Wednesday September 29, 2004

The allotment

An allotment is a patch of land maybe sixy feet long that you rent from your local authority for a small amount. Basically you can grow whatever you like ( as long as its legal ) and you usually end up joining a local association who can sell you seeds and other gardening stuff at a discount. Our plot is about a mile our house beside a church and graveyard. Sadly a lot of the plots are unused which means they spread weed seeds over ours which we are trying to keep clear.

As per the house garden the soil is poor and I think this year I need to get a load of manure on it. There is no easy access to the plot by tractor and trailer so it is going to be a spade and wheelbarrow job. My neighbour has two plots by mine and he lets me have some of his surplus. This year we have had to protect our plots by thigh height chicken wire as the local rabbit population have been causing a shed load of damage.

So what do I grow ? Unless you are overloaded with spare time, and do not suffer from hay fever ( I suffer badly ) its best to keep to simple things. Don't even attempt things like cauiliflower, brocolli and carrots etc. They suffer from neglect and require careful looking after.

I grow garlic, buy proper garlic bulbs do not use stuff you buy from the supermarket. bury in the ground each clove (so the tip is just bleow the ground) about Feb, harvest in august when the tops wither.

I also grow shallots, these you just bury slightly into the soil and make sure they do not get pulled out of the ground before they start growing by birds after nesting material. Again set in Feb , harvest a bit earlier than the garlic when the tops are browning off and the original bulb has split into many.

Potatoes ere worth growing, if you have the space. Don't bother with 'earlies' which may suffer frost damage. At the bottom of my plot their is an underground stream so that is where I grew my potatoes this year. I grew what is in my opinion the best red there is 'desire'. I got a good crop -I just did one row. Lift them when the tops go brown and dry then store in a paper sack in a frost free site.

I also grow onion sets that is onions that are put in the ground as a bulb the size of a small marble. Set later than shallots - late march depending on the weather. Harvest in late august, dry and then hang on lengths of string in a frost free place - I use our garage !

Finally I grow leeks. We love leek and potato soup. Set the seed in a tray in Feb, plant out in may by making a deep hole pop the leek into it and then pour water in the hole. Do not fill in with soil. Harvest anytime from late autumn. Leeks are VERY hardy so you can leave them in until you need them.

I usually go and visit the plot once a week in the growing season to keep the weeds down. In the winter I dig the whole plot over. I keep off the ground when it is very wet.