I have just taken on an allotment. I've prepared the soil but I've missed the planting times for most vegetables. Is there anything I can put in now that will give me a crop?
It may seem as if you've missed the boat, but there is plenty you can still do in your allotment. What you do now will prepare you for when the growing season begins in earnest next year and you'll get some experience under your belt at the same time.
Even though the seed packets may tell you to sow your seeds in April/May, there are still quite a few crops you can try in the hope that winter frosts will arrive late.
Sugar snap peas will grow well if planted in late August because they will be setting flower as the temperature cools and this is actually what they prefer. For a quick crop that will be available to harvest in 14 days, why not try pea shoots?
You can certainly sow many of the brassicas up until the end of August. Purple-sprouting broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower are all worth a try since they too prefer cool temperatures and their flavour might even improve after a touch of frost. Spring cabbages are sown around now and planted out in September.
Try garlic as well. Plant the bulbs now for harvesting in June the following year. You can do the same with onions if you can guarantee the soil won't become waterlogged. Leeks can be sown indoors and transplanted out to sit in the ground over winter until you are ready to lift them.
Radishes and carrots can also be sown in late summer for successive cropping through to the first frosts.
If you have a sheltered spot on your allotment, use this to sow your green, leafy vegetables. Lettuce, pak choi, swiss chard and kale are all worth a try.
You can get your herb garden started by buying small plants from the garden centre. Thyme, sage, rosemary, marjoram and oregano will have all winter to settle in so that you get a good show the following year. You can sow parsley seeds now as well and leave the plants in over winter, picking them as required.
You can also get your strawberry patch started at this time of year. Beg some runners from the other allotmenteers and plant them as soon as possible. Blackcurrant and redcurrant plants can all be bought as pot grown at the garden centre. Later on in the year, you can order and plant bare-rooted fruit trees and shrubs.
Finally, if you still have some spare ground, you can plant a 'green manure'. This is a fast growing crop that you grow for a couple of months and then dig into the soil to provide nutrients for the following year. Alfalfa, clover, mustard and rye are just some of the crops that are suitable for this purpose.
One of the best things you can do with a new allotment is to talk to your fellow allotmenteers. they are alsways more than happy to share their expertise with beginners and you'll get a wealth of information about what grows best in your area, what pests to look out for and you'll find that they'll want to give you cuttings and spare plants to help you get started.
Don't forget about the soil too. Allotment plots are usually worked so hard that soil improvement is essential every year so get yourself a compost bin or make one so that you have a ready supply of compost to add to the soil and make use of any communal facilities such as large compost heaps and manure piles.
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