Growing ideas...

Every area provides its own opportunities and challenges for the new and experienced gardener alike. So if you would like to help other plot holders by offering your hints and tips on how to grow successfuly on the Alric Avenue Allotments site, please get in touch!

Until our forum is up-and-running, you can contribute any hints and tips by emailing Chris, he will endeavour to add them to the website.

One tip I already have and this I used last year to great effect.

I was having problems with germinating peas, either the mice would get them, or as soon as they had emerged, the flea beetle decimated them. I heard of a neat trick. I bought some cheap half-round guttering, cut it to the length of my beds, filled them with potting compost (keeps things free of weeds to start with) and sowed my peas into these. Germination is almost 100% and as soon as the plants are about 2-3 inches high, slide the whole lot into a pre-made trench where you want them to grow. They romped away and I had my best crop of peas for years.

Simples!

To dig one's own spade into one's own earth!
Has life anything better to offer than this?
Beverley Nichols

John Packham has come across this suggestion for getting fresh potatoes at Christmas on the BBC Gardeners World website.  It's an interesting idea so if you have some spare seed potatoes sitting in your shed then why not give it a go?

www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/grow-potatoes-for-christmas