I want to try my hand at gardening and was thinking of getting an allotment
and need a little advice.

As I work out of town I'll only really be able to tend to the allotment at
weekends - what kind of vegetables can I grow whilst only being a weekend
gardener? If there any good gardening books on weekend gardening I'd be
grateful.

Thanks

"Scooby Doo" wrote in message
...
I want to try my hand at gardening and was thinking of getting an
allotment
and need a little advice.

As I work out of town I'll only really be able to tend to the allotment at
weekends - what kind of vegetables can I grow whilst only being a weekend
gardener? If there any good gardening books on weekend gardening I'd be
grateful.

Thanks

Only being able to get there at weekends means the main problem will be
keeping ahead of the weeds, which operate 24/7. Think coarse. Anything
needing fine tuning will not be for you

Potatoes, runner and french beans spring to mind, also anything you can
start off in pots and plant out to get a head start over the weeds, and
mulch heavily to keep the weeds down and conserve water.

And rhubarb of course. You've got to have rhubarb on an allotment. It's the
law.

Steve

..

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:29:18 +0100, "Scooby Doo"
wrote:

~I want to try my hand at gardening and was thinking of getting an allotment
~and need a little advice.
~
~As I work out of town I'll only really be able to tend to the allotment at
~weekends - what kind of vegetables can I grow whilst only being a weekend
~gardener? If there any good gardening books on weekend gardening I'd be
~grateful.
~
~Thanks
~
This all depends on the state of the plot you acquire. If you can get
hold of a clear plot, then you can cover up most of it with either
weed-suppressing fabric or old woollen hessian-backed carpet, which
will keep the weeds down until you get round to planting it. Even if
it's not a clear plot, the same technique will help to kill off the
weeds until you get round to clearing it!

This will stop it getting worse and running away while you learn on
your feet!

Most folk these days are weekend lottie holders. The big problem for
you if you're away during the week is watering. In summer most of us
are up there every day or every other day near sunset, ferrying cans
to and fro and generally trying to keep everything alive. We rely on
fellow plotholders to water when we have holidays or the occasional
work trip, but as it's tit for tat, nobody minds. If you are away all
of the weeks then you'd not find many volunteers.

In such a case I'd advise setting up a drip watering system! These can
work off raised water butts, so late Sunday say, you'd fill up a butt
or pair of butts, and it would water away for a few days, and you'd
dash up last thing Friday as you got home. I looked into it but so far
haven't got round to it! Though have just wired up my shed to a butt
to help conserve water.

As to veg - anything! Perhaps not the ones which need too much tlc
until you have a watering system. ie don't go for runner beans as they
loathe being dry. French beans cope better. Sweetcorn isn't too bad.
Potatoes can usually be left to get on with it. Cabbages are ok,
though caulis hate checks to growth due to irregular watering so
perhaps not them. Carrots need a reasonable amount - though should
cope between weekend drenchings. I had the best onions ever in 2003
though was watering every flipping night.

Oh and get a half plot first. Don't underestimate the sheer amount of
time an allotment will eat, at least until you've got it under
control. I spent at least two weekends a month on mine at the moment,
preparing, tidying, pruning and planting, and I've had it years...

good luck.

--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

"Scooby Doo" wrote
I want to try my hand at gardening and was thinking of getting an allotment
and need a little advice.

As I work out of town I'll only really be able to tend to the allotment at
weekends - what kind of vegetables can I grow whilst only being a weekend
gardener? If there any good gardening books on weekend gardening I'd be
grateful.


I have a friend that is a weekend allotment gardener and he tells me the
biggest problem is other weekend gardeners that come over for a chat
stopping him working during the few hours he has. We are retired allotment
gardeners so that isn't a problem for us.
Most veg would be OK left all week, things like cucurbits (Marrows, pumpkins
etc) and tomatoes would suffer in a hot dry summer if we have one, and you
may find, like us down here, main crop peas are a waste of time for the same
reason. We grow lots of early peas instead.
When watering the thing to do is really soak the plants don't just damp them
down.
Weeds will be your biggest problem so concentrate on keeping your onions and
shallots clear of them as they will suffer most.
Good luck and have fun.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:07:55 +0000 (UTC),
(jane) wrote:

Oh and get a half plot first. Don't underestimate the sheer amount of
time an allotment will eat ...

Just out of curiosity as I have not really considered an allotment but
how big is a typical allotment?

I would consider one but unless it's next door or I could get there
more than weekends then I thought it impractical.

JB

"JB" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:07:55 +0000 (UTC),
(jane) wrote:

Oh and get a half plot first. Don't underestimate the sheer amount of
time an allotment will eat ...

Just out of curiosity as I have not really considered an allotment but
how big is a typical allotment?
I think it varies from area to area. Some of the ones here in rural
cambridgeshire are half an acre and I have heard of ones of an acre.

I would consider one but unless it's next door or I could get there
more than weekends then I thought it impractical.

Long summer evenings are great allotment times. Totally relaxing after
work.
JB

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 09:57:17 +0100, JB
wrote:

~On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:07:55 +0000 (UTC),
(jane) wrote:
~
~Oh and get a half plot first. Don't underestimate the sheer amount of
~time an allotment will eat ...
~
~Just out of curiosity as I have not really considered an allotment but
~how big is a typical allotment?

The usual full plot dimension is 90'x30' though in the wonderful old
units they still use, a standard plot is described as 10 (square)
poles (rods or perches) with a pole being 272 sq feet or roughly
5mx5m.

45'x30' is a fairly respectable sized back garden these days, so you
can imagine the dimensions.

~I would consider one but unless it's next door or I could get there
~more than weekends then I thought it impractical.

Getting set up is the hard bit - once you've got the beds set out,
worked out a rotation and got shot of the weeds, then it's mostly
maintenance and trying to work out what the h*ll to do with 43
courgettes per week when all your neighbours are begging for you to
stop giving them!

Course, sitting with some fellow allotmenteers on a sunny summer
evening, watching the sun set with a glass of wine (assuming one has
walked up to the plots!) and comparing notes on what isn't growing
that season is bliss.

You can have great fun too. Do you like woodwork? Then creating raised
beds can be a good idea, as then you don't have to dig them over much,
just heavily mulch with manure if necessary, and keep covered with
pieces of carpet when there are no crops. If you do, then I'd advise
using corner brackets to keep the wood from warping. The nice part
here is that it minimises digging, the extra height ensures good
drainage (both great if the soil's clay!) and you don't have to bend
so far to weed. And you can rotate easily, and have fixed paths in
between with carpets or bark mulches on them. Then if it's raining you
can pick stuff without getting too muddy.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

"JB" wrote ...

Oh and get a half plot first. Don't underestimate the sheer amount of
time an allotment will eat ...

Just out of curiosity as I have not really considered an allotment but
how big is a typical allotment?

I would consider one but unless it's next door or I could get there
more than weekends then I thought it impractical.


A full allotment is 10 sq Rods (or poles or perches depending where you
live) and a Rod is 5.5 yards so a full allotment will be 302.5 sq yards or
approx 253 sq metres including paths.
Say, approx 100ft by 27ft including paths like our bigger one.
Councils now talk about metric lettings which seems to be the equivalent of
a Rod but don't quote me on that.
Most Councils rent out half plots and some in even smaller bits, some sites
have irregular plots at the edges which can be any size.
Our new one will have tiny plots for children and the infirm/elderly as well
as raised ones for the disabled.
One thing I have noticed is that the plots are seldom as big as the Council
say they are.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"w.g.s.hamm" wrote in message
...

"JB" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:07:55 +0000 (UTC),
(jane) wrote:

Oh and get a half plot first. Don't underestimate the sheer amount of
time an allotment will eat ...

Just out of curiosity as I have not really considered an allotment but
how big is a typical allotment?
I think it varies from area to area. Some of the ones here in rural
cambridgeshire are half an acre and I have heard of ones of an acre.

I would consider one but unless it's next door or I could get there
more than weekends then I thought it impractical.

Long summer evenings are great allotment times. Totally relaxing after
work.
JB


As are early mornings, for the same reason. A couple of years ago I was
working nights, and since I passed the allotment on the way home I used to
go in at 0530 for 1/2hr to an hour to water etc with absolutely no
distractions, catch the snails on their way home etc.

Only works once the clocks have gone forwards, natch.

Steve.

"jane" wrote in message
[snip]
~Just out of curiosity as I have not really considered an allotment but
~how big is a typical allotment?

The usual full plot dimension is 90'x30' though in the wonderful old
units they still use, a standard plot is described as 10 (square)
poles (rods or perches) with a pole being 272 sq feet or roughly
5mx5m.

Coincidentally, I'd just measured my allotment today and that's exactly what
it is!

BTW, if an allotment's previous tenant has more or less neglected it, then
there's an awful lot of hard work ahead. Good fun, though - like a gym +
nature reserve. :-)

garry
http://pigstyave.blogspot.com/

jane wrote:
You can have great fun too. Do you like woodwork? Then creating
raised
beds can be a good idea, as then you don't have to dig them over
much,
just heavily mulch with manure if necessary, and keep covered with
pieces of carpet when there are no crops. If you do, then I'd advise


I am sure there is some kind of 'time*money=working plot' equation.
There are lots of methods you can use to save on time spend down the
lotty. But they all cost money! From rotivators through fabric mulches,
raised beds with covered paths, no-dig methods, drip irrigation systems
to the non organic methods using weed-killers. Or you can spend no
money and just dig up every weed. But that takes a lot of time.

Although i grow my veges organically (i initially adopted the dig
method with a bit of fabric mulch thrown in but have recently bought a
rotavator which i love). I think if i was going to start over i might
give over a few months to a few applications of weedkiller over the
whole plot. This does cost money and it also is NOT AT ALL organic. But
it does leave a blank slate from which you can begin work without being
overcome with weeds.

By the by - courgettes and beans all need regular picking. If you
missed one weekends harvest you would find marrows and stringy beans
the next.
sarah

On 14 Apr 2005 05:54:26 -0700, wrote:
~jane wrote:
~ You can have great fun too. Do you like woodwork? Then creating
~raised
~ beds can be a good idea, as then you don't have to dig them over
~much,
~ just heavily mulch with manure if necessary, and keep covered with
~ pieces of carpet when there are no crops. If you do, then I'd advise
~
~I am sure there is some kind of 'time*money=working plot' equation.
~There are lots of methods you can use to save on time spend down the
~lotty. But they all cost money! From rotivators through fabric mulches,
~raised beds with covered paths, no-dig methods, drip irrigation systems
~to the non organic methods using weed-killers. Or you can spend no
~money and just dig up every weed. But that takes a lot of time.

Not all cost money - if you ask around for any old pallets, you can
knock the rigid bits out of the centre with a lump hammer, which
removes the nails through the thinner bits (this tip courtesy of an
allotment forum I haunt). These can then be used for edging.

Carpeting (for paths) I get from the skip of the local carpet
warehouse, who are delighted to have it removed as it then takes them
longer to fill up their skip so it costs them less over a year...

Woodchip you can get for nothing by ringing round tree surgeons and
getting them to dump chipped trees on your plot (they are happy to
ensure that the trees aren't diseased in any way).

Horse manure is often given away by stables, though usually in a
non-rotted form. If you can borrow a trailer then you can shovel a
fair bit in, dump it at the plots, cover and forget for at least 6
months, then use. Getting fresh manure now is probably the best time,
as it'll have a chance of being well rotted by the time you need it in
the autumn.

So there's plenty of possible freebies which over time will make life
a lot easier. Just not at first if you get faced by a jungle!

~Although i grow my veges organically (i initially adopted the dig
~method with a bit of fabric mulch thrown in but have recently bought a
~rotavator which i love). I think if i was going to start over i might
~give over a few months to a few applications of weedkiller over the
~whole plot. This does cost money and it also is NOT AT ALL organic. But
~it does leave a blank slate from which you can begin work without being
~overcome with weeds.

I did that to begin with - wasn't intending to be organic with
anything except carrots because they are known to soak up pesticide
residues. Then I realised how many times you have to chemically treat
veg to get them supermarket-perfect and read how the chemicals
worked... and I was eating this stuff? I was an organic convert within
6 months!

~By the by - courgettes and beans all need regular picking. If you
~missed one weekends harvest you would find marrows and stringy beans
~the next.

All too true. But then again, braised buttered marrow with boiled
runner beans is one of the nicest combinations IMHO you can find...
and if you know you're going to be away for a weekend, you can always
ask a neighbouring tenant to pick and use your beans - they stop
cropping if you let them seed, so it's better to give them away as
then they keep going!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

I want to try my hand at gardening and was thinking of getting an allotment
and need a little advice.

As I work out of town I'll only really be able to tend to the allotment at
weekends - what kind of vegetables can I grow whilst only being a weekend
gardener? If there any good gardening books on weekend gardening I'd be
grateful.

Thanks

I too can only go at weekends, but I still manage to do lots with it.

I started from one corner and cleared, dug etc a strip 2-3m wide 5-6m
long. I used wood from pallets to build a raised bed, 4'x8', so I could
start growing something immediately whilst I worked on the rest of the
plot. I carried on like this leaving a path 2' wide in between beds. In
total I put 4 long beds and 4x 4'square beds
I covered the paths with woodchips that tree surgeons dump at our allotment
(I'm told it saves them money as they would have to pay to dispose of it
otherwise).

Even though it was a bit late (I got mine last year at the end of May) I
think it was quite productive.

I saw an article in the Garden Magazine about the quare foot gardening, so
I tried that in the raised beds. I planted carrots, tomatoes, peppers,
chillies,leeks, spring onions, spinach, cauliflower, sprouting broccoli,
radish, beetroot, lettuce, french beans, peas, mangetout, runner beans,
sweetcorn, celery, herbs - basil,parsley. Potatoes, pumpkins, melons,
courgettes and strawberries in the open ground - not on beds.

I was trying everything, some things are really quick and high yealding,
some are not, like cauli, pest ridden, but when I finally got fresh cauli
this january, I thought it was almost worth it :-)

French beans were excellent, plant a few 4' long strips in succession and
you'll eat them all summer and fill your freezer too. Ok some will grow
too big if you miss one weekend, but it doesn't matter.

Runner beans - 4 plants, yealded lots, still have some in the freezer. Peas
yealded less, so I must plant more

Carrots are ace. Some grew big, some were tiny, twisted, most definitely
not up to supermarket standard, but all totally delicious. Spring onions
are good too. I'm planting a lot more of them this year.

I definitely planted too much of certain things in one go. Cos lettuce and
other mixed salads: I did on quare foot, then transplanted the seedlings
into rows, I was giving away bagfuls - you cannot eat 50 cos lettuces at
once and they cannot be frozen, so I learned a lesson, sow a tiny bit every
two weeks or so.

Same thing about radishes and beetroot, although i pickled the beetroot, so
it wasn't wasted.

I'm still lifting leeks planted last year - highly recommended.

Peppers and chillies - got the seeds from shop bought vegetables, got a few
chillies, no peppers. I've got proper seeds this year.

Tomatoes - bought one plant and kept taking cuttings from side shoots,
ended up with 5-6 plants and got lots of tomatoes. Again I got proper
seeds now.

Melons, I managed to get 4-5 grapefruit size sweet melons, the rest were
like cucumber.

Friendly allotmenteers gave me excess seedlings of sprouting broccoli,
celery and sweetcorn, even chitted potatoes. The best potatoes I got were
from Asda's Romano red potatoes, one was over 500gr. A lot of potatoe
plants sprouted all over place, from volonteer potatoes (left in the ground
from previous years) - I got quite a crop.

This year the whole affair is a lot more organised, I loved sitting down
with all the seed catalogues and deciding what to get, planning, dreaming.
Not much to do at the allotment in the winter. I've started going back
more regularly again. I've received the seeds and started planting in the
beds and at home for transplant. I've overdone it with potatoes and
tomatoes I think, but I love them... It's great the cycle starts again,
more things to learn...

A few weeks ago I arrived a the plot, the sun was shining, the birds
singing, all quiet, and I thought if I could just capture this perfect
moment .....

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:29:18 +0100, "Scooby Doo"
wrote:

I want to try my hand at gardening and was thinking of getting an allotment
and need a little advice.

As I work out of town I'll only really be able to tend to the allotment at
weekends - what kind of vegetables can I grow whilst only being a weekend
gardener? If there any good gardening books on weekend gardening I'd be
grateful.

Thanks

Most things. Blackberries, raspberries, radish, spinach,
beetroot, onions, leeks, carrots, parsnips, spuds, sweetcorn.
Anything that grows in the UK really.

I think tomatoes could be a problem for you as they need a lot
of water.

Brassicas need protection from birds to be maintained because
any chink in your netting/wire could be exploited; but even
there I think you should be OK.

The best advice I can give you is to think carefully about the
pros and cons of each site when the council give you an offer.
For instance, have a good look at the soil, talk to the other
gardeners. If you can find a site near where you live or work
you should be able to do summer work in the morning or evening
as well.

Most successful allotment gardeners do a little bit of work most
days. A fair number start with good intentions but the work
proves too much and they give up.