[muntjac]

" gospel according to munty " ? taking donations for advance orders now  

[paul_holmes]

Welcome to the site and goodluck with your allotment, i am a newbie as well. I tried to learn as much as i could from books and some are good but I found they contradicted each other. The book i recommend is this

Vegetable and Herb Expert (Paperback)
by D.G. Hessayon (Author)

£7.99 from amazon, having said that, the best thing i found was to follow the forums here and ask questions.

good luck

paul

[Sideways]

Many thanks everyone for the warm welcome and advice.

mercury- I know what you mean. The truth is, I really do need to learn the basics first, prior to this weekend I didn’t even know about 'crop rotation' or splitting the plot into separate areas etc.

We are keen to get the basics in place, get the area dug up and prepared, make a written plan of what we want to grow and work on a section at a time, learning as we go.

Considering it’s almost March now and we will not be allowed on the plot for another week or so, we will concentrate on the ground work this year, if we can get some return, a little veg and fruit, it will be a bonus.

[little sweetpeas]

Hi, I'm new to it as well.  

I have read many books and only found two to be of anyuse but I have learnt the most from using this forum, oh and the Grown Your Own magazine has a free allotment book free with the next issue.  

Marianne

[mum2many]

Hello

I'm another newbie who asks very silly questions :oops:

this is what we've bought

I've just ordered Grow Your Own magazine (6 months half price with whsmiths)
Caroline Foley How to Plant your Allotment, £2.99 with www.bookpeople.co.uk
Vegetable and Herb Expert (Paperback) by D.G. Hessayon  £5.99 in B&Q
Found a Monty Don Complete gardener book in cupboard.(not keen on it though, seems up himself)
Percy Thrower book for 50p from a charity table at work.

[muntjac]

the one you want to read more is percy throwers ..... the rest are pale in comparison as percy probably is a hero of the rest

[WG.]

the one you want to read more is percy throwers

Yup, I've got a Percy Thrower book first published in 1962.  You'd like it MJ, not a single mention of any of your favourites ... Swiss Chard, Leaf Beet or Scorzonera.

[mum2many]

the one you want to read more is percy throwers ..... the rest are pale in comparison as percy probably is a hero of the rest

Just a shame its a general gardening book, but it does tell you what to do by months and with weather guide lines too.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Percy-Throwers-Gardening-year-Hardback_W0QQitemZ110095901288QQihZ001QQcategoryZ11112QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[muntjac]

lmao ,or organic huh lolo    

[milkman]

oh munty you are so reassuringly predictable  :o

[muntjac]

cast a worm  lolo

[WG.]

lmao ,or organic huh lolo    

BRILLIANT - best laugh I've had in ages.  You are right, of course, no mention of organic.      

He does mention some old horrors though.  Calomel Dust, i.e. mercury chloride !!!   :shock:  :shock:

[muntjac]

niowt wrong with that i still use it mate ,werks for me and my blood pressure goes up on sunny days and down -on cold ones  anyways lolo

[WG.]

niowt wrong with that i still use it mate ,werks for me and my blood pressure goes up on sunny days and down -on cold ones  anyways lolo

You need to be careful, Munty. Mercury has been known to cause obstinance and split ends in humans.  

[muntjac]

welll thats me in the clear then lol . no split ends and i never was accused being stubborn sob lol