LaraCroft 863 Posted May 4, 2016 Report Share Posted May 4, 2016 Thank you Terry - I use it for horse youngsters - a smack on the backside is noisy but doesn't have the sting of a whip - great for learning stuff without getting hurt or fearful. There is miles of it here, coiled in piles, left by the previous owner. I didn't think to use it as a frame - but I will now. My stingers are growing to be fertiliser water - if I can't get rid of the acres of them all at once , they can die and be useful ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
greenshank1 406 Posted May 4, 2016 Report Share Posted May 4, 2016 Planted two varieties of tatties , a row of beat root , a row of carrots , half a row of chard . Trying horseradish for the first time this year so will see how that turns out. Planted a new clump of rhubarb and started the new herb garden. Thyme , rosemary , sage , chives , fennel , dill and parsley. We had a fair amount of snow last week so waiting before sowing the lettuce. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
whatdog72 287 Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 Old boys left his plot next to me so snapped it up the weekend, just got mine somewhere near and got it all to do again, be worth it though when I get it up to scratch 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terryd 8,039 Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 What do folks do as far as watering goes ? If you have a plot full of stuff or even two it gets bit impractical. I tend to just water what's most vulnerable though I do think the first year when I watered the whole dam plot every 2 or 3 days I had the best crops of every thing. Used to take 2 or 3 hours but every thing was lush and green Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LaraCroft 863 Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 No outside taps here ( its on the *to do* list ! ) so one of the first jobs when I moved in was to fix water butts to the house and barn to collect rain water from the various roofs. As I have to take buckets of water to the horses, chickens and geese each day, I just add a few trips and do the poly tunnel and veg beds at the same time. Previously I have used 25 litre water canisters, taken by car to the allotment, which was very time consuming, and I am sure was a big factor in putting people off taking an allotment, or continuing to use one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
devon flighter 421 Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 planted out the brassicas in the bed and put the kelsae onions and broad beans and peas out to harden off ,hopefully get them in the beds next week terry d not a problem watering here, the garden is just a kitchen garden/allotment so outside tap does fine Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jok 3,035 Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 Good evening gentlemen on the warmest day of the year. Just got back home after spending a few hours on the allotment. To be honest I'm aching like hell because I did the last of the rotovating and it was hard going. Not the ground, just the fricking machine. It wants to keep going down. Anyway, finished and then put down a row of Savoy and a row of drumhead. Because I ridged the spuds when setting I missed the frost and 4 rows are showing. How come, when you have a huge garden, you run out of space?? Totally mad. My greenhouse is rammed with all the plants for late May/June and I could do with another bit of ground. Some of my neighbours are now realising that the fastest growing thing is not a radish but the good old weed. Anyway. I digress. Everything looking tickety boo. Interesting the mention about water. An old gardening adversary once told me that there is no need to water. If a plant wants it will find. To be fair, I tried that route and had great results so schools out on yes or no. When I was rotovating this afternoon it appeared that the ground had loads of moisture but I watched a neighbour watering In her runner beans. Ah well. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LaraCroft 863 Posted May 5, 2016 Report Share Posted May 5, 2016 Evening Jok - would be interested to hear about the no watering - The land here is high ( 1200 + ) so gets blasted by wind, but also heavily rained. Soil always seems damp/wet on digging, but the top looks dry. A mix of decent peaty stuff with some shale and clay, depending on where you are. I water the poly daily, but leave the open veg stuff and water when needed. How much water is needed for the "no need to water" ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sussex 5,776 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 quote name="greenshank1" post="4213884" timestamp="1462399840"]Planted two varieties of tatties , a row of beat root , a row of carrots , half a row of chard . Trying horseradish for the first time this year so will see how that turns out. Planted a new clump of rhubarb and started the new herb garden. Thyme , rosemary , sage , chives , fennel , dill and parsley. We had a fair amount of snow last week so waiting before sowing the lettuce. I tried horseradish ....IT TOOK OF LIKE A TRIFFID !!!! it would have taken over the whole allotment , garden , street etc ..I then spent ages killing it off ..? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
forest of dean redneck 11,189 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 When I was talking to one of the allotment association people here,he said he only waters when the plants are new,he said if you water all time you get a shallow wide root,if you don't ,the plant sends roots down in a narrower deeper,way making stronger plant. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vfr400boy 3,120 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Dwarf French beans planted out to day and another row of carrots in Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terryd 8,039 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Saw a tip on facebook last night about drilling holes around a bucket about an inch up. Bury upto the rim and fill with dung then plant your courgettes around it and just water the bucket. Sounded like a good idea and I had to plant some out today as they were getting to big for me cold frame. got me bean frame up. Made a hash of it last year and crossed the canes high up so the bean hung down in the middle so gone low this year even got few flowers in nasturtiums I think next to cabbage peas are up got one up on the mice it was either the paraffine or burying the netting around them or both got the mower out hope the onions keep there momentum going 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) Saw a tip on facebook last night about drilling holes around a bucket about an inch up. Bury upto the rim and fill with dung then plant your courgettes around it and just water the bucket. Sounded like a good idea and I had to plant some out today as they were getting to big for me cold frame. got me bean frame up. Made a hash of it last year and crossed the canes high up so the bean hung down in the middle so gone low this year even got few flowers in nasturtiums I think next to cabbage peas are up got one up on the mice it was either the paraffine or burying the netting around them or both got the mower out hope the onions keep there momentum going Nasturtiums make good salad leaves, slight peppery taste, and the edible flowers are quite nice in a salad also. Don't know if it is a good thing or bad? Black fly absolutely love Nasturtiums, so will they draw the black fly away from the beans or attract them to the area? I honestly don't know. TC Edited May 7, 2016 by tiercel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terryd 8,039 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 (edited) Saw a tip on facebook last night about drilling holes around a bucket about an inch up. Bury upto the rim and fill with dung then plant your courgettes around it and just water the bucket. Sounded like a good idea and I had to plant some out today as they were getting to big for me cold frame. got me bean frame up. Made a hash of it last year and crossed the canes high up so the bean hung down in the middle so gone low this year even got few flowers in nasturtiums I think next to cabbage peas are up got one up on the mice it was either the paraffine or burying the netting around them or both got the mower out hope the onions keep there momentum going Nasturtiums make good salad leaves, slight peppery taste, and the edible flowers are quite nice in a salad also. Don't know if it is a good thing or bad? Black fly absolutely love Nasturtiums, so will they draw the black fly away from the beans or attract them to the area? I honestly don't know. TC the lady a few plots up had her plot covered in these flowers and her greens were unnetted and in pristine condition. Any one else left theres open they would be decimated by caterpillars. So I thought I would sow a few just out of interest. Not sure if I have got the name right but I think so. can see them there completely un nibbled Edited May 7, 2016 by terryd 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiercel 6,986 Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 Saw a tip on facebook last night about drilling holes around a bucket about an inch up. Bury upto the rim and fill with dung then plant your courgettes around it and just water the bucket. Sounded like a good idea and I had to plant some out today as they were getting to big for me cold frame. got me bean frame up. Made a hash of it last year and crossed the canes high up so the bean hung down in the middle so gone low this year even got few flowers in nasturtiums I think next to cabbage peas are up got one up on the mice it was either the paraffine or burying the netting around them or both got the mower out hope the onions keep there momentum going Nasturtiums make good salad leaves, slight peppery taste, and the edible flowers are quite nice in a salad also. Don't know if it is a good thing or bad? Black fly absolutely love Nasturtiums, so will they draw the black fly away from the beans or attract them to the area? I honestly don't know. TC the lady a few plots up had her plot covered in these flowers and her greens were unnetted and in pristine condition. Any one else left theres open they would be decimated by caterpillars. So I thought I would sow a few just out of interest. Not sure if I have got the name right but I think so. can see them there completely un nibbled Yes, I can see, she has what looks like colts foot growing in there also. Is her plot wet? And not a sign of black fly..or cabbage white!! TC.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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