Gardening/Allotmenting

[Alex321]

Ah- If my photography skills were better you would be able to see the line of leeks, the tomatoes staked on the vine and other such goodies. The pretty flowers in the foreground camouflage and distracts the eye away from the edible delights.

I have the utmost admiration for those talented souls who labour in allotments and gardens. My gardening skills are limited to slash and burn - alas.

My wife is the gardener in our family. I just do the mowing and digging and other labour intensive jobs, under instruction (she is 9 years older than me and not in the best of health, so is no longer physically capable of doing very much of that).

Had the last of the runner beans yesterday. Still got sprouts on the plants and quite a lot of beetroot in the ground. Grass will probably need mowing a couple more times before it stops growing for the winter.

 

[Red17]

Strong winds forecast for tomorrow so spent the afternoon picking medlar and more quinces. Both trees have had a really big crop this year

 

[PaulSB]

Have you planted your garlic and broad beans, split your perennials, covered your compost heap, cleaned and sharpened your tools?
Are you gathering the fallen leaves for leaf mulch?
Planted up some nice pots with spring bulbs?
Cut down your roses?
I still got loads to do, but, like every year, I'll not make it in time.
Wish I could garden instead of having to go to work

Well........garlic going in today, compost bins covered, leaves being gathered and composted, pots planted.......the rest I don't do.

I still have a lot to do as I'm planning a major revamp. Once I've done the pre-winter weed and tidy up I plan to:

Empty all water barrels, relocate and add three more. I already store 900 litres but have run out the last two years.

Buy in one tonne of composted FYM and mushroom compost. I can't produce enough garden compost to keep the organic mater levels high enough which is impacting soil balance and nutrition. I refuse to use any artificial fertilisers other than on my greenhouse tomatoes.

Buy and install a full height walk-in cage to cover two of my beds. The last two years I've lost my kale, purple sprouting and brocolli. Last year pigeons, this year cabbage white. My Heath Robinson attempts with canes, netting etc. don't seem to cope anymore.

All this is quite an investment but my allotment isn't anywhere near as good as it used to be. If I'm to continue with enthusiasm rather than as a chore I need to fix these basics.

 

[annedonnelly]

Yesterday's harvest from the allotment - Yacon.
View attachment 790816 Just got to find out the best way to eat them as they are new to me ( given the plants by another allotment holder)

Let us know when you find out - they look like sweet potatoes

 

[MichaelW2]

Yesterday's harvest from the allotment - Yacon.
View attachment 790816 Just got to find out the best way to eat them as they are new to me ( given the plants by another allotment holder)

Apparently:
The tubers can be eaten raw, boiled, dehydrated, roasted or processed into beverages, jams, syrup, vinegar, flour, chips and juice.[13] If they are eaten fresh, they are sweet and crunchy.

While usable-sized edible tubers develop fairly early in the season, they taste much sweeter after they have matured and have been exposed to some frost. After harvest, tubers left in the sun to harden taste much better than those eaten immediately.

The harvested tubers can be stored over several months, however the fructooligosaccharide content decreases over time. If the storage temperature keeps at 1 degree, the turnover from fructooligosaccharides to glucose, fructose and sucrose will also slow down.

 

[Red17]

Person who gave us the plants says he normally eats them raw. Tried one yesterday and it was OK, just nothing special. My wife is planning to add some to a veg curry tonight, so see how that goes

 

[Pat "5mph"]

While usable-sized edible tubers develop fairly early in the season, they taste much sweeter after they have matured and have been exposed to some frost. After harvest, tubers left in the sun to harden taste much better than those eaten immediately.

Was that AI?
How can the tubers be exposed to frost then dried in the sun.
Unless you ship them in January from Scotland to Australia.
Then ship them back? Or let the Australians eat them?

 

[Drago]

Have you planted your garlic and broad beans, split your perennials, covered your compost heap, cleaned and sharpened your tools?
Are you gathering the fallen leaves for leaf mulch?
Planted up some nice pots with spring bulbs?
Cut down your roses?
I still got loads to do, but, like every year, I'll not make it in time.
Wish I could garden instead of having to go to work

No planting yet. Its a newish garden and the vegetable growing capacity isn't yet fully on stream. That'll chanfe next year.

Compost bin has been watered and turned over.

No leaves or mulch.

No roses. I grow stuff to eat.

Managed the final cut yesterday. We're almost into November now so im hoping that'll be it until spring.

 

[Red17]

Was that AI?
How can the tubers be exposed to frost then dried in the sun.
Unless you ship them in January from Scotland to Australia.
Then ship them back? Or let the Australians eat them?

The plants are not frost hardy, and I've been told to harvest them as the top growth dies back for autumn rather than let them overwinter, and store the crowns frost free like a dhalia to replant next year

 

[MichaelW2]

Was that AI?
How can the tubers be exposed to frost then dried in the sun.
Unless you ship them in January from Scotland to Australia.
Then ship them back? Or let the Australians eat them?

In the high Andes I guess they have frost and dry sun

 

[steveindenmark]

Overwintering of Dahlias. If you want to find a subject more heated than the helmet debate. Join an allotment site on FB and watch them go at this. There are a million ways to overwinter dahlia tubers, but some of these guys over insist there way is the only way.

Its a flower. You can throw the tubers away and grow them from seed next year. But its war out there.

I have covered mine in mulch, then garden fleece and then plastic. They will all rot apparently. But not according to those who do this every year.

I have also dug some up and stored them in boxes as an experiment.

How do you overwinter your dahlias?

 

[Elybazza61]

Today finally finished making two cold frames from the remains of an old shed ,so now the greenhouse won't be crammed with everything that gets protected and space for seedlings in the spring.

Also last week moved and expanded the leaf bin after 'harvesting' the leaf mould from last years collections.

 

[PaulSB]

The last two winters illness (23/24) and post RTC injury (24/25) meant winter work on the allotment was neglected. I was surprised by how much this impacted the following season. While I've still plenty to do I'm on top of things this year.

The jobs to complete are these:

• Final clean up and leaf collection
• Last turn for compost heaps and cover
• Paint the shed and clean greenhouse
• Install three extra water butts

My other tasks are to tackle two problems. Pigeons and cabbage white have devastated my brassicas the past two years. My netting arrangements failed. I've decided to install a "walk-in" cage large enough to cover three of the raised beds. Covering three gives rotation for the brassicas. My other issue is soil fertility and organic matter. I've never been able to produce enough home compost to keep up the organic matter levels - crucial on my soil. Eight years ago I bought in composted FYM with great results. For another 3 -4 years I had access to unlimited amounts of spent hops. Once I've completed the autumn clean up I'll get a tonne of FYM delivered which should do the job.

I've decided I either need to address the problems properly or get disillusioned with it. The second isn't an option!!

 

[PaulSB]

Over the last few days I've planted these beauties. The garlic is Carcassonne Wight, the smaller cloves are in multi-cell trays. I graded out 45 good sized cloves for planting. The small ones look two small to survive outside.

The second image is elephant garlic. The loose bulbs are new from T&M, those in the basket from my own '25 crop. I haven't replanted from the crop before, interested to see what happens.

 

[biggs682]

We have several patio pots with bulbs starting to show it gets earlier each year