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Hi I have only had an allotment for around a year and I decided to use weed suppressing membrain on the paths within the fruit area – what a mistake! I bought the best quality I could find at the garden centre and within weeks weeds (especially thistle) were actually coming through it. The rest including cooch grass just went around so it was really hard to get to the roots.
The rest of my plot I left as earth paths and whilst hoeing is hard work when they set in the sun ( I just do it early whilst there is still dew softening the ground) It is infinately better in the long run I think and hence I will be removing the membrain from fruit garden this winter.
Thanks Charles
I have checked the RHS web site and they do say that you need to ‘protect against blight’. So glad I only bought £1 worth, which I will not bother to plant. RHS line is that they dont know enough about blight to understand how long it sticks around so late new potatoes must increase the risk of it remaining in the soil. So lesson learnt about impulse purchaces
Hi Tracy
Firstly Im sure that you are aware parsnip seed dosent last long so I buy a new batch each year to ensure germination.Secondly there is a ‘halfway’ to growing in pots and that is to ‘chit’ them on a damp kitchen towel then when they are showing signs of growth plant out.
Also some fellow allotment holders had a similar problem and took the thinnings from other people. Im a bit sceptical as to this working but they appear to be confident that it has worked before.
I was talking to a fellow allotment holder who likes to read up on different ways of growing crops. he said that the incas apparently grow their potatoes by making a slightly raised bed surrounded by a ‘moat’ of water, this is supposed to keep the potatoes well watered and help to keep pests away. Dont know if it would work in UK climate but may be worth a try for the cost of a few seed potatoes?
I have had a similar problem, early crops were good but later ones have been very poor to the point that I lost one sowing to flea beatle. They also appear to be putting down a really long tap root and some do but some dont swell, so I had put it down to lack of water or maybe intermittent water. Some have also developed thick scaly skin.
I cannot be much help except to say that I have had dreadful problems with flea beatle this year and the only way I reduced damage was to remove covers so the birds could get at them.
A fellow allotment holder did suggest walking down the row flapping about a bit of sticky paper as you tap the plant but we dedided that this was probably as much therapy for the grower as cure for the flea beetle.