Allotment Diary

Allotment Diary – 3rd June 2014 – Oca, Onion, Weeds, Weeds And More Weeds!

In this video I am starting to beat the weeds … I’ve had a revelation regarding clearing the weeds from the allotment.

I also talk to you about Oca, or New Zealand yam, a gift from another allotment owner which is a really interesting vegetable and I cannot wait to try them in the autumn when they are ready. Oca produces tubers which are ready in the autumn and it can be eaten like radishes if they are small or boiled like new potatoes. They have a delicious flavour with a hint of lemon and can be stored at room temperature for several months without going soft, unlike many other vegetables. They need spacing about 18″ to 24″ apart and the tubers can overwinter in the ground if there isn’t a deep frost otherwise lift them and store them in a frost free area over winter.

Space has finally been cleared for the onions and I now have four rows in place and plenty more to plant! Unfortunately as I am late some have gone “off” and are too soft to plant, but many more are perfectly okay to plant. I tend to plant them with the tips just showing above the soil which seems to produce a better quality of onion.

I’ve cleared another bed (mostly) and discovered some bulbs in there (which I will show you in the next video). I think they are an iris of some sort so they will be lifted and put somewhere else, though not sure where or even where they have come from! There is one rhubarb in this bed and I have three more in desperate need of planting in the same bed, giving me a total of five rhubarb plants (guess what I like!).

With well stung arms, muddy hands and aching muscles I leave it for now and you can see how the allotment is progressing … I’ve got some big plans for this allotment and I will continue to share with you some more interesting tips and advice which will help you get the most out of your plot!

Allotment Diary June 25th 2014 – Building A Compost Heap From Pallets

In this video I will detail how to put together a compost heap from pallets. Many companies will give away pallets and be happy for you to take away their “rubbish”. They are useful for lots of projects at an allotment, not just a compost bin. To build a compost bin you will need 9 pallets of roughly the same size and in reasonable condition.

This compost bin has two compartments and is made firstly by putting two pallets laying next to each other on the floor. These are secured together (nails and wire in this case). Two pallets are used to form the back with another two on either side for the edges. A third is used in the middle as a separator between the two bins and then two more can be used as fronts for the compost bin to allow you to pile your compost higher.

Build the bin with the side of the pallet with the most pieces of wood on facing inwards and secure the compost bin to the ground using sticks as pegs. Then tie, nail or screw the pallets together so you have a reasonably secure structure.

The inside of the compost bin is lined with black plastic bags so that the compost is contained and it keeps the heat in. Black bin bags from the supermarket are not going to be strong enough. Here I have used strong black bags that manure is delivered in though you can get tarp and use that instead or rubble bags from a DIY shop. These are then stapled to the wood and overlap each other to form the inside of the bin.

All in all you are talking maybe an hour and a half to two hours of work to build the compost bin. It really isn’t difficult to do and looks fantastic when it is completed. It also keeps your compost contained and saves you having unsightly piles of rotting plants on your allotment or in your garden.

These can easily be expanded to have a third compost bin with the addition of another four pallets if you want three bins. Some people will keep one bin empty and then turn the compost between the bins. Turning is vital as it keeps the aerobic reaction going that creates compost quickly.

There is more in this video though the compost bin is a must have for any allotment owner and much better than the black dalek style bins that many of us use.