FINALLY Things Are Actually Growing At The Allotment! | Gardening For Beginners

What's going on at the allotment this week? let's have a look!
It's been a terrible growing season so far with poor weather, pest attacks, herbicide damage from manure, and then some! The tomatoes, beans, broccoli, and onions weren't looking great last week.
Are things slowly starting to improve? hopefully, but I don't want to speak too soon! We are now in July, can you believe it?!
We've not harvested much from the allotment garden so far but this week I've managed to fill a harvest basket!
There's so much going on at the allotment vegetable plot right now, and I cannot wait to show you all in this update!
How is your vegetable garden looking in July?
I hope this video helps you guys out in some way.
If it did, press the like button and show your support. It means a lot. If you haven't already subscribed, and want to learn and grow with me, then you may want to consider subscribing to my channel and clicking the 'bell' icon too, and you'll never miss any new videos!
Cheers!
Jim 🧑🏻‍🌾
✉️ Contact for questions or colabs: [e-mail]
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[@don5125]

Sorry to say it but seeing your struggles is an encouragement knowing I’m not the only one 🥴 Thanks bruv👍

[@downtoearthwithjim]

We all seem to be in the same boat this year! And we can only hope next year will be better 🙏🏻 or maybe it won't but we persevere 😂

[@helenstewart2085]

Horse manure and bark need to be well rotted, the words well rotten are mistaken to mean a few months, when it should be two to three years. I love horse manure but mine is added to the slow, cold compost heap, second year grows pumpkins, third year used tiger worms are added and when they leave the compost is ready.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

When I first took my plot on i saw a lot of people adding horse manure on their beds in the autumn for the following growing season. I jumped right into doing that, doesn't seem to be a very good idea now though so I either won't be using it or I'll be composting it for 3 years first

[@nataliekavanagh5573]

I'm new to growing and I was worried I'm doing things all wrong as everything seems so slow, or fading off. It's really encouraging to see someone with experience having similar issues. Our weather in Ireland has been brutal, lots of rain and cold. I feel like sun scorch is setting in when we do get warm weather as the plants are as shocked as I am that its been nice. Been doing what I can, hoping next year will be better.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Terrible year for most this year! Hang on in there!

[@JamesWillison-hv6jy]

Hey Jim in scotland our slugs r trained by the SAS so good luck son.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Hahaha 😂 they are adapting and evolving

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ I really feel for you!!

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thanks Nik. I think we are all in the same boat this year, one of the worst years for many. Definitely the worst year in the 5 years I've had my plot

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

As a farmer’s wife, I have unlimited access to horse manure and cow manure. I prefer to use cow manure on my beds, due to how cattle ferment their food in the guts. Less weed seeds. That said, a lot of manure piles on horse yards are covered in weeds because the seeds blow in from unkept areas of their stable yard… not always in the manure itself. My horses chew the paddock to their roots, no chance for anything to go to slower and seeds pass through their guts. Greedy horses 😂 Cow don’t have upper teeth, so they rip longer grass, generally gone to seeds etc. I know there’s no weed killer in my ground as we don’t use it on the farm, yet I also have poor yellow growth. I honestly think it’s more weather related. It’s too cold and wet for the roots to be able to take up the nutrients in the soil.. the reason why fields of grass are naturally yellower in winter than summer. As a horse owner, I don’t spray my horse fields. Horses need poor grazing anyway…so weeds aren’t an issue (except for ragwort obviously which is manually pulled for their safety). Have I missed whether you’ve said you’ve had the soil itself tested?

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thanks for all the useful info! I've not actually had the manure tested. It's just perfect textbook example of aminopyralid, I can't think of anything else it would be

[@Stephen474]

Hi James, take the flowers off the potatoes, get all energy going into tubers and not producing flowers, at last things are starting to grow, my parsnips and carrots haven't germinated this year, all new seed as well, my brassicas picking up now also, your peas look good, fingers crossed everything does start to pick up, its been strange weather for us gardeners the start of the season. 🤞have a good week,Steve

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Knowing our luck we will have a heatwave in September like last year! 😂 Then the blight will come. I'm going to do that thanks Stephen. Might let some set fruit as I'm wanting to venture into planting the seeds and see what I end up with. Just managed to top most of them up last week with more compost although it's very late but I've been so busy and the plot is wild. I feel a bit better knowing many haven't had any carrots germinate. The slugs have just thinned all mine out 😂 have a good weekend whatever you're doing

[@michaelajohnston1009]

I love the little harvest ❤

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thank you! 😊 ❤️

[@Kalarandir]

Hi Jim, with regards to your peppers it is worth opening up one of the attacked fruits. I have found slugs sleeping inside the fruit after munching its way through.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thanks for the tip, I'll be evicting any slugs I find!

[@philandrews9216]

Hi again Jim,I wonder if you are starting your beetroot a bit too early, this can cause them to bolt because they think they are in their second season. Horse manure is becoming a national problem, you have my sympathy, very frustrating. The beans etc that are affected are worth trying to save, just sow more. At least you have the right attitude about the pest and problems, just forget the failures and replant. If it's any comfort you are having the same problems as we all are.I always enjoy your videos and it's good to see a younger man who is trying hard and learning as each season comes and goes. Keep it up, all the best, Phil.

[@philandrews9216]

That was ( not worth saving) Amino paralid damaged.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Possibly! I did start them quite early, around February I think

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Finally the beans are bouncing back after sowing more

[@patrickkirwan3353]

Put some dwarf beans in with the courgettes. It will add nitrogen naturally.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I'm planning on sowing more dwarf beans this month so will probably do that, thanks 😊

[@despoticmusic]

The slugs have decimated my dwarf fine beans!

[@patrickkirwan3353]

@@despoticmusic I'm out every night clearing the slugs from the garden to the compost heap😔 But I've discovered that melon rind is like a drug to them. If you place the rind strategically they'll leave your veg alone (there are renegades though😂). They hammered the potato plants early on but they've recovered. Hope this helps you man👍

[@MelodyBee-yl7we]

Well done Jim!! Raspberries and strawberries look amazing! My fruit this year has been 2 strawberries! Gooseberries demolished by birds, Rhubarb died from being too wet, Blueberries the few that have grown have been taken by birds again I suspect. Blackcurrants non existent and Raspberries the same! :(

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Oh no! I'm so sorry about that 😢 did you cover them with netting? The birds are savages on my plot so I need to net most things but raspberries don't get cleaned out by them as much for some reason

[@MelodyBee-yl7we]

@@downtoearthwithjim Stupidly i didn't but it won't happen again next year that is for sure! :)

[@downtoearthwithjim]

@@MelodyBee-yl7we I make mistakes every year, that's all part of gardening 😊

[@Feelgoodgardens]

Hi Jim Just found your channel thanks to KZbin showing it to me..... I enjoyed this episode and can certainly relate to the slug damage on an allotment. I've subscribed! Lovely introduction too 👍😄

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Hey! Glad you enjoyed! The slugs are getting worse and worse! But it has been so wet. Thanks for the sub 😊 and happy growing!

[@juliagad]

Glad things are growing for you at last! Im sorry to say (and i think someone said it above) but im glad im not the only one, its really helpful you vlog the failures as well as the success, so thank you for that 😊 I'm in North Manchester and the weather is absolutely shite. Only had 2 days of sun, then just rain and cold. No wonder its a slug rave in my garden 🙄

[@downtoearthwithjim]

It's relentless isn't it, seems to be no end to the deluge apart from the odd couple of days of sun. Been this way for the last 2-3 years I've noticed. The overhanging trees next to my plot are leaning further and further over and my plot only gets the sun till 1pm latest now. This is slowing things down and making things better for slugs!

[@strifamne1749]

Hi, new subscriber 🙂 Not sure on the exact height but if you can get your carrots raised 2 preferably 3 feet off the ground, carrot root fly won't be able to fly up that high. Apparently they're low-flying...erm...flies. I grow mine in containers perched on a wall and on shelf higher up. Never had issues with carrot root fly. Ofc, having various other issues this year but who isn't ?! Thanks for your vids. 👍

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Hi there! And cheers! 🙂 I'm thinking of growing more carrots in those 30 litre buckets next time. They've been fine in that one bucket on the bench in the greenhouse. It's a shame though as I have 2 nice raised beds for them but there's just so many issues. You'd think carrot root fly would be more determined and fly a little higher to reach the carrots given their name 😂

[@strifamne1749]

@@downtoearthwithjim i think 'carrot root jump' would be a better name 😄

[@bewoodford2807]

You could make a nettle tea to restore nitrogen to your soil if you feel it's deficient. I use a mix of horse manure and mushroom compost and have been delighted with my crops. I have had huge cabbages and calabrese heads. The purple sprouting cropped fpr age and I had a heavy harvest from them. Just cropped my overwintering onions, (toughball) and they were huge. Lettuces havea been glorious. My failure was carrots too. Just couldn't get much germination, even with new seed. Going tot have one more try this month, with Nantes, and Autumn KIng3 and Eskimo. I underestimated the height of my pea supports and my peas have gone a bit wild too. I have had a reasonable harvest from them- they would have done better if I'd got the supports correct. A few of my Golden beetroot have bolted but the bolthardy seems to be holding up. I have so many beds to clear/sprt out. Not weedy just the crops themselves are overgrown, not harvested or bolted. I have been picking sweet peas for 3 weeks now. I am so pleased with them. I picked 200 blooms last night. Picking every week to keep the flowers coming. The stems seem exceptionally long this year- due to the very wet spring? My rhubarb started well early in the season but it is absolutely abysmal now. I have cut all the leaves and hoping it re-sprouts healthily. I only have a few parsnip plants as again, like the carrots, terrible germination. By the way the heavy rain over winter/spring will have depleted the soil of nutrients so it will need plenty of help to produce good healthy plants. Have you bought a soil test kit to see how healthy your soil is and what deficiencies it might have? I had birds flying into my greenhouse pecking my peppers last year. This year I have put a mesh over my open door and so far, touch wood, the peppers seem to be doing ok. Glad your tomatoes in your small greenhouse are doing well. Happy gardening 🙂

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Hi! 😊 I've got plenty of nettles on the rough side of my plot so that's a possibility! Or comfrey feed as there's lots of that. Rather than horse manure I'd like to be making my own compost in bulk using pallet bays. Work in progress of course. That'll add plenty of nutrients and then I'll be using chicken pellets. Yes it's been an incredibly wet winter, spring, and it's even wet still! I'm gutted about my sweet peas this year they've done terrible, usually they are amazing. Might be getting a bit late with rhubarb as I think it's better in spring, starts getting tough/stringy later on. Happy growing to you!

[@lindahedley9049]

I’ve got not once used horse manure, never again, the weeds were horrendous, I weeded every other day for well over a year.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Weeds are terrible for me every year, the worst ones are the tiny ones that require tedious picking out one by one! All in the beds with manure in. Another reason why I'm not using horse manure again

[@StellasVegetablegardens]

the onions are looking good i think the weather has affected a lot of seedlings

[@downtoearthwithjim]

It's a mixture of weather, herbicide, wood shavings in the manure, then the trees next to my plot are leaning over and providing a lot of shade this year. Hopefully they're going to get sorted

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hiya Jim. I’m glad things are picking up for you. Your third lot of onions are looking the best, as you say, but hopefully the others will get there in the end. No idea about your pepper plants I’m afraid. I’d Google that one to death as it is such a shame that your peppers are being damaged. Are there any critters inside them to give you a clue? I have my first tomatoes and peppers forming but it is slow going. Not getting above 16c for the foreseeable either. Hey ho! Have a great week. Mags

[@downtoearthwithjim]

It's a bit of a mystery to be honest! My first thought was slugs, Google is saying armyworms or fruit worms.. I've not seen anything on them except for slugs. Had the same happen last year but saw no caterpillar looking bugs on there whatsoever. I'm stubborn so I'll still find a way to eat the holey ones 😂 It's honestly THE worst year on the plot by far. The plot doesn't even look green and lush. It's usually at its best in July! I hope you have a fantastic week despite the weather 🧑🏻‍🌾

[@yevpt]

Hey James! When to you get an open day for a tour to your allotment?

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Haha! I can't publicly disclose the location of our allotment site on here

[@yevpt]

@@downtoearthwithjim better not to, I agree . You are welcome to visit my Chorley one any time.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

@@yevpt we are very close by then! We could definitely arrange something. I just don't want to broadcast my location to 1000's of people 😂

[@yevpt]

@@downtoearthwithjim I’ll message you 👍🏻

[@crocketp]

It seems that of the UK gardening channels I watch they all seem to be having issues with horse manure this year. Just an observation

[@ninemoonplanet]

The herbicide mentioned here is, unfortunately, in common use. It kills plants in pastures, seriously devastates food production. The other is dewormer, it kills earthworms. Educating each other will change how chemicals are used and how food production, especially plots and home gardens, are grown. I refuse to use chemicals, especially after the corporations said "these are safe" and aren't.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I've noticed this also. And with many others across different platforms

[@layfamilyyarn]

Hi Jim, as a first year allotment holder and veg grower I am learning so much for you, thank you for sharing the challenges as well as your success. Is it ok to use straw or does that affect the soil like wood shavings?

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thank you for watching! I'm glad I can help in some way. I'm being as transparent and honest as I can. This growing season is a challenge and the worst I've had in 5 years on the plot. I've found the straw breaks down much quicker than wood shavings and I only use that as a mulch on the top later so it isn't going to steal nitrogen from where the plants roots are at. These shavings were hidden in the manure last autumn and has been mixed in. So a different story there.. and a real pain in the rear! Happy growing to you 💚

[@laurathomason8693]

Hi Jim... been following you for a few months now and I enjoy your channel.. your harvest was very nice. Most of my onions which are from sets have bolted which was disappointing but I have a few questions that I'd like to ask if I may? 1. What variety are your strawberries? 2. Are you able to tell whether the horse/cow muck is good or bad before placing it on your beds? 3. Also I have had something attack my beetroot which makes the leaves die is this a disease or a pest? Another great update thank you

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Thanks Laura ☺️ I'm glad you can find some value in my content. I honestly have no idea what variety my strawberries are. When I took the plot on in 2019 there were a few dozen plants already in a bed. Very nice strawberries by the way, possibly Cambridge favorite? A June bearing variety. I've multiplied them every year and had excellent crops. But this year, just steady pickings and I've lost most in the strawberry cage, I think because of wet soil. I'm assuming by bad you mean full of herbicide? You can plant a broad leaved plant such as bean, tomato, or squash in a pile of manure and if it shows the signs then it is contaminated. Curling, mutated, distorted leaves. Beetroot likes a well draining soil, is your soil heavy clay or loose? I grow mine in raised beds. I've found that they don't like being in the open ground if the soil is heavy or holds too much water/water logs easily. Sounds more like it's caused by conditions rather than a disease or a pest. Hope this helped in some way!

[@laurathomason8693]

@@downtoearthwithjim hi thank you for your reply I will certainly invest in some Cambridge variety strawberries as your look delicious. The beetroot are in a raised bed like yours and I top up the compost every autumn. But the ones in the vertical system seem to be fine so I think you maybe right. Thanks again and looking forward to your next video

[@cms9902]

16c midday July 02/2024 in the South East, and to remain that way for days.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Those are April/May temperatures! It's the same here in NW for the next week

[@durbatov]

Could be the unseasonal cold weather causing the yellowing i dont have a explanation for the onions tho

[@downtoearthwithjim]

Lack of nitrogen from the wood shavings in the manure, absolute pain...

[@ninemoonplanet]

There's another catch that goes with animals and animal manures, it's dewormer. That kills off earthworms. 😳 If the one supplier maintains their horses without the dewormer, it's should be good. It's so common for people to forget that chemicals don't just affect the animals but the further uses can be devastating. Allotment councils really need to get good solid information both on who's using chemicals and what the effects are for food production. Backyard gardeners should always be wary of chemical use, especially fungicide, herbicides, and especially insecticide. WE want high nutrition, high quality food when we work so hard to grow it. Hang in there, the more people know, the better food we can eat.

[@ninemoonplanet]

The moved runner beans look much healthier. If you can, put manure in the autumn in a compost hopefully you have tiger worms and they should make a decent compost during winter.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

That just adds insult to injury doesn't it. The councils aren't interested. They won't even take care of dangerous overhanging trees which are on their land but hanging over onto the allotments. One huge willow tree came down the other week and there are 2-3 leaning over to my plot! But yes, someone needs to do something about these chemicals for sure

[@lindahedley9049]

I hear what your saying there. I’ve had my allotment for 9 years and in all that time didn’t see 1 worm, however I have seen 2 this year. I was so exited on finding them. Looks like the soil is finally rid of the deworming stuff used in the horse manure, you cannot believe how long the chemicals stay in the soil.

[@jimstormcrow]

Did you dig the shavings into the soil or is it just a mulch?

[@downtoearthwithjim]

It was lightly dug in, before I even realized it was riddled with shavings. As I said, it just looked like dark muck when I applied it last autumn. Absolute pain, should turn to compost by next year 😂

[@jimstormcrow]

@@downtoearthwithjim yeah. I mulch with wood shavings but I never dig them in at all. I reckon it was definitely the horse poo though. I put that on my cold compost heap, to make sure that it's well rotted before I dig it in.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

@@jimstormcrow I've heard other plot holders having little to no growth on plants they put manure on. If I ever use it again it will be well composted in the pallet bay system I'll be setting up.

[@TheFarmyardGarden]

@@downtoearthwithjimalso don’t forget that it’s been so wet for us that muck didn’t break down over winter like it usually would. I think it’s far more “fresh” than it should be due to this for this year. We can definitely see the difference in our own muck heaps on the farm

[@ChrisGardenAllotmentJour-pr3en]

sweetcorn needs wind to pollinate & produce fruit, how do you do that in a polytunnel ?

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I'll be giving the 'tassles' a shake to let the pollen drop onto the ears of corn. I did this a few years ago in the greenhouse and had some good cobs!

[@ChrisGardenAllotmentJour-pr3en]

@@downtoearthwithjim That sounds good to me

[@downtoearthwithjim]

@@ChrisGardenAllotmentJour-pr3en that's providing they actually grow 😂 they are still tiny

[@valeriepillon6960]

I’d take the old manure/shavings off the beds

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I've thought about doing that to be honest, trouble is it's partly dug in

[@traceypotts9425]

Why are you feeding the wild life and not yourself omg it doesn't seem to suit you this game I would be so pissed waist of time

[@downtoearthwithjim]

This is a vlog documenting the real stuff - highs and lows of gardening and how challenging it can be. Not just for me but everyone. Nobody has a perfect allotment or garden and we all have failures, some years worse than others. None of it is a waste** of time, they are lessons and I may not be the best gardener in the world but I am passionate about what I do, have been since I was a child. Noody has to be a professional at their hobby and something they enjoy. I always look at the positive side of everything, not just in gardening but in life in general. So your negative comment is unwelcome here and is not my channel's vibe.

[@JamesWillison-hv6jy]

Good luk son Al give u one thing ur honest.

[@downtoearthwithjim]

I just want to show how it really is. Social media, especially Instagram makes it all look perfect when it isn't always like that