[New shoot]

It is so wet and miserable out there, I have been doing some planning.  I guess that is the enduring appeal of growing - there is always next year 

Anyway, I have restocked my seed box and most of it has been during the seed sales the online retailers have been doing, so has not cost me much at all.

This year I made a concerted effort to use up old or opened seed packets and sowed a lot direct on the plot whenever space appeared.  Some failed but some did really well and gave a lot of bonus crops, so while the cheap seeds were around, I also bought some specifically for gap filling and intend to have these on hand in a zip lock bag to grab when I head to the plot.  They were cheap, have loads of seeds in the pack and it won’t be a disaster if a few fail.

I have not got as far as a drawn out plan, but by rotating spuds, brassicas, beans and the rest, it sort of designs itself. 

Now I am itching to get going, but will restrain myself.  The usual treat of sowing some onions at the end of year is not too far off and I have shallots, broad beans and a few other bits to do Jan/Feb.  In my head it will all be wonderful, but then it always is at the planning stage 

[AndyRVTR]

I've been doing same this morning.. I'll be sowing my Kelsae, Exhibition & Ailsa Craig onions on 5th January. Last year I sowed them on New Year's Eve and I had a really decent crop of good sized onions by the time it came to harvest on 27/08.
Ailsa Craig & Exhibition onions are excellent for storing and will keep for 6 months with no problem at all, Kelsae not so much as they're grown more for show than for eating!

[rowlandwells]

we have the same idea having  bought most of our seeds and ordered some other seeds including potatoes for delivery February and I have to say we've accumulated many packets of opened and unopen  packets of seed that need to be sown or thrown some probably 4 years old mostly flower seed only the odd packet of veg seed so like you New shoot if the grow they grow if not its not the end of the world 

I'm going to grow onions from seed again next season so I'm looking at a variety that will keep overwinter already bought 2 varieties Santero and bonus we also buy onion sets and shallot sets that do well on our ground and they tend to keep ok but  as said kelsae are not good keepers but as Andy says Ailsa Craig and Exhibition are good keepers

I've already planned both plots for plantings next season brassicas will be on rotation of the raised beds and potatoes will be on another part of the plot that's not had potatoes planted on it for several years same goes for other veg squashes broad beans also on rotation to other parts of the plots so hopefully it will all come together we hope but at the moment its more armchair gardening little bits and bobs outdoors weather permitting but not on the allotments far to wet but after Christmas I will start to get itchy feet to start but patience must prevail 

[missmoneypenny]

This is a tough time of year when that escape to the allotment is not an option ( weather is horrid, it’s dark when I finish work and there’s nothing really to do/ soil is too heavy).
My lessons for 2024 are:
- just netting brassicas isn’t enough as the foxes will jump on the nets and snap them. It needs a metal frame with a net draped over. A pain for weeding but it’s the only way to really protect them. Our plot is infested with foxes
- Parsley loves shade and does well in the shadow of my cardoon
- Butternut squash needs plenty of space. I’m going to try growing it up a frame as in past years , by the time I plant out all the space has usually been taken up and I cram them in a corner which they don’t like one bit.
- pick the fennel while it’s young, don’t be such a romantic fool and let it grow just because it’s beautiful