Allotments

[B.M.F]

Good luck BMF. Hope to do the same one day, you can't beat fresh homegrown food. I'll look out for the organic veg stew stall at Withdean. Glad to hear its helping to sort your health problems out.

Cheers mate and what a fantastic idea about the stew stall. Can you all bring your own forks though

 

[Starry]

We have a veggie patch. I am hoping we'll be able to give up our boxes over summer and have enough from our garden to get by.

Last year we had a bit of a disaster when my green fingered child made a right pigs ear of planting the things he was in charge of and we ended up with 9853769549687549769845984 onions and one potato. But nevermind!

I guess the allotment is away from your home but you could grow some herbs in a basket in tub as well, they taste so much nicer freshly picked.

 

[The Auditor]

Carol kleins book ..grow you own veg ...worth a read

gardening is a great escape from the pressures of life

 

[B.M.F]

I guess the allotment is away from your home but you could grow some herbs in a basket in tub as well, they taste so much nicer freshly picked.

We do have herbs rowing but they are in pots away from the allotment at home along with salad leaf as they will be quick pick stuff but I do agree tha fresh herbs are wonderful

 

[Westdene Seagull]

And there was me thinking we'd had every subject discussed to death on NSC - we'll be discussing knitting patterns or our best jam receipe next !

I'm attempting to grow this years christmas dinner in my vegetable patch - I'm not entirely sure how to make sure the potatoes keep though.

I'm drawing the line at growing my own turkey though !

 

[Gully]

OK, this is developing into a useful thread, for a change. Don't have an allotment myself but do have a small vegetable plot and a greenhouse, missed the growing season last year as I moved into the house in late June, but hope to start growing things this year.

I was just reckoning on things that I will definitely eat/cook with, probably new spuds, peas, courgettes, carrots, tomatoes and a range of herbs. I would like to grow coriander, as it is used in a lot of Indian recipes and I love the flavour, but have heard that it can be a bit of a bugger to grow.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I would like to grow coriander, as it is used in a lot of Indian recipes and I love the flavour, but have heard that it can be a bit of a bugger to grow.

I haven't grown it from seed but did grow it from a small plant - was fine until the chives that were in the same pot somewhat strangled it.

 

[Yorkie]

I've never managed to keep coriander growing for more than a couple of months. I've got mint, rosemary and a bay tree growing outside the back door in tubs.

 

[The Merry Prankster]

Every time I have grown Coriander it has bolted. Anyone know how to stop that?

 

[NMH]

I will wait until all the wonderful allotments start bearing fruit and veg, then just as they are ripe - go scrumping.

Tesco Organic be darned.

 

[tedebear]

I've grown veg most of my life, comes from growing up with parents who had an enormous veg. garden, and spent hours whiling away together in their garden.

Planted some seeds in my small greenhouse last week, garlic is already in, potatos have been chitting (although potatos are sooo cheap to buy I often wonder if its worth it), tomatoes (3 types), capsicums, cucumber are in greenhouse, runner beans, broad beans, broccoli, parsnip, leeks, courgettes, radishes, all the herbs, passionfruits, etc.. are all on their way this week. I only turned the compost in recently so it needs a break before the seeds go in...and its been tooooo wet for planting.

Theres probably more - but I can't think of it...

Oh the raspberrys are trimmed and the pear tree is planted (my new season present to my son)

 

[tedebear]

Every time I have grown Coriander it has bolted. Anyone know how to stop that?

Coriander is a very quick to bolt plant. There is a variety that is slow to bolt, but its only a matter of weeks.

Coriander will bolt much faster in warm conditions too (like windowsill) They need shade and lots of water and continual plucking out of flowers (which is the first sign).

Alternatively sow seeds every two weeks for a few months. Then you've got rolling stock and after al while the plants that have bolted drop their seed and grow new plants so it pretty well continues on itself...

 

[Muhammed - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

Guinness Dave's didn't, and he only pickled them in December

 

[Pigsy]

I've just gone on the waiting list for an allotment. I am 14th, so expect to get started sometime in 2010

 

[maffew]

Yes Radish is the last on the list mate. Someone your age should know everything about allotments mate. Us younger members should have to bow down to your wisdom

On a more serious note anybody on here like me that is currently suffering severe depression in which I have now been off work for 6 months with it, The allotment has been a godsend. It has helped me get over agrophobia that I was suffering so badly from that I had to give away tickets for a few games this season and has helped me feel relaxed and more at peace with myself. Without it I think I would still be a long way from recovery but with it I know I am on the right path

good stuff mate, where is your allotment, in Brighton?

 

[London Calling]

Grow organically,

top tips, grow what you will eat! and don't bother with stuff that you can buy cheaper in the supermarket and will match the flavour.

So if you plant toms go for flavour not bulk.

 

[hornet]

I have been growing in my veg patch and greenhouse in my garden for the last few years.

Not going for spuds this year as I never get much return for them in my garden and it'e easier to buy them. This year I am going for carrots, spinach, runner beans, shallots, pumpkins, courgettes, sweetcorn, parsnips, radishes, butternut squash, gourds, garlic and possibly onions. Never been able to grow broccoli successfully.

I also like trying some unusual varieties. Going for amaranths again this year, very good spinach alternative and grows rather big. Also trying a sweetcorn variety called Strawberry Popcorn and a kale like plant called Jersey walking stick.

In the greenhouse I have just planted some Tabasco, Habenero and other assorted hot chilis and will get some tomatoes in there as well. also have some strawberries as well.

I might try something from Carol's recent tv programme and plant my runner beans to climb up my sweetcorn and grow pumpkins on the ground in-between.

I do enjoy getting out there in the nice warm evenings although last year was a bit of a bugger without the hosepipe and the digging annoys me as well.

It is great though when you finally get to pick up dig up the produce you've grown and cared for and even better when you realise it tastes a lot better than the supermarket stuff.

 

[tedebear]

It is great though when you finally get to pick up dig up the produce you've grown and cared for and even better when you realise it tastes a lot better than the supermarket stuff.

My thoughts exactly! Couldn't agree more!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Coriander is a very quick to bolt plant. There is a variety that is slow to bolt, but its only a matter of weeks.

Coriander will bolt much faster in warm conditions too (like windowsill) They need shade and lots of water and continual plucking out of flowers (which is the first sign).

Alternatively sow seeds every two weeks for a few months. Then you've got rolling stock and after al while the plants that have bolted drop their seed and grow new plants so it pretty well continues on itself...

What does 'bolt' mean, in a coriander context, can anyone explain? Can't mean it just runs off surely, like a HORSE?

 

[tedebear]

What does 'bolt' mean, in a coriander context, can anyone explain? Can't mean it just runs off surely, like a HORSE?

It means that it sprouts a flower and/or produces seed, making the leaves which we like to eat tart and inedible! Loads of things do this, its natures way of reproducing. Some plants (coriander for one) do it quicker than others....