Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: stee1e on June 17, 2015, 21:13
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I just got an allotment. It's quite big and needs clearing out but there is a small patch, maybe 8sqM that is under black plastic and I think I can use that immediately. I'd like to get something growing will I cut pack the rest of the plot and get ready of summer and sutumn for spring next year.
What would you recommend for a good autumn/winter crop to get growing ASAP. I probably won't be able to get them planted for a few weeks but could get some seeds growing and transplant them sometime in July.
Any ideas appreciated.
Many thanks
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prob a little late to sow from seed. you could get away with some courgette and definitely be ok doing some lettuce.
have an ask about and see if anyone has any spare plants that they don't need, most people will have a surplus and would gladly see them go to good use. you may end up with bits of everything but at least you will be able to see what does best in your soil.
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There's a host of information on the main website:
http://www.allotment-garden.org/garden-month-help/index.php
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Sowing (& harvesting) Chart here
http://www.allotment-garden.org/garden-month-help/sowing-harvest-vegetable-chart.php
Still time to sow some things I'd also sow most of the things from the May list as Spring is late this year ;)
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Thanks, yeah I've looked at most of the charts and can see that I have limited options. I'll look at the May and June list and see what I can start with.
Thanks
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Suggest looking out for strips of young plants that you could plant out now, to grow into crops for Autumn/Winter/Spring e.g leeks, kale, purple sprouting broccoli. Been & Queued garden centres always have a selection of vegetable plants at this time of year, including lettuce.
It's getting late in the season to grow from seed, but lettuce will still be fine, and look out for some Cos lettuce - Winter Density, for a hardy lettuce that will stand well late into the year. G&R
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Lettuce, radish , Broad beans , peas , persnips , maybe carrots . Get some cheap seed and give it a go you don't have anything to loose really
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This month there are a lot of crops that become the last month, but many peoples favourites, like runner beans. peas, sweetcorn, courgettes, carrots, turnips, swede. You will probably be able to find some plants also.
It may not be too late to sow radish and kale.
You should be able to sow successions of lettuce
Should be plenty of tomato plants around that you can beg to get planted, too late to sow.
French beans can be sown now and in July, many varieties. A great favourite I noticed here is Purple Queen, a great cropper.
It is too late for the other popular crops like parsnips, leeks (only plants now) and broad beans.
Always the better question is, what do you like?
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About the only 'common' things I'd discount trying to grow are toms, peppers, aubergines, celery and bulbing onions.
Although parsnips won't grow huge they'll give you a crop. I usually don't sow kale until around now for use over winter and into spring and lettuce gets sown from February to October. Beetroot is also an easy to grow crop.
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'The Sutton' broad beans can be sown upto July, I've just thrown a load in myself. Nice easy crop to grow.
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As said, it has been a rather cold spring and summer so most things are well behind but I'd try sowing radishes, lettuce, beetroot, dwarf French beans and maybe autumn/winter cabbage and broccoli. Nothing lost if they don't all give you something to eat - at least you tried.
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Thanks for the replies. I won't bother with the broad beans as I can;t stand them but I will look into some cabbage and kale. Thanks
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I only sowed my kale last weekend. It's already germinating so you'll be fine.
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A lot of places are reducing their veg strips now I took my Dad for compost on Wednesday for his 10% discount and they had a good variety priced from 10p (Toms, chilli, pepper, onions, cabbage, beans etc.) My dad got 3 toms for 10p. I managed to get broadbeans, frenchbeans (the mice got the majority of mine), Pak choi, and cabbage to fill a bit of space I had.
And a lot of other discount shops have reduced their seeds. One place still had onion sets and seed potatoes!!
Good luck with the allotment it is worth all the hard work !!
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Definitely carrots. Lots of carrots! especially the little round ones, they don't seem to take so long to grow either. I've just ordered some Parisian market. they should be here Monday and will go in Tuesday.
Some beetroot say sow up to July and like the others have said, some garden centres will be selling off plants rather than seeds, so try some. Looks like I may have to try to buy some leek plants. Mine have been in for ages, and still look like thin matchsticks! :(