My Vegetable Allotment at Lower End

by Nathan Sweebley
(Wildest Bedfordshire)

For my new vegetable allotment I took over one that was derelict in April 2009. I used Roundup to kill the complete weed cover and am lucky enough to have a Son-in-Law who has a small tractor and rotovator who came and turned it over.

The timing of clearing my vegetable plot was a small problem as the bindweed (Devil's Guts to some} had not emerged and the rotovating cut it into a thousand pieces.

I planted some early potatoes I was lucky enough to get from a local Allotment Society, and they did well, as did the Runner Beans.

The rest of the vegetable allotment area was treated again with weed-killer and this has reduced the bindweed problem.

This year the dry weather has been the biggest problem for the growing vegetables as we have no mains water, but recently a small working party cleared a track to the ancient well which is still active, but is fairly hard work to use.

The best vegetable plants this year are onions, shallots and beetroot.

I had a major birthday of large number this year and was given a contribution and encouragement by my family to get a Mantis rotovator which is an absolute little marvel.