Welcome back to Reads Allotment Retreat, our new diary blog created for you to track our progress on the new 10 Rod plot, as we start from scratch!
There's many good reasons for joining an allotment society, not least the massive discount you can get as a result.
Yersterday I ordered my seed Potato's, and was amazed at just how cheap they are compared with shop prices.
Browsing the catalogues from Marshalls, Suttons etc, you could reasonably expect to pay around £6.00 for a 2Kg bag. I ordered the following for my next years planting:
First Earlies - Rocket - 3Kg for £2.90
Second Earlier - Maris Peer - 6Kg for £4.30
Maincrop - Cara - 3Kg for £2.90
Salads - Charlotte - 3kg for £2.90.
To me, this is a considerable saving. All spuds are Scotch, and graded to size. What more could i want ? From previous purchases over the last few years, I know that a 2Kg bag will easily fill a 25' row, so I can now work out the spacings and sizing of the raised beds required on the plot.
All I need to do now, is get the plots readied. I will be buying the timber soon for constructing the raised beds, as well as stocking up on manure to work into the soil, before it is all top dressed with GP Compost, which will create the tilth required for planting.
I'm hoping to get some planting underway quite soon. We recently visited the Victoriana nursery at Challock in Kent. It was great to find an outlet that is not full of Christmas decorations and expensive gifts. Instead, you are greeted by the knowledgable staff who work there, and they were only too happy to stop and talk. Whilst there I purchased a mixture of plug plants to grow on at home, ready to plant out when the time is right. These included Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Cabbages etc, and are just what i need to get a head start.
We've also been pouring over seed catalogues ready for next seasons crops. I've found various outlets for what i need, not least a company called Premier Seeds Direct, operating on ebay. Their costs are well cheap compared to the high street, and all i can do is recommend them to you. Regardless of how many varieties you choose, you only pay Post and Packaging on the first item. How good is that !
We're still without computers at home, so for the forseeable future, updates will continue in print form only.
Come back and see us again soon. Till Then
TTFN.
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1 day ago
1 comment:
Sorry to bother you but I am trying to spread the message about the nationwide problems with contaminated manure. I hope you have heard about it - if not try this link to our website http://www.glallotments.btik.com/p_Contaminated_Manure.ikml
You may have already done this but I am afraid I haven't had time to browse your website fully, but if not would you consider placing a warning on your website as this problem hasn't gone away - contaminated manure could be in the system for a year or two yet even if the herbicide that has been temporarily withdrawn is never used again.
Now is the time that many gardeners will be obtaining manure and anything we can do to prevent others from experiencing the problems faced this year is worth a try.
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