Mistakes I'v made

Caretaker · « **on:** June 18, 2008, 22:02 »

Yes 5 years ago I got my allotment and the expert on site said I will need manure, so I bang in 5 iron poles deep in to the ground to support 2 old doors to protect my shed and wait for the manure to arrive, that was five years ago.
I had bites down my legs arms and was off work for a week.
Now it's time to remove them iron post so I can move my shed in its place.
I must have been fitter then as the post go down about 3 feet, I have got one out so far and I still have to remove the manure that is as hard as brick, never did use it.
Has any one had any mistakes or regrets?
Reg

richyrich7 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2008, 22:08 »

I make a few every year, I try to never have regrets life's to short for "if only's" but my plots are still rather weedy etc made the mistake of leaving my cauli's and broccoli in their pots too long most have been fed to the guinea pigs now

wish I had more time and for the lottie this year, but I seem very short of that this year :roll:

lincspoacher · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2008, 22:08 »

they should rust away within 75 years, theres not much left of the Titanic, but then the steel was thicker.........get a petrol angle grinder and cut them off at ground level.

kel28 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2008, 22:15 »

I rushed mine I got my allotment last June was 2nd person to have it(only just found that out) it was 5ft high with weeds, sloe bush, pallets bits of branches and general rubbish bricks and plastic milk bottles. 120m/sq of it so I dug half over and the rest of my family got a bit impatient and was giving up so I put some onions and garlic in. But I wish I had waited to properly sort it out as I now need to wait til this Autumn to sort 1 end out that has things growing in but it has no edge and spaces everywhere and it looks a mess, to top it off there was a bush growing in the corner when in Feb I had enough of it and tried to dig it out I found the root goes straight diagonally across my entire plot so unless I dig up sections of my veg it has to stay there for now but in the meantime little shots seem to be emeging blooming everywhere. So best advice from me is to be patient take your time and prepare, prepare prepare

diggerjoe · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2008, 08:57 »

When i got my plot in may last year it was all long grass and weeds knee high i started to skim off top and stack it - the stacks are still there if only i'd taken it a bit slower and taken the stuff off site i'd have a bit more space instead of a mountain range where i don't want it - so have done the usual put a couple of pumpkins into the top of each stack with a good dollop of compost - at least they look ok for part of the year

cbu183 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2008, 10:57 »

Diggerjoe I did exactly the same thing. What an eyesore it is - and in a really awkward place as well. I wouldn't even use it when it rots down because it's full of mare's tail, bindweed and couch grass - oh yes they all grow here.
I love your idea about growing stuff in it - may do that. Really though I'm reluctantly considering removing it all bit by bit - on foot. :cry:

richyrich7 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2008, 11:17 »

Couldn't you cover the mound with something to suppress the weeds for a year or so and plant through ?

durham_lass · « **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2008, 12:14 »

I planted my first two rows of potatoes too close together.

Also made the mistake of trying to do too much too soon. Should have concentrated on one or two veg such as potatoes and onions instead of , potatoes, onions, parsnip, sweetcorn, courgettes, beans, and peas. I was also given cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce. I now find I am struggling to keep up with everything especially weeding in between the veg.

diggerjoe · « **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2008, 13:02 »

yes I did richyrich7 good thick plastic but like cbu183 it stops the grass growing but when i've come to look at this year with the intention of sieving soil, its so full of grass roots it will take an age - last year i slit a couple of holes in the plastic wedged in a good few handfuls of compost and some chicken pellets and put in courgettes - they grew like mad and being up off the ground they were nice and clean - this year i'm using the heaps that were buried under plastic bags and I've recovered them with weed fabric and planted through again. There was an area that really needed digging this year after being under plastic sheet -it was still full of grass roots and such hard going I just turned the top with a spade sort of levelled it off chucked compost and some of the communual manure which was a bit fresh over it covered it with weed fabric and planted sweetcorn and courtgettes through it - sweetcorn are loving it - they have good solid thick stalks and are now 9ins tall and the courgettes are as happy as a courgette on a compost heap

I cold get used to this no dig or not much digging idea

senrab_nhoj · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2008, 14:39 »

I should have adapted the measure twice cut once mantra from carpentry to my gardening, measure twice dig once....

Started digging overgrown plot on day I got it from the far end... OH wants an asparagus bed, at near end in plans so cave in and agree to put in this year
Cold saturday, digging the trench ready for the crowns.... back late on next evening to plant the crowns on the ridge at bottom of trench...

4 weeks later and I have almost finished digging over the rest of the plot in nice tidy straight rows, creating raised beds and paths in the dug over section as a break from the core spadework.....

... its then that I notice that the asparagus bed... and the daffodils and bluebells that I lined the trench off of, are not square to the plot...
.. My last raised bed is now going to be a rather odd shape.. lol

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Mistakes I'v made

lincspoacher