Steve wrote after

"Bob Hobden" wrote ...
I though I'd mention this to help any budding allotment growers.

Seen on our site this year...
1. Tomatoes not staked sufficiently strongly for the more exposed open
allotment site so they collapse when covered in fruit, it rains adding
weight and it's windy. Make a sturdy wooden/steel goal post type
structure and tie the canes to that.
2. Indeterminate Tomatoes not pinched out and allowed to do their own
thing.
3. Pumpkins and other cucurbits planted too close not realising their
ability to grow.
3. Onions planted late and not weeded so they got large spring onions in
effect as they grew to the light.
4. Tender plants bought from Garden Centres and planted immediately, much
too early. (they were very lucky we had no late frosts here) The very end
of May beginning of June is early enough.
5. Runner Beans planted up bamboo canes that are too short and again not
strong enough to take the weight and wind without sturdier help (wood or
steel poles) so they all collapse.
6. No compost bin made so weeds are thrown away on a spare plot.
7. No manure used (as far as we could see) so plot will suffer in the
long term.
8. Too much of one thing planted, probably used the whole packet of
lettuce seeds in one go, so most go to waste.


I've done several of those, especially the first year I got the plot. I
expect you did a couple yourself, no?

But hey, the man who never made a mistake, never made anything.

Yep, when we first got an allotment I did the classic of planting Tomatoes
against unsupported canes and watched them all collapse in the wind , with
canes bent and broken, when fully loaded with heavy fruit. It's easy to
forget an allotment is a lot more open and therefor exposed than a back
garden.
Too many of one type of lettuce is also one we are guilty of so we now mix
lots of different types in one bag and plant from that mixture so we get a
row of mixed types, works well. All except Romain lettuce (see Seeds of
Italy) which we like a lot and plant a few rows of seperately ( a must for a
proper Cesar salad).

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK