[leveller]

Hi

My allotment - half allotment really - has come up, eventually. And at the wrong time of year.

It is full of weeds, no problem really, topping and black plastic will serve.

I have brought on some runner beans at home and onion sets and carrot sets just in case an allowment came up - forward thinking or what.

BUT what else to plant - in the West Midlands, probably a month from now?  Normally I would plant potatoes to clear the ground but will it be too late in what will probably be mid - late July. Or with our rather strange climate now won't it matter.

Ideas please!!

Thanks

The Leveller.

The Levellers were a 17th Century movement who wanted an acre of land, a pig and a horse for every man, universal sufferage, equality before the law etc. We still haven't got there yet........

[Ema]

I've got a few buckets of comfrey, horse muck and nettle tea in the less used areas of the garden. Have already drained a bucket down into plastic milk bottles and started using it on the plot.

[angelavdavis]

BUT what else to plant - in the West Midlands, probably a month from now?  Normally I would plant potatoes to clear the ground but will it be too late in what will probably be mid - late July. Or with our rather strange climate now won't it matter.

Ideas please!!

I am sowing:

French Beans
Salads
Turnips
Beetroot
Radish
Spring Onions

John has listed others here:
June: http://www.allotment-garden.org/garden-month-help/garden-june.php
July: http://www.allotment-garden.org/garden-month-help/garden-july.php

I think most people are finding we are about a month behind in real terms - many people have had to resow their initial sowings of squash, peas, beans, etc so it would be worth chancing these if you fancy it (I would go with summer squashes or smaller winter ones - not butternuts which take a long season to mature).  It is hard to tell in advance if the weather will cause crops to catch up or not, it is all down to luck I guess!

[J_B]

u can probablly still get in peas and beas in. also if you go to your local garden centre you shoudl be able to pick up some cabbages and lettuce plugs which will ge tu started

[Plot 6B]

Only grow what you like
I would grow quick growing crops like Lettuce, Spring onions and Radish.

[allotmentor]

Although there's  lot of sense in this - don't fill half your plot with runner beans if you don't like them, just because everyone else grows them - one of the joys of your own allotment is that you have space to expeiment a bit. Try the odd thing which you don't get in the shops such as asparagus peas and kohl Rabi...you never know, you might like them. And even if there are things which you don't currently eat a lot of, it's amazing how much nicer things seem when you have grown them yourself and it encourages you to try new ways of eating things - broccoli soup is now a firm favourite in our house. Finally, sow little and often - it's very easy to go off things when you feel obliged to eat them day after day because of all the effort you put into growing them.  Wishing you all the best with your exciting new project

Only grow what you like
I would grow quick growing crops like Lettuce, Spring onions and Radish.

[al78]

Oriental leaf greens.

http://www.realseeds.co.uk/orientalgreens.html

Spring cabbage.
Autumn cropping potatoes.