asking the experts on here. I get free manure on the site, they also have a rotivator for hire. Which crops like manure?
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Before using the rotavator make sure you haven’t got anything like horse tail that will grow from each bit you’ve chopped up and distributed!
 
Wilfy said:
Not really grown much before, that’s why I’m asking the experts on here. I get free manure on the site, they also have a rotivator for hire. Which crops like manure?
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Cucumbers and courgettes love it.
If its been gardened well, like it sounds it has, it should be ok to grow most things without adding too much goodness.
Time to get the manure on is autumn and early winter really, so you've just missed it really. Should be fine to grow without it on an active plot though marra.
I would just get some air into it by turning it over for the frost to get in and break it down. The previous fella might have done that anyway by the sound of it. Ask him what he has done since last season. And find out if it's acid or alkali soil. Makes a difference in what will do well. Ask him what he grew and where. If it worked for him, it should work for you mate.
Pick the brains of the owld fellas on the other plots anarl. See what works for them marra.
 
Wilfy said:
Will I be alright doing that next month as that’s when I will be getting the plot?
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A little late, but your main crop spuds normally go in the ground early April.
If the manure is black and well rotted, not a problem.
But if it is fresh, it will be "hot" and probably too acidic.
But tatties do like a bit of acidity as opposed to alkali soils.
Get yourself a battery powered soil tester, and see what the pH is in your soil all around the plot.
 
Butcher's Coat said:
A little late, but your main crop spuds normally go in the ground early April.
If the manure is black and well rotted, not a problem.
But if it is fresh, it will be "hot" and probably too acidic.
But tatties do like a bit of acidity as opposed to alkali soils.
Get yourself a battery powered soil tester, and see what the pH is in your soil all around the plot.
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Cheers mate, the manure is fresh, I saw the pile today. There’s still some leeks growing on the plot but other than that, it’s pretty much empty.
 
Wilfy said:
Cheers mate, the manure is fresh, I saw the pile today. There’s still some leeks growing on the plot but other than that, it’s pretty much empty.
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To be honest, I would dig in that manure where the main crop tatties are going to go ASAP. There is a canny bit of time before the main crop spuds go in.
But don't dig it in where any other crop is going to go. It will be too acid for it.
 
Butcher's Coat said:
To be honest, I would dig in that manure where the main crop tatties are going to go ASAP. There is a canny bit of time before the main crop spuds go in.
But don't dig it in where any other crop is going to go. It will be too acid for it.
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I’m going to measure it up when I get the keys and will draw it up on cad and work out where everything is going to go. I reckon the plot is probably somewhere around 120m2.
 
Wilfy said:
I’m going to measure it up when I get the keys and will draw it up on cad and work out where everything is going to go. I reckon the plot is probably somewhere around 120m2.
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Give this website a gander.
The bloke on here, John Harrison is the guru of allotment growing in my opinion.
I got his book when I first got my allotment - and he has kept me right.

You must be logged on to see external links
 
Georgewhitt said:
Seriously marra, ask the guy you're taking it from what worked and where they did best. Gives you a really good starting point.
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I’ll speak to him when I sort the cash out for the shed and greenhouse. He’s also got compost bins on the plot.
Butcher's Coat said:
Give this website a gander.
The bloke on here, John Harrison is the guru of allotment growing in my opinion.
I got his book when I first got my allotment - and he has kept me right.

You must be logged on to see external links
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I’ve actually ordered his book earlier.
 
Wilfy said:
I’ll speak to him when I sort the cash out for the shed and greenhouse. He’s also got compost bins on the plot.

I’ve actually ordered his book earlier.
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The section about crop rotation and soil fertility will get you off to a great start Wilfy. :cool:
Order up a 25kg sack of fish, blood and bone as well a sack of lime in order to lower the ph of your soil if and when it becomes too acid for the likes of brassicas and legumes.
 
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Butcher's Coat said:
The section about crop rotation and soil fertility will get you off to a great start Wilfy. :cool:
Order up a 25kg sack of fish, blood and bone as well a sack of lime in order to lower the ph of your soil if and when it becomes too acid for the likes of brassicas and legumes.
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Blood, fish and bone is excellent slow release fertiliser. I always mix a good portion of Chicken Manure into my greenhouse soil for Toms and Cucumbers. Mostly get decent crops.
Always have a big tub of both of them in my garage.
 
Wilfy said:
Not really grown much before, that’s why I’m asking the experts on here. I get free manure on the site, they also have a rotivator for hire. Which crops like manure?
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Carrots, Potatoes, Beetroot, Radishes, Onions etc

Root crops, such as carrots, potatoes, and beets, prefer a light and loose soil structure. Excessive use of manure can cause misshapen roots and affect the quality of the harvest. It is advisable to limit the use of manure when cultivating root crops.

Some things prefer acidic soil conditions. Manure tends to increase the pH level of the soil, which can change the health of such plants for the worse
Georgewhitt said:
Blood, fish and bone is excellent slow release fertiliser. I always mix a good portion of Chicken Manure into my greenhouse soil for Toms and Cucumbers. Mostly get decent crops.
Always have a big tub of both of them in my garage.
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I concur, this works, though it costs money, so I tend to try and get away without using it, depends how much you have and are prepared to spend.
Due to the poor weather of 2023, dry at the beginning, wet towards the end, it was a poor year, crops wise for me, with a few successes and a few losses, this year my Potatoes were a disaster, onions good, leeks okay, beetroot okay, Kale good, as always, my fruit trees and bushes flourished though, obviously some weather is good for some things and bad for others.

Couldn't wait to get started last year, digging and planting outdoors in March etc ( tend to take the risk of planting straight in rather than potting in greenhouse ( note to self ) probably too early. Won't be doing anything until May this year, once bitten and all that.
 
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Georgewhitt said:
Blood, fish and bone is excellent slow release fertiliser. I always mix a good portion of Chicken Manure into my greenhouse soil for Toms and Cucumbers. Mostly get decent crops.
Always have a big tub of both of them in my garage.
Click to expand...
I do in the beds but never use it in the pots, which doesn't make much sense now I think of it!

Are peppers and aubergines better with manure too?
 
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