Forum home Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

First Year on the Allotment

2

Posts

  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    You can eat the nuts of White and Black Walnut's, however unless you net the tree (very impractical, as they are big trees), then you won't get a single nut. The Squirrels get them all, and they do so in a very short space of time. Ours mostly go within a one week period.

    I would never plant a Walnut again. They are too big for most gardens, not particularly attractive, no Autumn colour, and you don't get any nuts. 
  • Four hours up there today getting the top 10m temporarily covered and laying weed fabric as paths.

    Thinking now I might cover them with something, perhaps bark? Any thoughts?
  • war  garden 572war garden 572 Posts: 664
    edited 11 February
    which direction is north in diagram. also you might want
     change the location of which vegetables go where.
    which spacing methods will you be using. 
  • South looking up the hill, the sun travels quite nicely left to right when you're stood at the bottom (where the photo is taken).

    Yes open to suggestions re crop location and companion planting! Will space as per seed pack instructions..
  • when are your frost dates. 
  • @war garden 572 I'm in Zone, 11, so I believe 21-30 April..
  • WhiterotWhiterot Posts: 51
    Is it possible / practical to use the grass paths either side of the area that you have cleared to use as paths? With putting a central path down the middle of the plot you have cut your growing area down somewhat. Each to it's own but I have a  350sq yd plot with a path either side of my wife's strawberry bed planks each side of both paths with supermarket banners down the middle. I just dare not walk on them particularly when they are wet as I am not too steady on my feet. The remainder of the plot is maximised as a growing area.
  • Hi @Whiterot. Yes, we do use those, they are shared with our neighbours (we have come off worst it would seem ,as they have both adopted up to the edge of their plots, meaning the communal paths have to be on ours!).

    I was advised to cut the plot down into more manageable sized beds, so went for 2m x 1.25m sections, giving a 50cm walkway up the middle, plus 50cm across.. Do you think those bed sizes are ok, given it's my first year? We've decided not to use slabs or make it too permanent, just in case we realise it doesn't work!
  • WhiterotWhiterot Posts: 51
    Like I said it is each to their own. Whatever you do is ok you will fine tune it next year. We maximise every inch it is easier taking space up with crops otherwise the area will weed up and I am not as nimble as I used to be. I am trying a new method to combat the weeds but that's another story and I am not putting it on here. We grow too much but friends, neighbours, relatives, doctors etc all welcome what I give them
  • I think we may well end up lifting the long walk way up the middle, it'll likely end up twisted and tangled and covered in soil anyway! Perhaps I could cover it in hay and make a strawberry path..!
Sign In or Register to comment.