Kitchen Garden Forum

I have had an allotment of 90' x 30' for 3 years, and an extra 1/2 plot for 1 year, both of which I've had to give up 'cos we're moving. Our new house has an area of 35' x 25' which I am going to have as my veg plot. Feel a bit nervous that this won't be enough space! However, having had the luxury of loads of space, maybe I haven't been careful about underplanting, catch cropping, and growing too many space invaders - brassicas, tatoes and onions ....

What sizes are your veggie plots, guys???

Mine's and odd shape. It's 90ft across and 120ft on the left and 80ft on the right.

Our allotment is 60' x 60 ', on a steep southwest facing slope from where we can see for 16 miles so it's pretty windy. We also grow herbs and salad stuff at home in the garden which is a bit more sheltered but not much!

Dear Mazmezroz, with your new plot i think you would be better off not growing to many potatoes, or you will run out of space quickly.
You will have to try and keep your soil in first class condition, and feed after each crop has been removed, you will be amazed what you will get of a piece of ground that size.
You could start more things off in pots so they are a good size ready for planting out into your ground.

I won't tell you how big my plots are or you will get depressed.

Chantal, trust you to have an odd shaped plot.

Not my fault, the whole site is one big triangle so no plot has equal sides.

I bet you would still make a lovely job of it Chantal, what ever shape it was.

Chantals right. None of us have even shaped plots. Luckily wonky shaped plots dont affect the vegetables
Seedling

Seedling, they do say variety is the spice of life, seems there right.

Yes, I thought I might even resort to growing potatoes only in sacks, and just new ones, as those are so yummy.

Might try ideas like 3 sisters (as seen on Carol Kleins' prog), and doing lots of underplanting and catch cropping. Thought maybe raised beds might get more produce too...

There are fields behind garden, so might, in the fullness of time, approach the farmer and ask if renting a bit of his field might be an option ...

Then I could join the odd-shaped-plot club.

Ours is 30 yards long by 10 yards wide by 2 plots=600 sq.yards. All on the flat, sandy soil, we pay £13 a year for each of them, plenty of water taps, but no toilets on site
Bren

Mazmezroz, my bit of garden devoted to produce is a bit bigger than yours - about 35' x 40' and I manage to grow a lot in there. I even have a fruit plot that has a blackcurrant, a gooseberry, a tayberry, a blackberry, raspberries, and five blueberries and a cranberry in pots. I also have fruit trees but they're at the far end of the garden.
I do grow lots, but not enough to keep us in vegetables unfortunately. I tend to grow things that are what I would call choice crops, such as asparagus, garlic, early peas, summer onions, strawberries, sprouting broccoli etc. When I had an allotment I used to grow proper heavyweights such as potatoes but now they just take up too much space. Growing early potatoes in bags is a good idea. Also consider such space saving tips such as growing climbing beans with one row at the edge of two adjoining beds and linking them over the path (nice little tunnel for the kids to play in and makes the beans easier to pick too). The you've still got a fair bit of each bed free for growing other things.
I would also consider getting a greenhouse as this will allow you to extend your season considerably, sowing things under cover to get them going then planting out at the earliest opportunity. A greenhouse would mean you can use that area undercover all year round. What Herby says is right, though, you'll need to make sure the soil is enriched twice a year I would say.

Top advice from everyone as usual! Feel a bit more reassured that I will be able to do it, with a bit of careful planning.

Yes, I am getting a greenhouse! V. excited - it's a housewarming pressie from my mum. Good idea about the beans too, Jenny. Might try that.

I wasn't going to do much fruit - maybe some strawbs and I wanted a little self-fertile apple tree, but veggies are my real interest, so that will save a bit of space.

Asparagus is a definite tho. Even if it's a v. small bed, it's something I've always wanted to grow. Encouraging to know you grow that on your plot.

mazmezroz wrote:.....Yes, I am getting a greenhouse! V. excited - it's a housewarming pressie from my mum. ...

Do make sure that the warmth lasts. Get some means of heating it, not advocating 80 degrees all year, just frost-free.

My plots are essentially regular shapes, 10 rods each.

The 12'x8' is at the bottom of the garden waiting for electricity.

So what heater would be good? I hear gas ones tend to cause lots of condensation, but at the moment we don't have electricity where the greenhouse is going to be.

Dear Mazmeroz, it really is worth the expence of having electric put to your greenhouse, as this also allows you to have eletric propagators on the go, so you don't have to heat the greenhouse to such a high temperature.
I have now swapped to electric heaters with fans, it really has helped to keep the condensation down at this time of year, so helping reduce fugal disease.