Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*

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AutisticGardener

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Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« on: July 20, 2017, 04:48 »
Been doing my allotment now since april 26th never owned one before, i was lucky when i took over this plot as it already had a shed on it and apple tress, some raspberry bushes and strawberries in a poor state, i've pumped in pretty much nearly 30 hours a week on it and over £600 getting it on the go although it may not look it, i'm mainly growing onions, potatoes, courgettes and pumpkins, tomatoes, chillis and sweetcorn and swedes and some red onions and a single rhubarb plant.

I have a 5 rod plot about 2/3 of the soil area is planted, i would like to grow more however i'm not having much luck getting anything else to grow, i've tried lettuce, carrots, leeks, cabbage, sprouts, parsnips, cucumbers and others and after a month of well maintaining no growth.

Also our allotment has a serious fox problem they are non stop digging up so much of what i plant destroying small plants and have stolen numerous plant pots with small lemon and orange trees i plants which is quite annoying of course there's badgers and birds too to compete with the normal slug and snail problem plus i seem to have quite alot of ants on my soil which is mainly clay based although there is a couple of resident frogs and slow worms up to a meter long floating about which gave me a scare first time i seen one cause it looked like it could have me for dinner.

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New shoot

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Re: Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2017, 08:09 »
Hi and welcome  :)

Slow worms are pretty small, so you may have a grass snake floating around instead.  They are harmless as well.  I've only ever seen one, but they are a pretty alarming sight if you were't expecting them to be there  :lol:

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sunshineband

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Re: Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2017, 08:56 »
Welcome to the forum, AG 😀

It can sometimes feel like there are so many pests and problems out there you'll never get any crops, but you do gradually find ways to protect your precious food and things look up.

Regarding parsnips this year: so many people have had real issues with them, so pu that from your mind

I now grow carrots under fine mesh (enviromesh or similar insect proof netting) to avoid both problems with carrot fly and animals digging around them, and any brassicas also undr netting, which keeps off butterflies, cabbage root fly and pigeons, which helps a lot. They do thrive in soil tamped down hard to usually do well in clay soils, especially if they are on the limy side.

Lettuce don't enjoy hot conditions and germination is erratic, but cooler weather should help
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Fairy Plotmother

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Re: Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2017, 12:05 »
Welcome in! My parsnips didn't germinate this year either! I also make a cage for my brassicas and I cover my strawberries too. We gradually learn how to cope with what nature chucks our way. Go with the flow is the best way.

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Aled

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Re: Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2017, 15:37 »
Welcome. I know Gosport quite well, I used to holiday there as a boy. My Aunty Beattie used to run a café there many years ago.
Cheers
Aled

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AutisticGardener

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Re: Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2017, 21:51 »
Well i've only lived in gosport about 3 years now visiting for 5, i'm originally from Derry in Northern Ireland, don't hold it against me but i suppose it means my potatoes should be good lol

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Yorkie

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Re: Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2017, 22:32 »
Welcome to the forum AG, and it sounds as though you're doing a really good job with your allotment.

Some people say that using the fertiliser fish blood and bone can attract foxes.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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AutisticGardener

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Re: Newbie allotment gardener here *waves*
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2017, 22:40 »
Welcome to the forum AG, and it sounds as though you're doing a really good job with your allotment.

Some people say that using the fertiliser fish blood and bone can attract foxes.

Interesting you say that i do use it and the aroma reminds me of dog food haha, i sometimes use it or sometimes i use miracle grow, however the foxes seem to live permantley in the plot behind me and there's a new set of cubs casing havoc they arn't scared of anything and will constantly steal anything that's not nailed down and even sometimes stuff that is nailed down. they turn net cages in to trampolines like the john lewis Christmas advertisement.



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