Hello, my name is Mark and welcome to my first allotment in Manchester. I am an allotment beginner. Plot and journey started in May 2022. Come join me on this journey as we learn from my successes and mistakes. Subscribe for the good, bad and the ugly. I try to post videos weekly - normally on a Sunday or Monday.
Hello Mark, Hope your back is ok.. Keep them shelves you could put them in your shed, you could pull your things on them plus when you bring you seedlings down next year you will have somewhere to put them. The tarpaulin under your trug, get some scissors and just cut it where the legs are then you can just pull in from underneath.😊
I have one set of shelves already in the shed, but could find space for more. Good idea about the tarpaulin under the trug 👍 Back is better, I get back pain now and then (work hazard) and I think the bending and stuff at the allotment doesn’t help.
@@GrowingWithPlot21 either 👍 I use my old,half shelve to stack pots on outside, but you can use to hold up netting or just the mesh for a trellis or cover to stop digging. Things are always good for 10 uses you just have to use your imagination
Oh yikes Mark hope your back is ok. It’s pouring here but no high wind yet but likely later tonight. I have to say it’s been a really tough year but you haven’t given up you just keep trucking. Have a super weekend take it easy, Ali ☔️☔️🇨🇦
My tomatoes are the same 😂 just thinking about ripening. I have some corguetts but my other patty pans are doing funky things. Oh lord bring on spring 2025 😅😅. I’ve like you had some harvests but no where near last years. Chin up Mark we do what we can is all, Ali ☔️🌞🇨🇦
Hi advice from an old boy I just screwed the gutter to the shed temporarily until I could sort it properly and a screw in the downpipe as always happy gardening Richardx
Have a great holiday Mark and I bet you see a big difference when you get back. You definitely need to make a little wildlife pond they’re amazing with all the wildlife they bring to the plot. I have two families of toads in mine now. Only trouble is my daughter is terrified of them so I have to pretend they’ve left!!!!! 🐸
Hope you have a lovely holiday away. Guttering will work great and any time you can divert water from the base is good. Go Max go 👍👍. Can’t wait to see how things go when you get back. Hope the sun shines for you, Ali 🌞🇨🇦
Some very cool seeds there Mark hope they all do well. I’m doing a very small amount as I’m changing up things. I’ve grown the scarvita before they are very nice steamed. Happy sowing, Ali 🥵🌞🇨🇦
@@GrowingWithPlot21 I am finding not a lessening of pleasure in my garden as much as I feel bad for the plants because I can’t keep up. Watering almost daily twice in some areas it’s just crazy. So I say it every year but I really need to grow less plants and really enjoy a few, squash beans and tomatoes in moderation is the key I think. Well best laid plans 🫣🤣🤣🤣
Chin up is all we can do really Mark, weather is out of our control so we just have to work with it and around it. You are doing a bang up job where a lot of people would give up and walk away. Even with all our hot weather we are not getting the harvests we did last year. But I’m resigned to the fact that any harvest is a good harvest. Keep at it have a max week 🤭🤭, Ali 🌞30c today 🥵🇨🇦
So glad you’re getting your mojo back Mark. I found if I ignored what wasn’t growing due to slugs rabbits and moles I could crack on and tidy my plot. I’ve now put a lovely little fence around the area where my granddaughters will have beds and I’ve also tidied my compost Bay Area. So happy with it now.
I have grown a lot of flowers this year and peas don’t worry it’s been a bad year for everyone . Our rainy city of Manchester doesn’t help but I think we have had our plots a similar amount of time . Keep at it
Oh lord photo bombed by a slug 😂. Still lots of growing in the corn 🌽 I didn’t bother this year it attracted too many squirrels 🐿️. Hrs start or not Mark your doing well. My squash and corguette are not getting pollinated because it’s so hot the flowers aren’t opening 🤦♀️. Oh well we soldier on don’t we. Have a fab week 🤞🤞 come on super Max, Ali 🌞🇨🇦
Hopefully the corn will do well. Definitely no squash or courgettes here this year. Max watch, let’s see how he goes. Forecast is hot weather for next few days.
Its been a tough year all around for allotteers so far and yet it has been the same story since the Dawn of Humankind. Will the rentless challanges posed to us by nature grind down the human spirit and our desire to grow, shape and develope the world around us? So far it hasn't and it wont happen here either. Keep going Mark, never surrender! You can always retreat to your excellent new shed/man cave for a brew now in the event of an emergency. 😁👍
Hey Mark, I had an allotment for 5 years with just the same issues as yours, my hip started playing up so I gave the allotment back. In my garden I set myself up a mini allotment in an area 10ft by 8ft, brought a couple of Raised Planters and use sacks and containers and I have had far more success then I ever did in the 5years on the allotment. Another thing that made me give it up was the fact I went to water one evening and I could not put one foot between the slugs and snails. Believe me I am far happier now than trying to manage a large allotment. Good luck for the future.
The weeds aren't growing through the membrane they're growing in the bark chippings that are on top of it, that's why I took mine up and use slabs. Shed looks good.
This is my 4th summer on my plot, the only thing thats growing well are my leaks, nothing else is worth bothering with. Im going to plant fruit bushes and only do fruit from next year
I must have had 36 runner/climbing bean plants. About four have survived slugs. Not many beans though. Courgettes that survived are pitifully slow. My apple crop worst in 20 years, no apples at all really after a severe hailstorm fetched them all off. I couId go on. This looks like it will be a regular thing.
It’s the nature tax. This is why we plant so much more than we need because mr slug needs some, lady hail had her fun, ms bird needs a nibble. Just the way it is. I pay my nature tax happily these days. I had a friend straight up quit gardening because his corrots were eaten. Done finished. I told him the badgers love carrots at the plot. Badger tax is high!
I used a old pallet for my tools and hung it on the wall. Keep your chin up mate we all have seasons like this I know I have. Get your self in the shed have a brew take it one step at time stay strong 💪
OMG Mark you should be so proud of that garlic it’s amazing. The shed is coming together nicely too. What a difference a coat of paint makes. I’m giving mine a second coat this week and finishing the floor too. I’ve spent that much time concentrating on getting the plot tidy and ready for next year I’ve not paid any attention to what’s growing and lo and behold I’ve harvested peas, peppers, courgettes and cucumbers galore. It’s just the boost I needed. I’ve even started putting out manky leaves from courgettes and half chewed courgettes for the slugs and they’re leaving my other stuff alone!!!!
Hello Mark, I know how you are feeling, every day is a hope and prey when you go to your plot. If you are going to concentrate on doing other things, why don’t you make some compost bays with the pallets you have got you have already got one going, add 2-4 more pallets on the side of the one you have already got, just use string, or wire cable ties to tie them together no digging required. Then all the things you cut from the next door neighbours plot you can that in it, take the black compost bin out of the one you have made, just throw everything in it, it will compost down. I have got some compost bays made out of pallets and 1-2 years down the line I have got great compost…( sorry for the long message).😊
I was planning on sorting out the compost bays, it’s just a big job and finding the time. I guess I can concentrate on little things and get the plot looking better, even if the season doesn’t pan out how we like.
😢 oh Mark I’m so sorry you are in the pain of crazy weather and pests. So many people your right are having the same situation it’s just total destruction of anything they plant. I have less pests such as slugs this year after they decimated my tomatoes early on. What is happening now is the squash flowers aren’t opening and there are so so so few bees 🐝 nothing is getting pollinated. But you can only try and mother nature does the rest. I hope yiu do t give up I like watching your development and perhaps concentrate on one small space and then give it another go next season. Are you still getting a poly tunnel to play in too? Chin up Mark there is always hope, Ali 🇨🇦
It has been a hard season hasn’t it Ali? Crazy things happening. I’m going to concentrate on other areas of the plot for now and get ready for next season. If things grow this season - great, if not there’s always next year. Let’s see what the weather brings.
I am sorry to hear this. Maybe not give it up completely but step back for a while. It is always good to do what you are doing, look at the problem in small pieces and tackle it. My friends calls it, "Don't look at the whole elephant."
Glad you felt a bit better at the end of video . Remember how exciting it was to get an allotment even though it was worse than now. you were very happy . Just remember to keep positive and forget all the bad things that go wrong and concentrate on all the positive things you have and do achieve on the allotment. Keep your chin up pal
I've not finished watching yet but I feel the same. Even my onions have been slugged!! I'm taking a step back from my plot and just trying to keep the weeds at bay (bindweed). Probably going to try sowing some overwintering green manure. It's been a dreadful year for growing😂
It really has hasn’t it? I need to sort weeds and bindweed as well. My potatoes were slugged big time and I’ve never known that to happen! We had rain all day yesterday again and now the forecast is highs of 20C again. So maybe there’s hope?
Hey new to your channel we have just took over an allotment over 3 weeks ago it was a blank canvas apart from the jungle of weeds but were making good progress looking forward to learn some tips :) we have also started vlogging it on our channel so we can look back next year to see how far we have come
Hey Mark, lots of flowers on the tomatoes 🍅 mine have more leaves than flowers 😂 but they are outside in the insane heat. Too much heat caused flower drop so,they get flowers but then they simply fall off 😢😢. Yes looks like melon flowers they grow like a cucumber would look. Making the shed look real cozy. It’s too hot here and not hot enough there we need to trade for a week. All we can do is try though Mark so chin up keep at it, Ali 🥵🌞🇨🇦
Yes, let’s trade some weather. I really think this season is going to be the worst. But I’m trying to stay positive. This may be the first year of no pumpkins - which I’ll be disappointed about, as I’ve always had such good luck with them. Let’s see…
I think it’s the same for all of us in the UK this year, weather has been too wet and cold to grow much at all. I’ve spent a lot of time in the shed tidying up and putting things in their correct space which has been really therapeutic. I feel WHEN/IF we get some good weather I’m ready to go.
I’m thinking I might do that. Need to sort out my shed and give the inside a paint - so might be worth doing that and trying to weed the rest of the plot and forget about growing for the time being :)
@@GrowingWithPlot21 Honestly Mark I was ready for calling it day as everything is ravaged by slugs or rabbits so I thought I’d concentrate more on making it look tidy and I’ve got to say I’ve got my mojo back this weekend. The inside of the shed is painted, rug on the floor, hooks for tools put up and I even got some cheap little baskets for putting my nails/screws in and separate one for my hosepipe bits and bobs. I even labelled my plant food/slug pellets etc so I know which is for home and which is for the Plot and they shall remain there! I did however harvest 6 Padron peppers, 2 little courgettes 5 dwarf french beans and 2 mini munch cucumbers today so I’m taking that as win!
That’s so good. Do you have a picture of the shed? Love to see to get ideas for mine. I think I’m going to concentrate on shed for next video, at least then I’ll have a useable space for when things start moving along.
@@GrowingWithPlot21 I’ll take one tomorrow when I’m there trying to put up a rabbit proof fence. I’ve only used old leftover paint that we had but it keeps it looking clean and I can see any spiders as it’s white ish!!
😂😂 I said that at the same time, ooh big packet. Careful flea beetle loves pak choi I grow in hanging baskets. Those carrots are delicious 😋 we harvested ours the other day. Tell Nick to create binder to sell 😂 those pages are awesome and I told him in his instagram page. Happy sowing, Ali 🌞🥵🇨🇦
I saw your carrot harvest 🥕 A binder for the cards would be so good 😊 More rain again here for the last few days. Hoping it dries up in a day or two when I have time to get to plot and plant more stuff out
Awesome harvest Mark I need to check on my broad beans and see if any can be harvested. Fresh fruit is so good 😊 I just had a strawberry 🍓 and a few blueberries 🫐. Onions are doing well too 🤭🤭 so are the garlic. Doing a great job Mark keep at it, Ali 🌞🥵🫠🇨🇦
Thanks Ali. Definitely a good harvest considering the season we’ve had. More wind and rain this weekend and more forecasted to come. Summer definitely hasn’t started in the UK yet.
I was the same as you Mark re knowing if the garlic had white rot and I asked Terry King who has a RU-vid channel and he said there’ll be hardly any roots and the bottom of the bulb will be soft and white fungus will be seen. Hope that helps you.
Hi. It’s 15m x 7m which is 105 square meters. If you check out my Planning The Plot video here: Allotment Life | Planning The Plot ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jJ4tYk4hOsI.html it goes into some detail about the measurements and what I wanted to do with the plot.
How exciting to get stuck in. Thanks for watching. I recommend my Tackling The Plot and Transforming The Plot series for ideas, but hopefully all videos will give you ideas of what to do. My plot was completely overgrown and un-useable when I took it over and it’s been a long hard road, but it’s nearly how I want it to be. Don’t give up, it’s hard work, but so worth it.
🎉🎉 beans yeahhhh, I’m putting some direct in my squash pots for a later harvest. I’m going to sow some lettuce and spring onions again hopefully in a day or so. My winter squash was iffy too 😢. Hope everything goes well with potting on 🤞🤞. Have an awesome week Mark, ☔️🌞🇨🇦
Something like ground eggshells, coffee grounds seem to work enough to keep the slugs at bay. They really like to hide under pots, wood planks and plastic sheeting. On a hot day pull that sheeting away, let the soil dry out a bit.
Sorry I’m late 😂 it’s busy busy time. But everything looks amazing, I’ll let you know if and when my broad beans actually have beans 😅😅. My squash were eaten but I had spares. Fab update Mark, Hope the sunshine stuck around, Ali 🌞🇨🇦
Sunshine is still here. Now I have to remember to keep up with the watering. I’m gonna be moving some of the extra tomatoes to the plot and see how well they do.
It’s looking good Mark. Your sweetcorn looks particularly good. Not sure how accurate this is but I’ve heard/seen on other RU-vid videos that B-road beans are ready to harvest when they start pointing down. I’ve never grown them so can’t say for definite.
First time growing here too. I’m hoping to get up to plot tomorrow, so I’ll check them out. However, I’m away for a few days, so I don’t want to harvest and then not use them.
Make sure you don't wash the spuds until you're going to cook them. Nice harvest. You could plant something else in one bag of you add some nutrients to the soil. I have to use only containers, so I do reuse as much as possible.
Another plot holder got some manure that has a herbicide in it. Anyone who offers the plots manure MUST be asked if they use chemicals on their pasture or where the animals were. Unfortunately the herbicide commonly used to control weeds is very harmful to the vegetable plants, and it stays for up to 3 years! This year has been very poor for most gardeners. It's been soggy, cool, cold then warm for a few days. Warm weather crops are struggling. Wishing the people who are plot holders some decent weather.
