Hi all
Thank you very much for all the helpful advice.
I've got lots of ideas to work with now.
Thanks again
Kim


"Kim Bewick" wrote in message
...
Hi Folks
Well I've finally gone and got myself an allotment (125 sq meters) but
haven't got a clue what I should really be doing at this time of year.
It's fairly weed free thank goodness and was treated with Round-Up last
autumn (will this affect anything I may want to plant)?
Any advice would be much appreciated. I'm in Cardiff, where it's fairly
mild
compered with other parts of the UK at the minute.
Regards
Kim

Hi all
Thank you very much for all the helpful advice.
I've got lots of ideas to work with now.
Thanks again
Kim


"Kim Bewick" wrote in message
...
Hi Folks
Well I've finally gone and got myself an allotment (125 sq meters) but
haven't got a clue what I should really be doing at this time of year.
It's fairly weed free thank goodness and was treated with Round-Up last
autumn (will this affect anything I may want to plant)?
Any advice would be much appreciated. I'm in Cardiff, where it's fairly
mild
compered with other parts of the UK at the minute.
Regards
Kim

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 14:16:04 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from Frogleg contains these words:

On Fri, 5 Mar 2004 18:41:40 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

from "Kim Bewick" contains these words:

Well I've finally gone and got myself an allotment (125 sq meters)

Is this a typical size? My community garden plot, which I realize
isn't like an allotment, was 9 sq meters (20'x40')

ITYM 90 sq metres.......

I *knew* there was something wrong with my math. I multiplied 20 by 40
and came up with 80. Those zeroes are *so* slippery. Thanks. Now I'm
feeling better about Kim's workload. :-)

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 17:18:37 +0100, martin wrote:

"Frogleg" wrote in message

My community garden plot, which I realize
isn't like an allotment, was 9 sq meters (20'x40') and kept me *very*
busy.


perhaps but 20'x40' is about 90 sq meters, so it was just a typo

How kind of you. I *do* remember pi to 15 significant digits, and the
(average) radius of the earth is 6371.2km. But I can't count to 12
without taking off my socks. :-)

We have 100 sq meters

Now, what about 'styles'? In my group, there were beginners who
ambitiously prepped and planted rather randomly, then straggled on as
things got more and more out of control (weeds were a big problem).
One family planted their whole plot in chiles, and must have
cultivated at night because I never saw anyone there, 'though the
plants were maintained. Another had a virtual greengrocery of mixed
veg and vines. As the season progressed, they constructed trellises
and an arbor of twigs Lovely results year after year. One fella was
only interested in tomatoes. At the beginning of the season, he put
down black plastic mulch in the middle of his plot, planted a dozen
plants, and went away. Mid summer, he fought his way through a 4' high
weed jungle to the clear spot and picked tomatoes.

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 17:18:37 +0100, martin wrote:

"Frogleg" wrote in message

My community garden plot, which I realize
isn't like an allotment, was 9 sq meters (20'x40') and kept me *very*
busy.


perhaps but 20'x40' is about 90 sq meters, so it was just a typo

How kind of you. I *do* remember pi to 15 significant digits, and the
(average) radius of the earth is 6371.2km. But I can't count to 12
without taking off my socks. :-)

We have 100 sq meters

Now, what about 'styles'? In my group, there were beginners who
ambitiously prepped and planted rather randomly, then straggled on as
things got more and more out of control (weeds were a big problem).
One family planted their whole plot in chiles, and must have
cultivated at night because I never saw anyone there, 'though the
plants were maintained. Another had a virtual greengrocery of mixed
veg and vines. As the season progressed, they constructed trellises
and an arbor of twigs Lovely results year after year. One fella was
only interested in tomatoes. At the beginning of the season, he put
down black plastic mulch in the middle of his plot, planted a dozen
plants, and went away. Mid summer, he fought his way through a 4' high
weed jungle to the clear spot and picked tomatoes.

"Frogleg" wrote in message

Now, what about 'styles'? ((snip))

We have the traditional type of allotment. Straight rows, measured spacings,
weeded constantly, everything well labelled, when a crop comes out the
grounds dug and raked............. typical retired persons allotment, just
too neat to be anything else. : -)

But we have had others that do a blitz at Easter working dawn to dusk, strim
the 3ft high weeds down, manure and dig everything, and plant. Not much else
is done all year, even the cropping is done in one or two hits, certainly no
weeding of annuals, not even round the onions.

Another good grower puts plants in wherever they fit so it's like a
patchwork or herbaceous border, not too worried about weeds either unless
they get big enough to compete. She has won 5 Banksian Medals in the last
few years which speaks for itself.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 15:53:34 +0000, Bob Hobden wrote:
For marking you can use those larger plastic labels but the ink does wash
off so we used a Dymo labeller and stuck that on them. Lasts years. Sue now

I've had reasonable luck with using waterproof black marker pen on plastic
labels cut out from milk bottle cartons. Mine have been in use 2 - 3 years
now without fading or loss. Cheap and easy - just be careful making the
first cut into the milk bottle ensuring you avoid cutting yourself!

HTH, Sarah

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 15:53:34 +0000, Bob Hobden wrote:
For marking you can use those larger plastic labels but the ink does wash
off so we used a Dymo labeller and stuck that on them. Lasts years. Sue now

I've had reasonable luck with using waterproof black marker pen on plastic
labels cut out from milk bottle cartons. Mine have been in use 2 - 3 years
now without fading or loss. Cheap and easy - just be careful making the
first cut into the milk bottle ensuring you avoid cutting yourself!

HTH, Sarah

"Sarah Dale" wrote in message
news
On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 15:53:34 +0000, Bob Hobden wrote:
For marking you can use those larger plastic labels but the ink does
wash
off so we used a Dymo labeller and stuck that on them. Lasts years. Sue
now

I've had reasonable luck with using waterproof black marker pen on plastic
labels cut out from milk bottle cartons. Mine have been in use 2 - 3 years
now without fading or loss. Cheap and easy - just be careful making the
first cut into the milk bottle ensuring you avoid cutting yourself!


Which brings me neatly back to the point I forgot in my post. Are all the
family's` Tetanus jabs up to date?

Steve

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

Which brings me neatly back to the point I forgot in my post. Are all the
family's` Tetanus jabs up to date?

Very important, thanks to the predilection for horse muck of gardeners
ancient and modern.
--
Nick Wagg

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

Which brings me neatly back to the point I forgot in my post. Are all the
family's` Tetanus jabs up to date?

Very important, thanks to the predilection for horse muck of gardeners
ancient and modern.
--
Nick Wagg