[Dan78]

Now I have a new allotment and am digging it all over the hard way.. After about a month and a half (bad weather too) ive not even dug a quarter but am getting close.

I got myself 4 little packs of seed potatos in the week thinking that would be enough as I obviously want to grow other stuff too!

Went over to see my dad today and he said 'oh they were selling seed potatos at our local allotment association so i got you a few'... Turns out a few means 3 Massive sacks full 

Seems I have quite a bit of digging ahead of me in the next few weeks!! I hope I have some space left for all the other veggies I have planned!!

Bless him though haha

[gardener247]

mmm spuds the initial digging and planting will do wonders for the soil next yr it'll be like powder

[Paul Plots]

Planting spuds is a pretty good start - I hope you have some earlies as well as main crop that way you'll be able to dig and eat from quite early on rather than have sacks and sacks full all in one go.

Spuds are great to help improve unused soil... but do make sure you leave some room to try out some other crops too.

Once the spuds are up you could put leeks in their place perhaps?

Best of luck - take it easy with the digging as there's still time to get there. 

[Trillium]

You just have to look at the bright side when parents try to help  At least he didn't buy 3 bushels of seed potatoes for you 

[Paul Plots]

You just have to look at the bright side when parents try to help  At least he didn't buy 3 bushels of seed potatoes for you 

My dad at 95 continues to help me hugely - I only need to say, "I must get round to sowing some ....." and soon I have enough to give away to the entire site!

In recent years he has been so keen to get growing that I've had some plants ready for planting out weeks before their time..... thank heavens for cold-frames! 

[Dan78]

He got 1 bag of earlies, 1 of 2nd earlies and 1 maincrop so should be spaced out a little!

Im sure lots of friends and family will be getting some when grown lol. Glad to hear it will be a good start for the soil too!!

I wasnt able to do any digging today as was sore from moving 8 pallets about 100m to my allotment yesterday. My dad still went on his own and did some though!! Im so thankful for his help as im basically a complete beginner.. Well other than growing a few tomatos and carrots at home last year!

[DD.]

He got 1 bag of earlies, 1 of 2nd earlies and 1 maincrop so should be spaced out a little!

You need more than spuds to get spaced out!

[DavidT]

Dan, don`t give them away. Learn how to dry them and store them for your own use.

[janet12000]

How lovely that your Dad is helping.

My Dad helps loads sometimes, but then he goes all old fashioned on me and starts making comments about 'girls' having allotments being wrong. 

I suppose he has been growing stuff for so long he is very set in his ways about how things should be done.

I told him that I had got my seed potatoes from the pound shop, and he starting ranting about it was far too early to buy them and what was I playing at?! 

[granjan]

Is that a Dad thing or just a man thing Janet.  My husband is just the same.  I used find gardening at home and the allotment such a therapeutic way to spend my time until he retired! 

Now I listen to what he has to say and carry on the same way as I have been for the last 30 odd years

[Paul Plots]

.......My dad still went on his own and did some though!! Im so thankful for his help as im basically a complete beginner.......

It's a family affair.... excellent - enjoy the help!

[Greg40]

Hi Dan
     I think you may have a different veiw when you start eating all those lovely new home grown spuds.
  We only grow 1st and 2nd earlies as we get  maincrop through swapping, I have stored them in sand this year quite succesfully.It's easy and well worth doing,

[Paul Plots]

Is that a Dad thing or just a man thing Janet.  My husband is just the same.  I used find gardening at home and the allotment such a therapeutic way to spend my time until he retired! 

Now I listen to what he has to say and carry on the same way as I have been for the last 30 odd years

Please do not tar all men with the same "man" brush after all there is "man" in woman to! 

[Trillium]

Actually, I have Dan's problem with my mum. If I mention I need some seed potatoes, she'll drag a 75lb sack to my house....and I haven't even got the space to grow a quarter of that amount  I once mentioned in conversation (and not thinking about it) that I forgot to start cabbages and planned to pickup some seedlings at a local shop. Next thing I know she hands me a pot with about 100 cabbage seedlings. I needed only 6. The garden centre where my sister works was throwing out assorted fruit trees which had been overly root pruned and weren't surviving so I said to mum I'd take a couple and try to revive them. You guessed it - she showed up with 12 trees - and made me plant the lot right away. Now when she asks about my veg garden, I say I have everything I need. 

[stompy]

I've had my plot for about 5 years now, but last year i talked my dad into getting one of his own.
What i didn't bank on was him getting the plot next to mine (right next to mine) im plot 156 and he is plot 155.
We had a bit of a falling out last year because he had completely cleared his plot and was now bored. (He has retired early so has alot of time and energy) 

He decided to clean out my shed (i had foolishly given him a key to my shed) for him to store his tools in until he could get his own, then he decided to begin digging over one of my beds which i was leaving to settle so my brassicas could go in and he also began weeding.
The later endevour of his you might think would be a good thing appart from the fact he was trying to weed out my green manure that i had planted.
Anyhow we had a big argument and we didn't speak for a couple of weeks.
When back on speaking terms, he saw that as the green light to start again.
I had to get my mum to intervene this time as i didn't want to fall out again, she seems to have reined him in now, thank goodness 
 
Now he waters the greenhouse and does a few bits for me as and when i ask him to (just to keep him happy) and all seems to be going smoothly now.
Im glad i've got him on the plot next to me now as i see alot more of him, we were always close and my mum says he tells her he's just of to the plot to see if im there
We talk loads about everything and nothing whilst busying away (ON OUR OWN PLOTS)