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Post by roofgardener on Feb 29, 2020 21:31:40 GMT
Emma has posted a new youtube video...
I admire her determination !!!
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Post by sweetpea on Feb 29, 2020 23:03:33 GMT
Get a few concrete slabs on the floor of that shed emma which will help protect from high winds. You can always stick a bit of old carpet over them if its too cold underfoot.  |
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Post by emmasplot on Mar 5, 2020 12:49:11 GMT
 Hi everyone. As always, thanks for the great advice. I've weighed my new shed down with some concrete slabs and I've ordered a thick rug to go over the top to help keep it a little warmer in there. I'm going to be painting it tomorrow when this rain finally stops. But it's still standing and it's nice to have somewhere to sit in to have a cup of tea and get a breather from the wind and cold. I've managed to clear the back of the plot from brambles. It took a few days to dig all the canes out and cost me 2 shovels which both snapped and half a fork. One of the rakes sadly didn't make it. But I feel like their sacrifice was worth it as I now have the entire use of the 130m2 plot. It's a lot bigger than I first thought and I am rethinking my layout plans now! The middle to back of the plot seems to get the most sun (thought I wont know for absolute certain until the summer time), so I'm thinking cut flowers and sun loving vegetables should go there, as well as the polytunnel which will house tomatoes and cucumbers (and peppers if the blasted things actually grow). Towards the front will be for the sprouts, broccoli and beetroot as I've heard they can tolerate a bit of dappled shade. I also have room for a wildlife area which I'm very excited about, as are my kids! I'm thinking of creating a little pond and a hedgehog house and maybe some wildflowers. However, I'm happy and relieved to say that after months of cutting back, digging out and leveling the uneven ground, the plot is looking much more like an actual allotment! As we move further into March I can start to plan the beds, sow seeds and get on with all the fun stuff! I have been left with an awful lot of blackberry canes and roots on the plot. Too many to think about ferrying up the local dump every week. I've build a litlte fence out of some of the longer stems which works quite well as they seem to stick together. But I've been doing some reading about permaculture, which is essentially digging a big hole and burrying them all. Does anyone on here have any experience with that? Sounds like such a relatively simple solution, but I'm thinking there must be a catch?! As always, thanks for reading. And happy planting everyone. Emma
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Post by SueA on Mar 6, 2020 8:46:28 GMT
Emma I would say don't bury the bramble/blackberry canes or leave any bits at all on your plot as they are very tenacious & if a piece of root or any tiny bit of stem gets a hold in the ground it will spring back to life & pop up everywhere! We had a massive tangle of brambles at the end of our garden when we moved here almost 6 years ago & spent ages digging them out & still little bits come up from nowhere & I have to keep pulling/digging them out.
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 6, 2020 14:47:22 GMT
What SueA says is true, of course. However, my Sister's Top Acre was a solid 30' cube of brambles. We didn't get ALL of the canes out, but kept cutting them back. After a while (about a year), the plant has virtually given up. If you KEEP mowing/cutting the canes out, then EVENTUALLY you starve it to death, because it can't photosynthesise. Emily, consider posting your youtube video's to this form. (there is a button for this on the full editing screen). If you do that, it forms a link back to your youtube video which - I believe - can improve it's "ranking". E.g. people are more likely to find it on youtube when the search for "allotments" or "polytunnels" or whatever ? |
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Post by emmasplot on Mar 6, 2020 17:24:12 GMT
What SueA says is true, of course. However, my Sister's Top Acre was a solid 30' cube of brambles. We didn't get ALL of the canes out, but kept cutting them back. After a while (about a year), the plant has virtually given up. If you KEEP mowing/cutting the canes out, then EVENTUALLY you starve it to death, because it can't photosynthesise. Emily, consider posting your youtube video's to this form. (there is a button for this on the full editing screen). If you do that, it forms a link back to your youtube video which - I believe - can improve it's "ranking". E.g. people are more likely to find it on youtube when the search for "allotments" or "polytunnels" or whatever ? Ah amazing! Thanks so much for the advice. I’m not really sure how to grow my channel, I just keep posting stuff and hoping people watch t! 😂 |
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Post by grindle on Mar 7, 2020 5:21:23 GMT
you're doing an amazing job emmasplot it will be fun when the planting starts  |
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Post by emmasplot on Mar 9, 2020 10:30:28 GMT
I have a new youtube video up! Finally got round to painting my shed
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Post by roofgardener on Mar 10, 2020 13:47:13 GMT
I have a new youtube video up! Finally got round to painting my shed ZOMG.. it's PINK  The allotment is REALLY coming together, Emma. This is the hardest, dirtiest part. You are building the foundations of a brilliant allotment. Soon... oh so soon.. you will start to reap the rewards. Have you decided what you will be planting yet ?
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Post by ladybird on Mar 19, 2020 17:13:48 GMT
Pink in the garden ! thats bright . I do like your idea with the arch between the beds Emma I might just do that myself as I have a couple of arches . |
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Post by emmasplot on Mar 21, 2020 17:22:27 GMT
 Hi everyone! It's been a little while since my last post. It's been a funny old time really hasn't it? Feeling so incredibly grateful to have my allotment right now, especially as we dont have much of a garden here in London. It's one of the few places that is really isolated and I feel quite comfortable being! You can probably see from the picture that I've dug myself a wildlife pond! Just felt like I needed to do something to bring myself closer to nature, especially with the current craziness of the world around me. It was honestly, so therapeutic to dig! I just sort of disappeared as I dug and got totally lost in the moment. It has a shallow end and a deeper end and lots of rocks around the boarder that I found around my plot! I'm pretty damn proud of it actually. I've ordered some pond plants which I'll put in at the weekend, and some iris bulbs which will be so beautiful if they decide to grow! hehe! I've been spending quite a lot of time at the plot recently, it's quite calming and a small reassurance that through all the chaos, spring is still springing up everywhere and the birds are still chirping away in the trees. It's nice to just sit and be and not think too hard about the outside world. I'm sure you guys are all feeling the same way. Some of you asked what I'll be growing. I've just put out some onion bulbs that I started off in trays inside a couple of weeks ago. And I've begun to sow early peas, sweet peas, sunflowers, cucumbers and tomatoes indoors too. I've been told potatoes are great for a new plot because they help to break up the soil, so I'll be starting those tomorrow too! It's all a bit of experiment in your first year I think, so I'll be trying as much as I can and seeing what grows well and what fails. I'm happy though as I feel like there's less pressure on me for the first year. It's just about enjoying it and giving it all a good go. Hope you are all keeping well. i'm still putting up vlogs on youtube showing my progress on the plot if you care to have a watch: www.youtube.com/channel/UCkRJpUzbmZ9rpEbF_Zw5xOg (sorry not sure how to insert a link!) Good luck with the gardening year ahead everyone. Spring is finally here and despite everything, there are things to look forward to now. Lighter days, tulips, blossom and the promise of the growing season! Stay safe everyone and get outdoors as much as is safe to do Wishing all the best for you and your families. Emma x
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Post by sweetpea on Mar 21, 2020 19:00:25 GMT
Hi everyone! It's been a little while since my last post. It's been a funny old time really hasn't it? Feeling so incredibly grateful to have my allotment right now, especially as we dont have much of a garden here in London. It's one of the few places that is really isolated and I feel quite comfortable being! You can probably see from the picture that I've dug myself a wildlife pond! Just felt like I needed to do something to bring myself closer to nature, especially with the current craziness of the world around me. It was honestly, so therapeutic to dig! I just sort of disappeared as I dug and got totally lost in the moment. It has a shallow end and a deeper end and lots of rocks around the boarder that I found around my plot! I'm pretty damn proud of it actually. I've ordered some pond plants which I'll put in at the weekend, and some iris bulbs which will be so beautiful if they decide to grow! hehe! I've been spending quite a lot of time at the plot recently, it's quite calming and a small reassurance that through all the chaos, spring is still springing up everywhere and the birds are still chirping away in the trees. It's nice to just sit and be and not think too hard about the outside world. I'm sure you guys are all feeling the same way. Some of you asked what I'll be growing. I've just put out some onion bulbs that I started off in trays inside a couple of weeks ago. And I've begun to sow early peas, sweet peas, sunflowers, cucumbers and tomatoes indoors too. I've been told potatoes are great for a new plot because they help to break up the soil[/font], so I'll be starting those tomorrow too! It's all a bit of experiment in your first year I think, so I'll be trying as much as I can and seeing what grows well and what fails. I'm happy though as I feel like there's less pressure on me for the first year. It's just about enjoying it and giving it all a good go.
Hope you are all keeping well. i'm still putting up vlogs on youtube showing my progress on the plot if you care to have a watch: www.youtube.com/channel/UCkRJpUzbmZ9rpEbF_Zw5xOg (sorry not sure how to insert a link!)
Good luck with the gardening year ahead everyone. Spring is finally here and despite everything, there are things to look forward to now. Lighter days, tulips, blossom and the promise of the growing season! Stay safe everyone and get outdoors as much as is safe to do Wishing all the best for you and your families.
Emma x Its not so much the potatoes themselves emma but more the various cultivations of the soil when planting, earthing up and weeding round them that does the breaking up of the soil. have fun.
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Post by SueA on Mar 22, 2020 9:27:05 GMT
The shed looks really pretty Emma & the wildlife pond is a good idea. It must be great for you to have somewhere to get away from all the madness at the moment & will be lovely for your children to come & watch wildlife with you. I'd grow things which you & your family enjoy eating & some quick growing things like salad leaves & maybe strawberries from bought in runners which will give you & your kids some encouragement (not to mention something to eat the way things are going!). Take care & enjoy yourself. x |
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Post by ladybird on Mar 22, 2020 10:22:01 GMT
Love the pond Emma , I`m sure that took some work. i do hope you get a few frogs they will help eat the slugs. The shed is looking good , it`s crying out for a wee stencil, perhaps on the door and maybe a window box  |
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Post by emmasplot on Apr 18, 2020 11:21:30 GMT
 Hi everyone! Long time no see. I have been so busy at the plot over the last few weeks, as I'm sure many of you have! I now have my onions growing nicely, sunflowers in, sweet peas, carrots, spinach and I've just planted in some rocket too! I have a problem though and I was wondering if I could get a little advice?! My early peas (pictured above on the trellis) have started to go yellow at the bottom!! I'm not sure why this is or if there is anything I can do to save them. I'm hoping there is a solution to rescue them as they are my second batch (this first batch was eaten by the birds, hehe!). Hope you are all keeping well and managing to get to your plots! Emma
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Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT
Sept 6, 2018 17:58:08 GMT
Aug 10, 2019 9:01:47 GMT