In this episode I show you my cold frame and make a start filling it with horse manure. Also I pick some more sprouts for tea and give them a feed with a high nitrogen feed. I also harvest some carrots.
Steve’s Allotment Episode 1
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Yearly Archives: 2013
The Vegetable Growing Year: Jobs to do in January
January is a time to catch up on those winter jobs that you’ve not done yet. I normally spend winter completing projects and generally preparing the ground for the season ahead (thats if the ground isn’t frozen). Even if you aren’t planning any projects, here’s some things you can do in January. Continue reading
Video: Allotment Update December 2013
Another video update for December 2013 and the last for 2013.
New Cold Frame
Only a quick update today. Last weekend me and my dad spent Saturday and Sunday down the allotment building a new cold frame. It took a day and a bit to put together and the best bit, all the materials were recycled. So without further ado, I present to you the new cold frame.
The autumn clear up begins
Autumn is here and this can only mean one thing; time to tidy and clear up the plot. On Saturday morning, I went down the allotment to see how bad it was as I hadn’t been down for a couple of weeks. It wasn’t too bad but parts of it was in desperate need of a weed, mainly the blackcurrant bed and the old strawberry bed. But before cracking on, I had one job to do.
How to grow Garlic
Garlic is a must have vegetable and is simple to grow. There are two types of garlic; hardneck and softneck. Hardneck varieties produce a flower spike which can be eaten, while softneck varieties don’t and tend to store longer. Bulbs that are planted in the autumn have time to develop than spring planted bulbs and this allows them to produce an extensive root system and you are more likely to get a better harvest. Continue reading
Vegetables to grow in the winter
The growing season is coming to an end but you’ve still got time to sow or plant out some vegetables to grow overwinter. You can sow in modules in a cold frame or in a greenhouse and plant out in a couple of weeks. If you don’t have access to a cold frame or greenhouse, you can use a fleece to help protect the young seedlings. Continue reading
Let the back breaking work commence
On Sunday morning I went down the allotment with one aim and that was to start digging over the new plot. I’m still not 100% sure on how I’ll use the new plot, but it’s covered in weeds and grass and really needs clearing before winter sets in. Continue reading
Warming the soil in the winter months
With the winter months approaching, it is time to start thinking about next spring and possibly getting a head start on the growing season. One way to do this is by creating a hotbed. In its simplest form, a hotbed is a trench or raised bed filled with organic matter with soil on top. Not only does this keep the soil warm, but they are also great for improving the soil structure. To build a hotbed:
- Dig a trench roughly 6-10 inches deep and roughly a metre wide (for ease of access).
- Add a layer of woody material (bark chippings, twigs) roughly 6 inches deep.
- Add another layer of general garden waste such as grass clippings. You want this layer to be roughly 6-8 inches deep.
- Next add a layer of farmyard manure roughly 6 inches deep.
- Finally add a mixture of top soil and garden compost on top of the bed. This will be used to sow or plant your vegetables in.
- Your hotbed is ready to use. If you’ve used a raised bed, you can cover it with an old window to help keep the heat in.
Video: Allotment Update October 2013
This is my allotment video update for October 2013. Things are starting to come to an end now, the square foot bed is almost empty, the only thing that remains are a few carrots. My over wintering onions have also gone in, and my leeks that I planted in summer are starting to bulk up.