New allotment| Late January low maintenance allotment update| Allotment preparation

[@homegardens7682]

Hello peeps. This is how the allotment was shortly after I took it on. My New Allotment! Essex UK. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2rVapSeatZ2qq8

[@samlloyd7223]

It's looking fantastic already, the patch at the end of the video would make a fantastic area for a fruit cage, raspberries black/red/white currants and then you could mulch underneath them with woodchip to help with maintenance.

[@homegardens7682]

A great idea there.

[@simplifygardening]

Great video Dan. that allotment will produce well and relatively maintenance free

[@homegardens7682]

That's the plan Tony. I'm looking forward to the crops!

[@ExploringNatureTogether]

I'm late (sorry, so behind on YT!!)! Your vineyard is going to be so beautiful!! So exciting!! I like the Rhea, personally!! Lovely colour!! I like the idea of the squash in that bed with peas trellised beside it! Both will be low maintenance!! I think it's great that you'll have bays for compost!! A treasure for the allotment!! No dig is always the best method, if you can get it started for sure! Very nice to see you, my friend!!!💚

[@homegardens7682]

Cheers Chris. Hopefully plenty of compost here.

[@ExploringNatureTogether]

I'm sure you'll have full bays of it in no time Dan!! Have a fantastic week my friend!! 💚@@homegardens7682

[@homegardens7682]

@@ExploringNatureTogether That's the plan Chris!

[@ExploringNatureTogether]

💚@@homegardens7682

[@krisztiannemeth3301]

Maybe in some of the areas where you haven't put woodchip on the path, you could remove the fertile topsoil and plant low growing wildflowers suited to a lawn. Also a small pond would be nice too :)

[@homegardens7682]

Great ideas. Cheers.

[@bobmarley965]

Beloved, i live in Essex as well. Where are you guys?. I am planting stuff in my back garden and i am glad to see the stuff you are planting because it shows whats possible. Thanks for sharing.

[@homegardens7682]

My pleasure. We can get some of the warmest UK weather so gardening in Essex can be fantastic. Nice to make your acquaintance,

[@nicolacorrigan2302]

Great video. Looking forward to your tips on how you are making it low maintenance/ using permaculture principles.

[@homegardens7682]

Plenty to do and plenty to show.

[@meehan302]

Great you have found a good allotment Dan.No dig is the way to go. I use a lot of leaves on my no-dig beds. I like your composting planes. Take care

[@homegardens7682]

Leaves are great for this. I need to go to the woods and get some.

[@alanhitchman3698]

Hi Dan, meant to add, when the vine main leader gets to the right height in the center of the top wire, you stop it at the top and train the 2 top shoots 1 left and one right removing shoots below those, these 2 become the the main cordons for future fruiting, usually stopped at about 5 feet each.

[@homegardens7682]

Yes, I think the taller stakes are over six feet. I will probably let the vines grow to the top. Should be interesting.

[@alanhitchman3698]

@@homegardens7682 If you have all that space and say 3 strainer wires running horizontal you could train 3 cordons left and 3 right, Lakemont will grow very fast and very strong each year, some of my growth per fruiting cane was up to 3 metrea, never seen anything like it.

[@homegardens7682]

@@alanhitchman3698 They are certainly a great cropper. A great variety to grow.

[@voxintenebris6367]

@@homegardens7682 I don't use wire, I use washing line ( there are two thicknesses of line, so if you don't like the thick coloured ones you can buy a thinner clear one) . The plastic layer protects at the point of contact between the vines and the internal wire. I dislike wire as it is metal and thus conducts cold/ freezing temps. As we may see more of that going forward it could cause damage to young vines.

[@homegardens7682]

@@voxintenebris6367 A good consideration there Vox.

[@proplockfistanterlis]

I am also in the SE of England, I had great success growing melons through membrane for the first time last year.

[@homegardens7682]

I think I will be doing a bit of that here.

[@user-im3di9qm5s]

I have raised beds and wood chip paths it’s easy to maintain with limited time - enjoyed this video

[@homegardens7682]

Good morning! Yes, very handy. Nice to make your acquaintance.

[@JensGardenAdventures]

Fantastic plot Dan! Can't wait to see your progress! 😁 Jen

[@homegardens7682]

Cheers Jen. Hopefully there will be a lot!

[@izzywizzy2361]

I have an area at the bottom of my plot which is a bit wild but I have created an area for lavender and rosemary and planted an apple tree( plenty of fruit trees on site for pollination) and bit by bit am adding wild flowers like ox-eye daisies and borage and I would like a comfrey patch as well...

[@homegardens7682]

Sounds cool.

[@kellydavidscreen8644]

Hi Dan, What about a row or two of raspberries. I've just taken on an allotment too but I live in Kendal so a lot further north and I am wanting a few grapes so will be re-watching your grape videos. Cheers.

[@homegardens7682]

Very good idea. Look into Suffolk Red and Lakemont Seedless.

[@alanhitchman3698]

Hi Dan, 2 points i would like to make, 1, its normal to cut out any vine growth thinner than a pencil so next years growth grows from a good cane, also normal to grow 1 stem as a main leader till it reaches the limit of length you want so in years after it gets there the side shotts from it will bear the fruit, each fruited cane gets cut back to 2 buds when the next years growth starts, point 2. you are very in the open with no shelter from the winds etc and open to squirrels, not sure if you have any there, hope not as they love grapes, well they do mine i have had to build a squirrel proof cage to keep them out.

[@homegardens7682]

Hi Alan. What you have said is correct but me being me, its too regimented so I will probably stick with my method I use to tie up and prune. The chap next door to my allotment has grapes and apparently they are OK so hopefully mine will be as well!

[@alanhitchman3698]

@@homegardens7682 Of course Dan, I love your rough and ready ideas, hope you get loads of grapes this year, i grew 6 horizontal cordons on the Aurumn Royal in the greenhouse, have had to prune down to 2 cordons this winter as all the fruit was trying to pull the roof in as i had to support the cordons from the roof bars, the weight was terrific.

[@homegardens7682]

Autumn Royal seems such a heavy cropper. You probably know I moved mine to outside. We can compare notes on how they do this year!

[@alanhitchman3698]

@@homegardens7682 Yes we can compare in the Autumn, with the virus problem last year i gave away as many buches as i could but in the end had to throw 2 buckets of beautiful Autumn Royal away, havent got the facility to make wine, such a waste.

[@homegardens7682]

@@alanhitchman3698 Need to learn how to make raisins!

[@belindablunderbus1365]

Lovely stuff Dan. I'm in a similar position with a new allotment, for my permaculture area I'm thinking herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary and maybe some fruit bushes..

[@homegardens7682]

Some good ideas there.

[@eggcluck]

I would just put in some trees and not worry about what grows beneath. In fact that is what I have done and turned half my own plot into a mini orchard. I would check your rules though some allotment sites have rules on max number of trees etc. I am fortunate that mine allows me to have as many trees (even full size ones!) as my little heart desires, as long as they stay on my plot.

[@homegardens7682]

Certainly good for management and fruit production. I will probably do a bit of that.

[@GardeningforBeginners]

That was a great video Cheers Ray

[@homegardens7682]

Cheers Ray.

[@lukeshawmusic]

Nice work! Thanks Dan 👍🏻

[@homegardens7682]

Cheers Luke.

[@bobbyhill5695]

Good setup 👏 Hope the crops are plentyfull 🤞Best of luck

[@homegardens7682]

Cheers. I hope so too.

[@ericaslittlewelshgarden]

It's funny with the grape you've just planted, we know we should cut them back but we also can't help letting it fruit! 😊

[@homegardens7682]

That's true! I will just leave it and see what happens!

[@ajdexter4195]

Your plot looks amazing already 👏🏻👏🏻

[@homegardens7682]

Thanks! Hopefully it will be productive.

[@coco-olivia_my_pets]

Looks amazing already. Well done u.

[@homegardens7682]

Thanks. I hope its productive.

[@AnimalsUnlimited]

Nice allotment 😁👍🏻 how about a hardy kiwi?

[@homegardens7682]

That's a potential. Probably variety Jenny.

[@angelinegrows7765]

Great look round the plot Dan 😁

[@homegardens7682]

Thanks. I hope it will be productive.

[@abbaszandinejad3152]

how do you heat your greenhouse? l did not see any heating device!

[@homegardens7682]

No heating at all. Just the Sun.

[@abbaszandinejad3152]

@@homegardens7682 so how do you keep tropical plants? l saw videos but because my english is poor l can not understand your explanations in the videos. please post a video with subtitle abuot keeping tropical plants and summer plants, etc during the winter on youtube. please

[@homegardens7682]

@@abbaszandinejad3152 If you click on the closed caption (cc) icon you should get the subtitles icon.

[@vidajordan9803]

Make absolutely sure there is no herbicides in your straw as you could lose everything as I lost 75% of all my berry patch from contaminated straw sold by my local farm store.

[@homegardens7682]

Sorry to hear that. This is one reason why I intend to only use the straw in one area of the allotment initially.

[@monaraahmed7193]

👍👍👍

[@homegardens7682]

Cool.

[@jimmyrichardson67]

Cover crops help when you can’t get enough compost

[@homegardens7682]

Cheers. That is definitely a consideration.

[@njf669x]

Plot looking good already Dan....allotment looks deserted only you there..:-)

[@homegardens7682]

Yes! I was when I first got there. Was a bit chilly!

[@Calibandream]

what about a small fruit tree orchard?

[@homegardens7682]

This is certainly a consideration. I may do some more grafting soon.

[@williamwatson2824]

I am happy for you to getting an allotment, ❤️❤️

[@homegardens7682]

Thanks. I was very lucky in getting one.

[@blustardave]

Nice new allotment there. Crack on 😁

[@homegardens7682]

Cheers Dave. I'm gonna fly over to your channel later and see what you have been up to!

[@blustardave]

@@homegardens7682 Cheers. Im still crackin on 😁

[@homegardens7682]

Good man. Hows the weather there?

[@blustardave]

@@homegardens7682 Wintery lol. Been snowing all day today.

[@homegardens7682]

@@blustardave Yes we had it yesterday and today. Minus 5 tomorrow night so there we are!!

[@chloebrown1399]

Thank you for telling us about this 😃. Keep up with all the amazing work in gardening cool love it 😃💪🥰. I loved all your videos keep up with it awesome 💪😊🤗😎.

[@homegardens7682]

Thanks Chloe. Hopefully it will be very productive.

[@chloebrown1399]

@@homegardens7682 you're very welcome. Be strong and enjoy it 🥰☺ be the best gardener 😊🌞🤗💯

[@homegardens7682]

@@chloebrown1399 I will try Chloe!

[@chloebrown1399]

@@homegardens7682 I know you will try and have a big smile 😊☺🥰

[@homegardens7682]

@@chloebrown1399 Thats it!