Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: Luiska on April 19, 2017, 23:57
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I don't want to waste space with bulky shrubs but does anyone have a suggestion for what could be trained along wires to cut the cross wind? It's a big allotment and can get pretty breezy so whatever it is would need to be fairly tough - not the sort of thing that requires a protective wall. Non-edible for humans is fine, though it would be nice if it fed birds, bees or butterflies.
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If you've got fencing you could put windbreak netting up. We get a lot of storms and strong winds so I've used that on the open sides of the veg plot.
Jerusalem artichokes are said to be useful as a windbreak - depends how powerful the winds are. The winds the artichokes give me are plenty powerful! :)
Cordons of blackberries or loganberries may help and raspberries too.
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Hi
I have done 2 different windbreaks,the 1st one i did was a willow this worked well i bought 50 12 inch stick cuttings for £15,i planted 3 rows in a zigzag by the end of the first ummer they were 10feet tall,now i have cut them down to 6 feet and put the cuttings in the ground to make the wind break even thick.
The 2nd wind break is made up of different buddleia plants now that is one for the birds and bees,i do live very near the coast on Anglesey it can get very windy.
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Hi
I have done 2 different windbreaks,the 1st one i did was a willow this worked well i bought 50 12 inch stick cuttings for £15,i planted 3 rows in a zigzag by the end of the first ummer they were 10feet tall,now i have cut them down to 6 feet and put the cuttings in the ground to make the wind break even thick.
The 2nd wind break is made up of different buddleia plants now that is one for the birds and bees,i do live very near the coast on Anglesey it can get very windy.
Can I ask what variety of willow, spacing and where you got them from?
Great idea using buddleia - that grows well here too.
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All great ideas - many thanks. I second John's query to LILLILEAF. Bamboo crossed my mind but it is rather expensive to buy in pots. There is the problem of invasiveness, but I've managed bamboo before (rather expensive black-caned stuff bought online). I really like the sound of the willow cuttings - where do you get them from?
I thought about buddleja - and would love it for the butterflies - but am not really keen on the davidii; it reminds me of railway sidings. However, doing a bit of googling brings up a buddleja alternifolia which looks just the thing. It grows pretty big - so one plant would do one of the areas I have in mind - and takes to heavy pruning, so it looks like it would be just fine for training along wire. Anyone know anything about it?
Blackberry cordons are out because there is a huge tangle of them in one corner of the allotment - enough for all the bramble jelly one could desire - but loganberries are possible.
Thanks again.
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Hi
The type of willow was a hybrid,the bundle of 50 was about £15 on e-bay,but when i was planting them i had 55,the spacing was about 10 inches apart also did 3 rows to make it nice and thick.
This spring i have cut them back and used the cuttings to make even thicker and best of all they are free :).
The buddleia is all different types so i get plenty of colour,i have pruned them back so the plant flowers on this years growth.
I have also put hazelnut trees in they are just coming into leaf,they are very hardy,and i get lovely nuts too :).Lillileaf