The Start Of Something Beautiful

[Insy 9]

Hello People,

 

Couple Monthes back i was about looking at getting an allotment and starting the growing your own experience, yer many people think theres something wrong with me cause im a 19 year old lad who should be out getting pissed, but way i see it i know if i carry on doing this stuff ill end up getting nicked one day. So i needed some hobbies i have computer games, hunting (when i go) and now growing . Couple month's back i put my name down on about 6 allotments and couple months later i get a call (this week) asking if i would like to take on a 30ftx40ft plot (rough estimate) i was like hell yer, well i got my key friday and i started doing stuff today and my god i have a challenge on my hands . My plot has been neglected alot its basically a large lawn :'( not to bad on top but i suppose due to the good soil the roots go average of about 4 inches down !!!!!! alot of digging for a plot that size covered in that stuff, but good thing its mainly grass i have a few brambles along edges and a little tree/bush to dig out but apart from that not to bad compared to some peoples experiences.

 

So heres the plan for the moment:

 

- Dig over whole plot and drag as much roots/weeds/grass out as possible (sieving will be in progress to get as much of roots out as possible)

- Once weed-free i will be double digging haha now that will be fun

- Then organise where ill plant what and where and make some raised beds in places

- Build a shed

- Get some water butts and compost heaps

- Get a few mini plastic greenhouses just for seedlings and stuff

 

 

 

 

Pictures of allotment at the moment (these were taken on blackberry so size and quality may be poor)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh need some advice i do not have photos of these yet ill take tommorow i have 2 things i need people to check

 

1. i have a few plants still alive here i beleive there something like cauliflower/broccoli/cabbage something along them lines, there liek green leafed with a slight pinky purples hint to them, and in middle they have like flowers forming white and pink colours

 

2. i have some really nasty looking fungi on some part of my allotment plot its a real vicous looking orange and red colours and theres quite a bit of it by looks of it in that area anyone have ay clue what it is?

 

 

Also cant any identify these shrooms

 

1.

 

 

 

2.

 

 

 

 

thx

regards

ben

Edited August 29, 2010 by Insy

[Little Butch 16]

Can't answer your questions mate but good luck with It mate! Looks a good size and you should be able to grow plenty on there

 

Where abouts In Essex are ye?

 

Butch

[Insy 9]

Im in the romford area, have not met any of the neighbours yet but by sounds of it majority of them are very old and few of allotments r overgrown so maybe some new tenants soon or more plots for me if i get greedy

[BULLDOUG 199]

Good on ya lad, i run an allotment of 90 plots here in the black country. I keep chooks, bees, have a 30ft greenhouse and a smaller one for hardening off. i also built a log cabin on my site with a kitchen and wood burner. Its a right little hide away.

 

You stick with it son, if you get through the winter you will be well away, the shrooms grow on fertile land so under that grass you will have some fine soil IMO.

[Insy 9]

the shrooms i have pictures of are on the land at where i work just wondered what they are, i have these weird looking orange&red shrooms/fungi things on my plots they look nasty ill take some pictures of them tommorow. What you described to me of what you have just have me a flash forward to when ive finished studying have a decent job and when i retire i plan on having a house with mass garden/land on it so i can have something exactly like you described hehe

[scothunter 12,609]

good on you young man and as said not many lads would take an interest like you have.im sure you will get plenty help and encouragement from the avid growers and gardeners on here.pity a lot more of your generation didnt do something productive

[littlefish 577]

Good luck with your project - it looks like you are going to be busy! I bet once you meet other folks on the site you will get lots of advice on things to grow, especially from older ones who like to see young whippersnappers like yourself taking an interest. Keep us updated with your progress.

[Malt 379]

Good on you lad, keep us updated..

[digging/drawing 1]

[Insy 9]

Heya thanks for all the input and this is going to be like a journal ill keep updated as much as possible, i started yesterday afternoon which were the pictures i posted yesterday before i started i have a couple of progress pictures today ive done endless amounts of digging today and will do more tommorow the roots in this soil is horrible go about 4-6 inches deep at least .

 

So pictures i have for you today are:

 

1. pictures of the allotments progress and hole ive dug

2. picture of this fungo i have no idea what it is and looks deadly

3. picture of this plant that looks like its self seeded from previous allotment holders

 

Also could do with some advice on how to tackle this tree/bush on chopping rest down and digging roots what way would you do it, also could i use weedkiller to kill the gress on main foot paths on outside of plot as i dont want the roots creeping back into my plots ive dug over?

 

I did a PH soil test today with some cheap b&q kit it went to a really dark green colour which means its alkaline or something which i believe is high in nutrients/nitrogen/potash is this good or bad for planting?

 

Pictures:

 

Allotment

 

 

this picture makes that hole i dug look small but its huge

 

Tree/Bush

 

 

 

Plant Growing

 

 

Hole Dug

 

 

Fungi Growing

 

 

 

Also im curious could i use weedkiller on the main footpaths round edgeing of my allotment to kill the grass and i dont want them roots from the paths growing back into my patches or would that defeat the object of no using chemicals on my patches?

 

regards

ben

[toby1066 413]

good for you mate it will soon take shape

[Guest arch1]

Best of luck with your Allotment. Plenty of hard work ahead by the look of it. That picture of the plant growing, it looks to me like a "Blown" Cauliflower, iv'e had plenty of those this year. Basically it's gone over and needs lobbing on the compost heap, thats all it's good for now im afraid. If i was starting out from scratch with an allotment i would use weedkiller to kill the plot you want to dig, just makes it easier to dig over when the grass/weeds are dead. Not everyone will agree, but you'll spend alot less time sifting out the rubbish if you kill them first, you just dig the dead stuff in. Grow Potatoes, the books say they are good for newly dug ground.

 

All the best.

[Insy 9]

Ok todays progress my first trench/plot dug second one started aswell, started cutting back brambles and vines aswell i also met 4 new neighbours and i made a friend who was playing with my strings i was using to mark out the trench outlines haha. Ive also designed a quick diagram of what im thinking for my allotment

 

Pictures:

 

 

 

 

[blacktabs 3]

Good on you Ben

Nothing wrong with a bit of graft just take time love the plan and going to enjoy watching it all come together mate.

That Orange shroom weve got them on our grass meadows at this time of year but i cant find out what they are mate there not an edible i know.

Shouldnt think you will struggle with weeds with that much grass but agree with what Ossie'n'Arch says weed kill if you need to glyphosphate is designed to become inert once it touches the soil.atb

Edited September 1, 2010 by blacktabs

[blacktabs 3]

Hello People,

 

Couple Monthes back i was about looking at getting an allotment and starting the growing your own experience, yer many people think theres something wrong with me cause im a 19 year old lad who should be out getting pissed, but way i see it i know if i carry on doing this stuff ill end up getting nicked one day. So i needed some hobbies i have computer games, hunting (when i go) and now growing . Couple month's back i put my name down on about 6 allotments and couple months later i get a call (this week) asking if i would like to take on a 30ftx40ft plot (rough estimate) i was like hell yer, well i got my key friday and i started doing stuff today and my god i have a challenge on my hands . My plot has been neglected alot its basically a large lawn :'( not to bad on top but i suppose due to the good soil the roots go average of about 4 inches down !!!!!! alot of digging for a plot that size covered in that stuff, but good thing its mainly grass i have a few brambles along edges and a little tree/bush to dig out but apart from that not to bad compared to some peoples experiences.

 

So heres the plan for the moment:

 

- Dig over whole plot and drag as much roots/weeds/grass out as possible (sieving will be in progress to get as much of roots out as possible)

- Once weed-free i will be double digging haha now that will be fun

- Then organise where ill plant what and where and make some raised beds in places

- Build a shed

- Get some water butts and compost heaps

- Get a few mini plastic greenhouses just for seedlings and stuff

 

 

 

 

Pictures of allotment at the moment (these were taken on blackberry so size and quality may be poor)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh need some advice i do not have photos of these yet ill take tommorow i have 2 things i need people to check

 

1. i have a few plants still alive here i beleive there something like cauliflower/broccoli/cabbage something along them lines, there liek green leafed with a slight pinky purples hint to them, and in middle they have like flowers forming white and pink colours

 

2. i have some really nasty looking fungi on some part of my allotment plot its a real vicous looking orange and red colours and theres quite a bit of it by looks of it in that area anyone have ay clue what it is?

 

 

Also cant any identify these shrooms

 

1.

 

 

 

2.

 

 

 

 

thx

regards

ben

Missed this post ben the first one looks like a puffball mate if its a young one and white inside its edible the others in a ring look like chamignions but im no expert as theres a couple of varietys very simmilar that are poisonous so i never bother with them just stick to those i know are 100% safe atb.