Sven WombwellGarden designer and TV presenter

Learn to:• Navigate waiting lists and find the best

patch for you

• Prepare your soil to encourage tip-top growth

• Plant a huge range of fruit, veg, herbs and flowers

• Grow organically and get the most from your space

Allotment Gardening

Making Everything Easier!™

UK Edition

“Nothing tastes better than home-grown fruit and veg. This book is packed full of great tips to help you plan your allotment and save you plenty of heartache – I just wish I’d had it before I started mine!”

– Joe Swift, garden designer and TV presenter

Open the book and find:

• What tools and equipment you’ll need

• An allotment calendar, helping you decide what to grow, when

• The best ways to kill weeds, fight disease and deter pests

• How to keep your soil healthy

• Cooking tips for allotment produce

• Advice on creating your own compost heap

• Simple and safe projects for kids

• How to prevent common allot-ment disasters

• Ways to revive a tired allotment

Sven Wombwell is a garden and allotment expert. He starred in BBC1’s

Garden Invaders series, presenting with Charlie Dimmock, and has

featured on GMTV, This Morning and UKTV Style Gardens, amongst other

programmes. Alongside his media commitments, Sven designs gardens

around the globe.

£15.99 UK / $26.99 US

ISBN 978-0-470-68641-6

Gardening

Go to Dummies.com®

for videos, step-by-step examples, how-to articles, or to shop!

Dust off your wellies and get ready for reams of delicious allotment produceWhether you’re hoping to get a foot on the allotment ladder or need to rejuvenate a flagging patch, this essential guide will get you on track in no time. The step-by-step advice and useful illustrations will help you organise your plan of attack and grow healthy veg, fruit, herbs and flowers. With handy tips on how to cook the things you’ve grown and useful info on growing organically, allotment gardening doesn’t get easier than this!

• Get to grips with the basics – unearth the perfect plot, swot up on allotment rules and regs and prepare your tools for action

• Lay the groundwork for success – map out your space, banish weeds and learn how to look after your soil

• Grow your favourite vegetables – take your pick from potatoes, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, salad leaves, peas, beans, sweetcorn, artichokes, peppers, aubergines and more

• Extend your allotment repertoire – move beyond veg to cultivate delicious fruit, zesty herbs and attractive flowers

• Get the most out of your allotment – involve the kids, enjoy allot-ment social life and impress your mates with giant vegetables

UK Edition

Allotm

ent Gardening

Wombwell

spine=24.225mm

spine=24.225mm

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Allotment GardeningFOR

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by Sven Wombwell

A John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, Publication

Allotment GardeningFOR

DUMmIES‰

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Allotment Gardening For Dummies®

Published byJohn Wiley & Sons, LtdThe AtriumSouthern GateChichesterWest SussexPO19 8SQEngland

E-mail (for orders and customer service enquires): cs-books@wiley.co.uk

Visit our Home Page on www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex, England

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmit-ted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS, UK, without the permission in writing of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, England, or emailed to permreq@wiley.co.uk, or faxed to (44) 1243 770620.

Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affi liates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER, THE AUTHOR, AND ANYONE ELSE INVOLVED IN PREPARING THIS WORK MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFI-CALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PRO-MOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PRO-FESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN-13: 978-0-470-68641-6

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd., Glasgow.

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About the AuthorSven Wombwell had his own vegetable patch, as part of his grandfather’s garden, from the age of fi ve. This early exposure to gardening left a lasting impression that proved vital in his career. Sven trained in garden design at Capel Manor College in North London, and then gained indispensable hands-on building experience working for a large company specialising in adventure playgrounds and public spaces in London. A surprise opportunity led to a break on television, where his design talents were immediately noticed. This proved to be the fi rst of well over 150 television appearances over the next six years.

In 2004 Sven published his fi rst book, Lifescapes: Garden designs for your life-style, and has contributed regularly to magazines and newspapers. He has lectured at the Chelsea Flower Show, the Gardeners World Exhibition, and the Urban Gardens exhibition.

Sven is currently one of the garden experts on ITV’s This Morning and runs his own garden design company, with projects spanning the UK, Portugal, Spain, Italy and the USA. He shares an allotment with his father and his three children and is currently number 86 on the waiting list to get his own, after moving to a new area.

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DedicationThis book is dedicated to Kate, whom I am lucky enough to be able to call my best friend and the mother of our three beautiful children, Ashley, Freddie and Amalea. It is also dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, George, who started off my passion for gardening.

Author’s AcknowledgementsI would personally like to thank Nicole Hermitage from Wiley for commission-ing me to write this book on such a fascinating and topical subject. I would also like to thank the whole production team at Wiley, including Simon Bell (a plot holder himself) for his patience and guidance, and Sue Fisher, the technical editor, whose keen eye was invaluable. Also I would like to thank Kate O’Leary, Anne O’Rorke and Mary White for all their work on this project.

Special thanks go to my better half Kate, who was a For Dummies widow for 5 months: thank you for keeping the kids entertained while I spent days on end with my eyes glued to the screen, and thank you for putting up with me. Thanks also go to my dad, Rob, who as a plot holder himself helped me no end with the creation of this book, by checking and reading every word.

I’d especially like to thank my Grandfather George, who without even know-ing it infl uenced me greatly at such a young age, leaving a lasting impression and great memories.

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Publisher’s Acknowledgements

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Commissioning, Editorial, and Media

Development

Project Editor: Simon Bell

Commissioning Editor: Nicole Hermitage

Assistant Editor: Jennifer Prytherch

Copy Editor: Anne O’Rorke

Technical Editor: Sue Fisher

Publisher: David Palmer

Production Manager: Daniel Mersey

Cover Photos: ©Mike Harrington/GettyImages

Cartoons: Ed McLachlan

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Lynsey Stanford

Layout and Graphics: Samantha K. Cherolis

Proofreaders: Jessica Kramer, Dwight Ramsey

Indexer: Claudia Bourbeau

Special Help

Brand Reviewer: Carrie Burchfi eld

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Contents at a GlanceIntroduction ................................................................ 1

Part I: Getting to Grips with Allotment Gardening .......... 7Chapter 1: Discovering What Allotments Are All About ............................................... 9Chapter 2: Getting Hold of an Allotment ....................................................................... 17

Part II: Preparing for Allotment Success ...................... 25Chapter 3: Getting Started .............................................................................................. 27Chapter 4: Deciding What to Grow and When ............................................................. 43Chapter 5: Preparing Your Plot ...................................................................................... 57Chapter 6: Keeping Your Soil Healthy ........................................................................... 77Chapter 7: Keeping Your Plants Healthy ...................................................................... 97Chapter 8: Growing Organic ......................................................................................... 125

Part III: Growing Your Favourite Vegetables .............. 139Chapter 9: Going Underground with Root Vegetables .............................................. 141Chapter 10: Exploring More Root Vegetables ............................................................ 161Chapter 11: Bringing Home the Brassicas .................................................................. 175Chapter 12: Growing Wholesome Herbs ..................................................................... 195Chapter 13: Cultivating Everyday Essentials .............................................................. 215Chapter 14: Growing Leafy Greens .............................................................................. 245Chapter 15: Planting Beans, Peas and Other Odds and Pods .................................. 265Chapter 16: Growing More Unusual Veg ..................................................................... 285

Part IV: Extending Your Allotment Repertoire ............. 307Chapter 17: Growing Fruitful Fruit ............................................................................... 309Chapter 18: Nurturing Flowers on an Allotment ....................................................... 339

Part V: Getting the Most Out of Your Allotment .......... 355Chapter 19: Involving Children on the Allotment ...................................................... 357Chapter 20: Hobnobbing with Allotment Society ..................................................... 371Chapter 21: Entering the World of Giants .................................................................. 379

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Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 395Chapter 22: Ten Common Mistakes to Avoid ............................................................. 397Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Revive a Flagging Allotment ............................................. 405

Index ...................................................................... 411

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Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................. 1About This Book .............................................................................................. 1Conventions Used in This Book ..................................................................... 2What You’re Not to Read ................................................................................ 2Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................................... 2How This Book Is Organised .......................................................................... 3

Part I: Getting to Grips with Allotment Gardening............................. 3Part II: Preparing for Allotment Success ............................................. 3Part III: Growing Your Favourite Vegetables ...................................... 3Part IV: Extending Your Allotment Repertoire ................................... 4Part V: Getting the Most Out of Your Allotment ................................ 4Part VI: The Part of Tens ....................................................................... 4

Icons Used in This Book ................................................................................. 4Where to Go from Here ................................................................................... 5

Part I: Getting to Grips with Allotment Gardening .......... 7

Chapter 1: Discovering What Allotments Are All About . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

How it All Began ............................................................................................... 9Looking at today .................................................................................. 10

Weighing up the Pros and Cons of Working an Allotment ....................... 10Feasting on fresh food ......................................................................... 11Keeping fi t ............................................................................................. 11Getting connected ................................................................................ 12Being sustainable ................................................................................. 13Working hard (but not all the time!) ................................................. 14Making time .......................................................................................... 15Saving precious pennies ..................................................................... 16

Chapter 2: Getting Hold of an Allotment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Getting the Low-Down on Leasing or Owning an Allotment .................... 17The Allotments Act .............................................................................. 18Addressing your right to an allotment .............................................. 19Applying for an allotment ................................................................... 19

Knowing Which Patch to Pick ...................................................................... 21Getting the size right ........................................................................... 22Choosing your plot .............................................................................. 22

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Allotment Gardening For Dummies xiiPart II: Preparing for Allotment Success ...................... 25

Chapter 3: Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Getting to Grips with the Rules and Regulations ....................................... 27Adhering to general rules ................................................................... 28Considering health and safety............................................................ 29Disposing of your waste ...................................................................... 31Living with livestock and bees ........................................................... 31Taking care with pesticides and chemicals ...................................... 33Putting in ponds ................................................................................... 33

Kitting Yourself Up with Tools and Equipment ......................................... 33Investing in the basics ......................................................................... 34Going for optional extras .................................................................... 37Looking after your tools ...................................................................... 38Choosing protection for your plants ................................................. 38

Chapter 4: Deciding What to Grow and When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Choosing What to Grow ................................................................................ 43Realising that timing and location are everything ........................... 44Deciding on growing from seed or buying plants ............................ 44

Sowing from Seed .......................................................................................... 45Sowing in containers, trays and modules ......................................... 46Thinning out ......................................................................................... 48Transplanting ....................................................................................... 49Sowing directly into the soil ............................................................... 50

Buying Plants ................................................................................................. 51Knowing what to look for .................................................................... 51Buying fruit trees ................................................................................. 51Catch crops........................................................................................... 53Heritage varieties ................................................................................. 53Selective breeding and hybridisation ............................................... 54

Creating an Allotment Calendar .................................................................. 55

Chapter 5: Preparing Your Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Maintaining a Tidy Allotment ....................................................................... 57Removing debris and rubbish ............................................................ 58Sorting out the undergrowth .............................................................. 58

Meeting the Enemy: Common Weeds ......................................................... 59Preventing perennial problems.......................................................... 59Doing away with the annuals.............................................................. 62

Killing Off Weeds ........................................................................................... 63Initial weeding strategy ....................................................................... 64Organic control .................................................................................... 64Chemical spraying ............................................................................... 66

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xiii Table of Contents

Designing Your Space ................................................................................... 67Considering your location .................................................................. 67Putting pen to paper ............................................................................ 68Using the bed system .......................................................................... 69Terracing your plot.............................................................................. 73Creating support for climbers ............................................................ 73Getting the right division of space .................................................... 76

Chapter 6: Keeping Your Soil Healthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Assessing Your Soil Type ............................................................................. 77Discovering what soil is made of ....................................................... 78Understanding different soil types .................................................... 78Checking your soil’s pH level ............................................................. 81

Adjusting Your Soil’s pH ............................................................................... 82Making your soil more alkaline .......................................................... 82Making your soil more acidic ............................................................. 83

Assessing Organic Matter ............................................................................. 84Maintaining Soil Structure ............................................................................ 84Getting the Low-Down on Nutrients ............................................................ 85

Nitrogen for leaves, stems and shoots .............................................. 85Phosphorus for seed germination and roots ................................... 86Potassium for fruit and fl owers .......................................................... 87

Creeping Around with Helpful Beasts ......................................................... 87Bacteria ................................................................................................. 87Fungi ...................................................................................................... 88Winning with worms ............................................................................ 88Admiring creepy-crawlies ................................................................... 90

Improving Your Soil ...................................................................................... 90Adding organic matter ........................................................................ 90Double digging and single digging ..................................................... 91Using the no-dig method ..................................................................... 93

Nurturing Home-Made Compost .................................................................. 94Choosing a composter ........................................................................ 94

Chapter 7: Keeping Your Plants Healthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

Using Fertilisers ............................................................................................. 97Fulfi lling your plants’ needs ............................................................... 98

Dealing with Watering ................................................................................. 103Getting your priorities right ............................................................. 103Watching for the signs of dehydration ........................................... 104Saving water ....................................................................................... 104Collecting rainwater .......................................................................... 106

Rotating Your Crops .................................................................................... 107Putting Down Pests ..................................................................................... 110

Aphids ................................................................................................. 110Cutworms ............................................................................................ 110

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Allotment Gardening For Dummies xivRabbits ................................................................................................ 110Rats and mice ..................................................................................... 111Birds .................................................................................................... 111Slugs and snails .................................................................................. 111Flea beetles ......................................................................................... 113Wireworms.......................................................................................... 113

Dealing with Diseases ................................................................................. 113Problems with Specifi c Plants .................................................................... 115

Brassicas ............................................................................................. 116Carrots................................................................................................. 117Courgettes, squashes and marrows ................................................ 117Cucumbers .......................................................................................... 117Peas and beans ................................................................................... 118Potatoes .............................................................................................. 119Tomatoes ............................................................................................ 121Fruit Pests and Diseases ................................................................... 121

Chapter 8: Growing Organic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Deciding Whether Organic Is Right for You ............................................. 125Weighing up the pros and cons ....................................................... 126Understanding organic methods ..................................................... 128Embracing nature and the environment ......................................... 128

Getting Practical .......................................................................................... 129Preparing for disappointment and accepting imperfections ....... 129Selecting your plants carefully ......................................................... 130Using organic pest control ............................................................... 131Utilising organic fertilisers and feeds .............................................. 133Considering companion planting ..................................................... 135Planting to deter pests ...................................................................... 135Planting to attract benefi cial insects ............................................... 136

Encouraging Wildlife onto Your Plot ......................................................... 137

Part III: Growing Your Favourite Vegetables ............... 139

Chapter 9: Going Underground with Root Vegetables. . . . . . . . . . . . .141

Growing Potatoes ........................................................................................ 141Getting started with potatoes .......................................................... 142Undertaking routine care .................................................................. 145Using the no-dig method ................................................................... 147Considering varieties of potatoes .................................................... 147Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 149

Cultivating Carrots ...................................................................................... 150Getting started with carrots ............................................................. 150Considering varieties of carrots ...................................................... 152Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 154

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xv Table of Contents

Producing Parsnips ..................................................................................... 154Getting started with parsnips........................................................... 154Considering varieties of parsnips .................................................... 155Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 156

Bringing Forth Beetroot .............................................................................. 156Getting started with beetroot ........................................................... 157Considering varieties of beetroot .................................................... 158Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 159

Chapter 10: Exploring More Root Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

Turning Your Hand to Turnips .................................................................. 161Getting started with turnips ............................................................. 161Considering varieties......................................................................... 163Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 163

Getting Sweet on Swedes ............................................................................ 163Getting started with swedes ............................................................. 164Considering varieties......................................................................... 165Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 165

Rearing Radishes ......................................................................................... 165Getting started with radishes ........................................................... 166Considering varieties......................................................................... 166Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 168

Savouring Scorzonera and Salsify ............................................................. 168Getting started with scorzonera and salsify................................... 169Considering varieties......................................................................... 169Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 169

Growing Celeriac ......................................................................................... 170Getting started with celeriac ............................................................ 170Considering varieties......................................................................... 171Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 172

Growing Florence Fennel ............................................................................ 172Getting started with Florence fennel ............................................... 172Considering varieties......................................................................... 173Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 174

Chapter 11: Bringing Home the Brassicas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

Brassica Basics ............................................................................................ 175Getting started with brassicas ......................................................... 176Keeping your brassicas at their best............................................... 176

Don’t Call Me Broccoli: Growing Calabrese ............................................. 177Getting started with calabrese ......................................................... 177Considering varieties......................................................................... 178Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 178

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Allotment Gardening For Dummies xviRaising Broccoli ........................................................................................... 179

Getting started with sprouting broccoli ......................................... 179Considering varieties......................................................................... 180Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 180

Cultivating Cabbage .................................................................................... 181Getting started with cabbages ......................................................... 181Considering varieties......................................................................... 183Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 184

Bringing Forth Brussels Sprouts ................................................................ 184Getting started ................................................................................... 185Considering varieties......................................................................... 186Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 186

Getting a Head with Caulifl owers .............................................................. 187Getting started with caulifl owers ..................................................... 187Considering varieties......................................................................... 188Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 189

Keeping Healthy with Kale ......................................................................... 189Getting started with kale ................................................................... 190Considering varieties......................................................................... 190Harvesting your Kale ......................................................................... 191

Alien Invasion: Growing Kohlrabi .............................................................. 191Getting started with kohlrabi ........................................................... 191Considering varieties......................................................................... 192Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 193

Chapter 12: Growing Wholesome Herbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195

Knowing Where to Start .............................................................................. 195Choosing Which Herbs To Grow ............................................................... 196

Growing herbs from seed ................................................................. 196Growing from cuttings....................................................................... 198

Getting More for Your Money .................................................................... 199Dividing herbs .................................................................................... 199Using mound layering........................................................................ 200Growing herbs in a sunny spot ........................................................ 202Selecting herbs for semi-shade ........................................................ 204Homing in on healing herbs .............................................................. 205Experimenting with unusual herbs .................................................. 210

Getting the Most from Your Herbs ............................................................ 211Drying .................................................................................................. 211Freezing ............................................................................................... 213Bottling ................................................................................................ 213

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xvii Table of Contents

Chapter 13: Cultivating Everyday Essentials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215

Getting to Know the Onion Family ............................................................ 215Growing Bulb Onions .................................................................................. 216

Getting started with onions .............................................................. 217Considering varieties......................................................................... 219Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 220

Growing Shallots .......................................................................................... 221Getting started with shallots ............................................................ 222Considering varieties......................................................................... 222Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 222

Spring onions ............................................................................................... 223Getting started with spring onions .................................................. 223Considering varieties......................................................................... 223Harvesting ........................................................................................... 223

Growing Leeks .............................................................................................. 224Getting started with leeks ................................................................. 224Considering varieties......................................................................... 225Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 226

Growing Garlic ............................................................................................. 227Getting started with garlic ................................................................ 227Considering varieties......................................................................... 227Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 228

Getting to Know Pumpkins and Squashes ................................................ 228Growing Pumpkins and Winter Squashes ................................................ 228

Getting started with pumpkins and squashes................................ 229Considering varieties......................................................................... 230Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 231

Growing Courgettes and Summer Squash ................................................ 232Getting started with courgettes and summer squashes ............... 232Considering varieties......................................................................... 233Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 234

Growing Tomatoes ...................................................................................... 234Getting started with tomatoes ......................................................... 235Considering varieties......................................................................... 238Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 242Ripening your tomatoes .................................................................... 242

Chapter 14: Growing Leafy Greens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Savouring Salad Leaves .............................................................................. 245Growing Lettuces ......................................................................................... 246

Loose-leaf ............................................................................................ 247Cos ....................................................................................................... 248

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Allotment Gardening For Dummies xviiiButterhead .......................................................................................... 249Iceberg ................................................................................................. 250Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 250Winter lettuces ................................................................................... 251

Growing Other Salad Leaves ...................................................................... 251Endive .................................................................................................. 251Chicory ................................................................................................ 252Rocket .................................................................................................. 254Other leaves to try ............................................................................. 256

Growing Green Leaf Vegetables ................................................................. 257Spinach ................................................................................................ 257Swiss chard and spinach beet .......................................................... 258Good King Henry ................................................................................ 259

Growing Oriental Leaf Vegetables ............................................................. 260Mizuna ................................................................................................. 260Mustard greens .................................................................................. 261Pak-choi and tatsoi ............................................................................ 262Komatsuna greens ............................................................................. 263

Chapter 15: Planting Beans, Peas and Other Odds and Pods. . . . . . .265

Growing Beautiful Beans ............................................................................. 266French beans ...................................................................................... 266Raising runner beans ......................................................................... 270Broad beans ........................................................................................ 273

Playing with Pods ........................................................................................ 276Peas...................................................................................................... 277Sweetcorn ........................................................................................... 281

Chapter 16: Growing More Unusual Veg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .285

Growing Artichokes ..................................................................................... 285Globe artichokes ................................................................................ 285Jerusalem artichokes......................................................................... 287Chinese artichokes ............................................................................ 289

Growing Simple Yet Impressive Veg ......................................................... 290Bell peppers ........................................................................................ 290Chilli peppers .................................................................................... 293Aubergines .......................................................................................... 294Cucumbers .......................................................................................... 297

Growing Fine Produce ................................................................................. 300Asparagus ........................................................................................... 300Celery .................................................................................................. 303Trench celery ..................................................................................... 304Okra ..................................................................................................... 305

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xix Table of Contents

Part IV: Extending Your Allotment Repertoire ............. 307

Chapter 17: Growing Fruitful Fruit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309

Planting Fruit Trees ..................................................................................... 309Training trees ..................................................................................... 310Buying fruit trees ............................................................................... 313

Growing Apples ............................................................................................ 314Getting started with apples .............................................................. 314Considering varieties......................................................................... 315Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 317

Growing Pears .............................................................................................. 318Getting started with pears ................................................................ 318Considering varieties......................................................................... 319Harvesting and storage ..................................................................... 320

Growing Berries ........................................................................................... 320Blackberries ........................................................................................ 320Gooseberries ...................................................................................... 322Blueberries and bilberries ................................................................ 324Strawberries ....................................................................................... 326Raspberries ......................................................................................... 329

Growing Currants ........................................................................................ 332Blackcurrants .................................................................................... 332Redcurrants and whitecurrants ....................................................... 334

Growing Greenhouse Exotics ..................................................................... 335Kiwi fruits ............................................................................................ 335Melons ................................................................................................. 336

Chapter 18: Nurturing Flowers on an Allotment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .339

Growing Beautiful Flowers for Cutting ...................................................... 339Sweet peas .......................................................................................... 340Dahlias ................................................................................................. 341Sweet Williams ................................................................................... 343Zinnias ................................................................................................. 344Cleome ................................................................................................. 345

Growing Edible Flowers .............................................................................. 346Nasturtiums ........................................................................................ 346Lavender ............................................................................................. 347Alliums................................................................................................. 348

Growing Flowers for Drying and Seed Heads ........................................... 349Poppies ................................................................................................ 349Physalis ............................................................................................... 350Sedums ................................................................................................ 352Hops ..................................................................................................... 353Sea hollies ........................................................................................... 353

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Allotment Gardening For Dummies xxPart V: Getting the Most Out of Your Allotment .......... 355

Chapter 19: Involving Children on the Allotment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .357

Reaping the Benefi ts of Gardening ............................................................ 358Keeping fi t and healthy ..................................................................... 358Recognising where food comes from .............................................. 359

Growing Easy Vegetables and Flowers ..................................................... 360Quick and easy leaves ....................................................................... 360Super-fast radishes ............................................................................ 361Perfect pumpkins ............................................................................... 361Towering sunfl owers ......................................................................... 362Cheerful cherry tomatoes ................................................................. 363

Organising Projects for Wee Ones ............................................................. 364Building sweet pea pyramids ........................................................... 364Planting trees, shrubs and seedlings .............................................. 365Creating a wildlife patch ................................................................... 366Preparing fresh food .......................................................................... 368

Chapter 20: Hobnobbing with Allotment Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .371

Finding an Allotment Mentor ..................................................................... 371Following Allotment Etiquette ................................................................... 372Learning From Others’ Hits and Misses ................................................... 373Getting Involved in Clubs and Societies ................................................... 375Socialising on Your Allotment ................................................................... 376

Looking out for each other ............................................................... 376Offering holiday cover ....................................................................... 377

Chapter 21: Entering the World of Giants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379

Creating Perfect Growing Conditions ....................................................... 379Preparing ideal soil ............................................................................ 380Watering your way to success ......................................................... 380Choosing the right seeds .................................................................. 381

Growing Giant Vegetables ......................................................................... 381Colossal cabbages ............................................................................. 381Monster carrots ................................................................................. 383Long leeks ........................................................................................... 384Mammoth marrows ........................................................................... 385Prime pumpkins ................................................................................. 386

Mentioning Some Other Monsters ............................................................ 388Honing Your Techniques ............................................................................ 389

Letting you in on my top-secret tricks ........................................... 389Breeding Selectively .................................................................................... 390

Collecting seeds ................................................................................. 391Harvesting seeds ................................................................................ 391

Entering Competitions ................................................................................ 392Joining the elite .................................................................................. 392Finding out where to exhibit ............................................................ 393

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xxi Table of Contents

Part VI: The Part of Tens ........................................... 395

Chapter 22: Ten Common Mistakes to Avoid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .397

Buying Inferior Seeds and Plants ............................................................... 397Ignoring Problems Until It’s Too Late ....................................................... 398Planting Combinations that Don’t Work ................................................... 398Planting Root Crops in Manure-Rich Soil ................................................. 399Spreading Clubroot ..................................................................................... 399Planting Out Too Early ................................................................................ 400Underestimating Climate Zones ................................................................ 401Getting Watering Wrong ............................................................................. 401Allowing Your Plants to Bolt ...................................................................... 402Failing to Thin Out ....................................................................................... 402

Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Revive a Flagging Allotment . . . . . . . . . . . .405

Doing Double Digging .................................................................................. 405Having a Jolly Good Tidy ............................................................................ 406Starting Again ............................................................................................... 407Investing in New Plants ............................................................................... 407Re-establishing Paths, Edges and Beds .................................................... 407Planting Green Manure ............................................................................... 408Sowing Some Nitrogen Fixers ..................................................................... 408Checking the Soil’s pH Level ...................................................................... 409Considering Companion Planting .............................................................. 409Rotating Your Plants ................................................................................... 410

Index ....................................................................... 411

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Allotment Gardening For Dummies xxii

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Introduction

So, you want to be an allotmenteer. At least, I’m guessing so, since you’re reading this. You have decided to join the fabulous world of allotment

gardening, growing your own fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. Once you pick up your spade for the first time on your own plot of land, you’ll be hooked for life. And when you serve your first home-grown, freshly picked vegetables you’ll never want to buy supermarket imports again. You’ll be one of the lucky ones – able to eat seasonal fresh produce all year round, and to know exactly how your food has been produced. You, your family and friends are going to reap the rewards year upon year as you develop into an allotmenteer.

Allotments are hard work, but that’s all to the good: You keep fit and get the buzz of eating food you’ve really put something into. Your family benefits from healthy food and exercise too. I’m not going to gloss over the hours you have to put in, but those hours will reap rewards far greater than just rais-ing your own crops (great though that is). You get to master a whole range of new skills (outlined in this book), you get closer to the land and back into harmony with the seasons, and you can honestly say you’ve made a personal impact in terms of living sustainably.

About This BookAllotment Gardening For Dummies provides you with the know-how you need to run a viable allotment. Each chapter is rammed with information on every aspect of cultivating your own plot, from analysing your soil to dealing with codling moth. I’ve written the book so that a complete novice can equip him-self or herself with the basic skills to be a success, but also so that gardeners who know some of the basics already can learn a few new tricks. Throughout, I’ve focused on tried and tested methods: there simply isn’t room for all the weird and wonderful wrinkles perfected by allotmenteers down the decades, or for the avalanche of folklore associated with raising crops. I’ve stuck to what I know works.

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2 Allotment Gardening For Dummies

Conventions Used in This BookTo help you get the most from this book, I follow a few conventions:

✓ Italic emphasises and highlights new words or terms that I define.

✓ Boldfaced text indicates the action part of numbered steps.

✓ Monofont text displays web addresses.

✓ I give all measurements in metric (so that’s centimetres and metres rather than inches and feet).

What You’re Not to ReadYou don’t have to read everything in this book. From time to time you’ll see grey boxes – sidebars – which contain interesting bits of info which may amuse or inform, but which aren’t crucial to your understanding of the nitty-gritty. Read them or ignore them with impunity.

You’ll also see a couple of icons above text which you can take or leave: I hope you’ll pay attention to the ‘Organic Way’ icon, and your tastebuds will certainly benefit from my ‘Cooking Tips’ but I won’t be offended if you choose to skip them.

Foolish AssumptionsIn writing this book, I made a few assumptions about who you are:

✓ You’re keen to grow your own produce, even though you may not be 100 per cent sure how to go about it.

✓ You have rented, or are seeking to rent, an allotment plot, probably from your local council.

✓ You’re interested in hearing about organic methods of producing crops.

✓ You’re not afraid of a bit of hard graft.

Beyond those, I’ve not assumed too much, I hope. This book is for you whether you’re male or female, eighteen or eighty.

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3 Introduction

How This Book Is OrganisedI’ve organised Allotment Gardening For Dummies into six parts. Each part covers a range of subjects to help get you growing on your own patch, and is further divided into chapters containing all the information you need.

Part I: Getting to Grips with Allotment GardeningBefore you can pick up a spade in anger, you need to know certain basic information. After all, I’m mindful that you may not even have an allotment plot yet. This part tells you, amongst other things, how to go about getting one, and what other options may be available if the waiting lists are chock-a-block. I then go on to discuss the rules and regulations you’re likely to come across, and the basic tools and equipment you need to get you started.

Part II: Preparing for Allotment SuccessThis part covers everything you need to do to prepare your allotment for a successful growing season. First, I address what to grow, what to grow it from, and when to get started. I then move on to the serious business of preparing your plot, from the initial tidy up, through developing beds and coming up with planting plans through to assessing the soil. This part also covers keeping that crucial soil in good nick, and how to look after the plants you’ll be growing in it, from sorting out rotations to dealing with common pests. I finish by offering some tips to the would-be organic gardener.

Part III: Growing Your Favourite VegetablesThis part is the meat and veg of the book. Well the veg, anyway. In these eight chapters I introduce all the main vegetables you’re likely to want to grow on your allotment, covering everything you need to need to do to establish and maintain all you vegetable crops, from roots to cucumbers. Along the way I talk about all the staples, as well as some of the more exotic crops you might not have considered turning your hand to.

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4 Allotment Gardening For Dummies

Part IV: Extending Your Allotment RepertoireThis part covers everything you might want to know should you want to branch out (literally, in the case of growing fruit trees). The main business of allotment gardening is usually held to be producing vegetables, but there’s no good reason why you shouldn’t give over at least part of your allotment to growing tasty, sweet, nutritious fruit. I also cover a bit of food for the soul, by suggesting that you can use allotment land to grow things of beauty: there’s a chapter on growing flowers here, too.

Part V: Getting the Most Out of Your AllotmentWorking an allotment is about so much more than just turning over soil and digging in manure. This part covers the ways in which your allotment can work for you beyond simply generating a cornucopia of good food. Here you’ll find suggestions on how to become part of the allotment community, whether through learning or passing on skills, or sharing in the work of your Allotment Society. The allotment is a place for all the family, and I cover the ways in which you can involve and engage children with the idea of an grow-ing their own plants and running their own projects. I finish up with weightier matters: what to do if you want to grow real, show-stopping champion veg.

Part VI: The Part of TensEvery For Dummies book has one. The Part of Tens offers two fun-sized chap-ters covering some dos and don’ts of allotment gardening, and some fresh ideas on how to revitalise a tired patch.

Icons Used in This BookSprinkled through the book you’ll see various icons to guide you on your way. Icons are a For Dummies way of drawing your attention to important stuff, interesting stuff, and stuff you really need to know not to do.

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5 Introduction

Handy tips and tidbits to help you get the best from your plot.

This is stuff you need to know: whatever else you carry away from this book, note these bits with care.

Take careful note of the advice under this icon, and you’ll avoid allotment calamities – ignore at your peril.

The whole point of growing most of what you grow is to eat it. These tips help you make the most of your allotment flavours and goodness.

If you’re interested in gardening organically, keep your eyes peeled for this icon, which introduces my pearls of organic wisdom.

Where to Go from HereI’ve organised this book so that you can just dip in and out of it as you like. It isn’t specifically written to be read from start to finish, although you can do that if you want. In general, though, you’ll probably find that you look up what you want to read about in the Table of Contents – or the index – and dive straight in at that section. It’s entirely your choice. If you’re not sure where to start, Part I gives you the basics on getting started from scratch, and signposts places later in the book where you can go for more detailed information on topics in which you’re interested.

Best of luck, and happy growing!

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6 Allotment Gardening For Dummies

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