成人快手

Can I sow anything on a new allotment in August?

Post categories: question,听soil and compost

Sally Smith | 09:13 UK time, Monday, 16 August 2010

Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about getting started with a new allotment in August. If you have any tips to share about starting a new allotment, let us know in the comment section below.

Dig In grower Mark asks: I have just taken over an allotment. What can I sow now or am I too late?

Answer: From mid-august through to the first frosts there is still plenty you can grow if you have some well cleared ground and soil that is suitable to cultivate to make a good seed bed. You will need to fork soil over well, remove weeds and debris, then hoe and rake until the soil is fine and free of large clods and stones. Rake in some compost or manure if you have any or pelleted chicken manure to provide nutrients for your plants.

Here's the list:!

Overwintering salad greens such as the Chinese leaf varieties, mizuna, mibuna, mustard greens and Lambs lettuce are all easy to grow. Also look for varieties of winter lettuce such as 'Valdor' and 'Winter Density', and try something a bit more novel like land cress, winter purslane and pak choi. Not forgetting perpetual spinach, swiss chard and turnips too that can all be sown now. Autumn onions from sets and garlic cloves can go in from September/October. You won't need to rely on supermarket salads over the winter if you plant this lot!

And don't forget to prepare ground and order soft fruit plants such as currants and raspberries as these are delivered as 'bare root' plants in late winter for planting before spring.

If you have cleared large areas of ground, make sure your efforts aren't wasted by taking on too much all at once. Areas that you are not using yet can be covered with a cardboard/newspaper sheet mulch or can be cultivated and sown with an overwintering green manure crop such as winter grazing rye or phacelia. For more info on these and how to grow them and when to dig them in see the Garden Organic guide to green manures on the .

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The Dig In campaign has finished now. Thanks to everyone who took part in the campaign throughout 2009 and 2010. We hope you enjoyed growing the Dig In seeds, especially those of you who are new to growing vegetables. This site is no longer being updated, but it is still packed full of useful information about growing veg.

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Expert authors

Our video expert is Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins. He's a qualified horticulturalist and award-winning gardener, who's presented shows on everything from allotments to Chelsea - . He loves sharing his experience with growers old and new!

Gareth Austin is resident gardening expert with 成人快手 Radio Foyle and lectures in horticulture in Northern Ireland. Gareth has made it a prority to encourage gardeners throughout Northern Ireland to 'reclaim the space' and start growing vegetables in any area they can find.

Maria del Carmen Casarrubios is a tutor and practical instructor at , Regent's Park. She trained at Capel Manor and Writtle College in Amenity Horticulture and has 20 years' experience of working with plants. Sally Smith

Sally Smith is a freelance gardening researcher and lecturer. She headed the advisory team at Garden Organic for many years. Pest and disease control by organic means is her speciality, Sally says: "Managing your soil is key to solving nearly all gardening problems, look after your compost heap, it's your most important asset." Sally Smith

Brendan Little trained at and . Brendan runs organic gardening courses, works as a garden designer and is in the 成人快手 Radio Ulster Gardeners' Corner team." Sally Smith

Karen Kenny is the Eastern Region Rep for the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners as well as on the management team of Suffolk and Ipswich allotments where she runs a site. Karen is also an accomplished lecturer on most gardening subjects, including allotments.

Peter Horrocks has an allotment in Newcastle. He's the regional rep for the in the North of England & Scotland, the secretary of the Newcastle Allotments Working Group. Plus, Peter is secretary of a ten-acre allotments site in Newcastle, considered by many to be one of the best in the city.

Ben Raskin is an advisor with the , as well as helping to run 22 acres of organic vegetables. With over 16 years of horticultural experience, including running market gardens and working at the Welsh College of Horticulture, he's an expert on organic matters.

Beechgrove Potting Shed is Radio Scotland's top gardening show, giving tips and advice to Scottish gardeners - and the odd Dig In grower - every Sunday.

Zoe tends the Dig In website. When she's not in the office you'll find her gardening on Hampstead Heath and in Regents Park.

Ann "Dig In" Kelly looked after the blog from day to day until May 2010. Bitten by the gardening bug a few years ago, she has progressed from a few growbags to a great big polytunnel. She hates slugs.