Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Welcome => Welcome to the Forums => Topic started by: Mar on May 27, 2015, 16:45

Title: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Mar on May 27, 2015, 16:45

We got out first allotment this year and oh my what a revelation! We are used to large pieces of land and all the ensuing problems when newly cultivated but nobody prepaired us for something called horse tail. It is the stuff of nightmares. Being an avid hand weeder though I think that a daily search and destroy missión and sheer blooming mindedness will keep it under control. That`s the plan anyway  ;) 
We decided that, this being our first season, we would clear the ground, prepare some beds and possibly plant a few potatoes and onions. Well things are going better than expected. the onions, shallots, lettuce, radish, tomato, potato, brocolli etc are all doing a sterling job of staying alive in what is absolutely atrocious weather. I salute them and welcome myself to this fórum. Hopefully I will learn some stuff, pass on some stuff and generally converse with like minded souls.
Hello to you all!
Martha

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: mumofstig on May 27, 2015, 17:00

Hello and welcome to the site  :)

You have my sympathy re marestail  ::)

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Mar on May 27, 2015, 17:08

Someone said that mares tail grew in wáter and horse tail grew on land. I have no idea whether that is true or not but anyway ......................thank you for welcoming me to the site  :D It's good to know that I'm not just wittering on to myself  ;) I'm apparently very good at that!

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Fairy Plotmother on May 27, 2015, 18:37

Welcome Martha. The Plotfather calls me a witterer....I call it thinking aloud!

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Mar on May 27, 2015, 18:52

Me too  :D Hi!

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: LotuSeed on May 27, 2015, 19:03

*waves

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: snowdrops on May 27, 2015, 20:41

Hi Mar, you are correct,mares tail grows in water& horsetail on land but they are similar pests :mad:  but the names are used interchangeably as a rule. Can you tell I have horsetail on my plot too :wacko:. Welcome to the site.

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Mrs Bee on May 27, 2015, 21:06

Hi ya. Sounds as if you have made a good start on the plot.

We don't have mare's or horses tail we have devils guts, (bind weed) and some ruddy animal, probably a fox who has just landed on top  of my broccoli bed. >:(

But we just keep fighting back with sheer ruddy mindedness don't we. ;)

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Madame Cholet on May 27, 2015, 21:54

Hi Mar good to meet you

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Urban Farmer on May 27, 2015, 22:10

Hello and welcome! I am also quite new to both allotmenteering and gardening. Look forward to hearing about your adventures!

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Mar on May 28, 2015, 17:17

Hi and thank you all for such a welcome  :) Another rubbish day weatherwise but managed 4 hours of weeding with just one run for the shed because of some kind of hailstone/sleety stuff that was coming down almost vertically (well you know what I mean  :nowink:) because of the wind speed. My first "experiment" is going marvellously well. You can't transplant lettuce....................says who? I absolutely hate thinning but it is a necessary evil so I thought "lets try a dozen or so of these under a cloche -  nothing to lose." The brave wee things are coming on a treat.
My husband has built two fabulous compost bins from some saved timber so he is busy preparing the ground and slabs to house them. I'm convinced though that he has just dreamt up a load of projects that do not require him to have to participate in the dreaded "lets have another go at the weeding".

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Fairy Plotmother on May 28, 2015, 21:59

It sounds as though you are going to put the compost bins on slabs. Just a thought.......if this is the case you might like to rethink. my opinion is that compost bins are better on bare earth....free supply of critters coming up from the ground! Also, in a couple of years you could shift the bins along a bit, and that ground will be perfect for digging. :)

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Mar on May 29, 2015, 16:22

Good thinking batwoman!  ;)

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: cadalot on May 29, 2015, 17:14

Hi Mar - so what about starting a diary and treating us all to photographs of your progress?

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: Mar on May 29, 2015, 18:39

Can I do that on this site? If so point me in the right direction please  :D

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: cadalot on May 29, 2015, 19:16

Look at http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=37.0

In my signature there is a link to my diary and a link to the comments thread

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: snowdrops on May 29, 2015, 19:32

And to mine & lots of others do it this way too

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: surbie100 on May 29, 2015, 21:10

Hi Mar and welcome from me too. *waves*  :D
Horsetail is annoying - I've got it in my beds this year because my neighbours haven't kept it under control in theirs...but like buttercups it's very satisfying to get out.

Title: Re: old gardener new allotmenteer
Post by: sunshineband on May 30, 2015, 19:39

Hello Mar and welcome  :D

I like your search and destroy approach with the horsetail. I am also a hand weeder and find it incredibly satisfying to get these pernicious weed sunder control. For me it is bind weed, which I see rarely now after several years of effort.

I hope you are managing to get some crops sown/planted now  :D :D