Adrian shares experience and strategies
Background
Adrian is a well-experienced grower who has had his allotment for 17 years. His plot contains a mix of dig beds and deep, raised no-dig beds which are largely filled with compost. His enthusiasm for growing also leads him to volunteer with TAMS and One Seed Forward. These organisations provide a source of locally grown food and promote learning and empowerment around self-grown food respectively.
Produce
Adrian grows an extensive range of berries, root crops, legumes, brassicas and salad foods. While his list seems endless, he comments on how he has cut down on the range over the years to avoid waste. Cauliflowers were axed due to them all being ready at the same time. He now focuses more on what he actually likes to eat and has plenty freezer space so he can cook up and store his produce to eat across the year. His excesses are donated to TAMS who have stalls around the city’s parks on Friday lunchtimes.
Soil and allotment maintenance
Adrian describes as healthy soil as being dark, having a good structure and plenty of organic matter. He doesn’t worry about testing for pH or other properties as he has developed a good feel for when the soil is healthy and productive. Adrian believes soil conditioners are key to healthy soil and adds organic matter to the soil every autumn. This is a mix of cow or horse manure (depending on availability), leaf mould, brewery residue, self-made and bought compost. He also uses dry amendments like blood and bone pellets. You can see that his organic inputs are reflected in the % organic matter content of his soil samples shown below.
Adrian used to double dig everything as he thought that was the right way and enjoyed the exercise. Over time he has transitioned to managing some areas of his plot using a “no-dig” strategy. Increasing awareness about beneficial soil ecosystems which help keep a good soil structure and function better when less disturbed led him to install deep raised beds 6 or 7 years ago. He uses the raised beds strategically for plants that need regular attention, as their height makes it easier on the body.
Another adaptation has been to invest in a large netted cage structure for pest control against birds and rabbits. This excludes unwanted visitors, but is still experimental as the partitioning will reduce crop rotation from 4 to 3 years. Adrian uses netted tunnels for protection against dreaded carrot flies, and has vinegar spray at hand to deal with flat-worms. While avoiding chemicals as much as possible, he occasionally has to resort to slug pellets.
Tips for new growers in North East Scotland
Adrian recommends new growers to wait 3-4 weeks later than recommended sowing dates given in popular TV and radio programs such as Gardeners Question Time. He warns that it’s easy to get caught out by sunny, warm weather the region often experiences in March. These bouts are usually followed by a return to cold weather which kills off the plants. Growers also need to avoid planting too early in greenhouses or under glass outdoors. These plants tend to shoot up quickly and need planting out while it’s still too cold. Despite the later sowing time, most plants catch up, although Adrian recommends new growers to stay away from butternut and corn which are challenging in Aberdeen’s short growing season.
(Error bars show standard deviation from the mean)
litre of soil. (Error bars show standard deviation from the mean)
Note that soil properties may be highly variable within a short distance and figures given are not representative of the whole allotment site.
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