The BIG Plant Out Begins! Allotment Gardening UK

❓Do you think my tomato and pepper plants will survive in the greenhouse this month? 🤔 🫑 🍅

I've planted out exactly the same as you – onions, garlic, beetroot. I'm hoping they're resistant to slugs, because everything – and I mean everything, was eaten by them last year. I've put out yeast traps in all the beds, but when I've been up to check at nights there are still literally hundreds of slugs and snails hurtling around the allotment. I've been growing veg on this allotment for almost 20 years now, and I've never had this trouble with molluscs before. So I've got a greenhouse full of brassicas etc ready to go out but I'm loathe to plant them! That's gardening for you☹☹😪

Hi Jim I've sat and watched a blackbird rip my garden to shreds at the time I wondered what the hell it was doing it was going berserk pecking the ground on closer inspection it was after the ants that had nested there and I reckon there doing the same in your beds if you have red ants you'll have birds eating them they love them

Hi 👋 Don’t worry, we are all the same, I couldn’t wait myself, especially on those beautiful days we just had 😅 Fingers crossed 🤞 the weather is going to be kind to us 👩‍🌾🙏

nice vid thanks for the update

I planted some early main and main crop potatoes last week, just before the but of rain. Soil seems to be warming up too, especially for the raised beds. Yesterday's video shows me putting pea shoots and corn in the ground. I wasn't brave enough to plant the onions!

Allotments looking amazing 👌

Move a scoop of ants from one colony to mix with another colony. They fight one another because this is invasion. It has worked well for me

I mixed baking soda with icing sugar last year and sprinkled around their paths. Disappeard.

Looking well so far Jim. I've planted some maris pipers. I know people tend to wait on main crops but these are all I'm growing potatoes. Potting up seelings this last couple weeks. Armageddon and Jalapeño chillis sized up and money maker and sweet mill tomatoes too. Onions are getting ready to plant out soon. I'm taking a gamble with some of my early seedlings in the greenhouse this next couple weeks too. I have a small parafin heater to help keep the frost off even just the slightest to keep them alive I may get away with some earlier crops. The weather so far is getting me very optimistic. Fingers crossed for an amazing growing season

My beetroot is the same size, but I'm scared to plant it out! I'm sure your onions will be fine, you've got so many, if you lose a few you won't miss them. It's a shame about the ants – I noticed they've just moved into my brand new beds, too. They aren't red ants and I find I can use cinnamon to deter them, but I do have to keep applying it when it rains – they hate the smell, not sure if it would work on red ants, but maybe worth a try? Your plots look fantastic, and the polytunnel will, too, with its new cover. Enjoy the rest of your week 😃🌱

Well!!! Went out to check on the garden awhile ago 4-2-25 and of course my chicken wire tunnels over my pea babies are just fine for the birds……..however, little holes in the dirt showed up and the peas are disappearing. Rats, mice, don’t know. I will replant🤣🫤

Your plot is looking fabulous

Only peas 🫛 but there have been broad beans and kale out for a while now. Yes I get it you sometimes just want to get stuff done. It was on and off nice but now back to rain ☔️ but next few days are meant to be nice 🤞🤞. Oh lord the slugs are eating the daffodils 😢 before they can open. Oh well, have a super day Jim, Ali 🌦️🌧️🇨🇦

How are you getting on with the metal raised bed? Just been to check on my new ones and they’re very dry, strawberries have gone brown and crispy 😢 Do you think a thick layer of strulch will help? Planning on growing salad crops and peppers in my others (with a cover on the peppers). I’m in Cornwall and we’ve had a very warm few days.

Hello Jim another great video I have decided to treat my self to a 16ft wide by 24ft long can wait don’t know what base to put it on weather to put it on the grass or concrete base.

I love sunflowers 🌻 in fact I am putting in 300 in this year next year will be even more as I will have the new pollytunnel up and running. Will not be having it until the end of July so missed this year but next year wow 😮can not wait

Keep up the great work and videos.

Keep safe

Jacko

It’s definitely black birds

I have to cover my onions, last year onion fly ruined them all burrowing in the leaves.

You have been working hard to grow all those seedlings and onions, so well done. By the way, I always find that sparrows decimate my beetroot seedlings and continue eating any that grow to full size so I have to net them. However, they also sit on the netting and pick at the leaves through it. I wish you the best of luck for the coming season, you deserve it.

Could I ask, do the ants actually cause any damage?

Thank you Jim, great video. I guess you use the same nitrogen little balls as we do. A lot done :). I'm here preparing work but I'm anxious to go to the garden as well. If only days had 48 hours… 😁 Good tip for the carrots, thank you! I got some of mine in the ground yesterday (those that are ball-shaped—I don't remember the variety – but I found them cute).😊 Take care.

Put some windmills on the corners.

Another great vid James …😁👍

Would it be better to spray the Red Ants before they get to established. If the tomato and pepper plants start suffering take them back home, into the warmth.

Wow! Lovely. I'm inspired. Get my beets direct sown. So exciting

My onions have gone about soft Will they recover?

Stop killing the wildlife. They were here first and will be here long after we've gone.

I like how you did sign language for testicles while saying "I want nice big ones".

Hi James the plot is looking great, as long as you harden off the onion plants before planting out they should be fine, we will still get frosts as its only 1st of April,I've just sowed my leeks, but I'm NE UK, for swede sowing I sow into cell trays then you can pop them out and plant, as not disturbing the roots, had a high of 40 degrees in greenhouse today but the lowest was 1 degree, so still cold on a night time, great update, take care,Steve

NW Spain here. Usually there's only 2 or 3 degrees of difference with southern UK, but I've planted everything already. What a difference 2 or 3 degrees make. The only thing that I'm still protecting with plastic bottles are white aubergine, which are the cold-picky plants IMO. Most peppers do fine already uncovered. Some chilis don't, but bell peppers and padrón pepper don't mind a couple 8°C nights here and there.

Rats tend to move around edges and along walls not in the middle of a space. So traps or baits need to do the same!

Hi Jim, I really enjoyed your video.👌🌱Can I ask why you planted the leeks sitting loosely in the holes rather than firmed in?

What are your views on allium leaf minor attacking onions and leeks. Will you be covering them up?

P.s. get rubber snakes for your beds, keep the birds and rats away 😊

Ronan Keating….i swear you must be related……no what i tell you

Today I have taped my greenhouse door shut to stop me mithering my seedlings, I'm determined to not look at them for two days 😬

Wow it looks well now matey alot of effort has paid off all we .need is a red hot summer to match hope everyone does really well this year and not like the last🇬🇧🍀😃

I took my pepper plants into my unheated greenhouse like 2 weeks ago and it's been around 1 and 2 degrees (Celsius) at night and they're absolutely fine!

Thank you 😇👍

Did you ever play the game Earthworm Jim on the Sega Mega Drive? That was the first thing I thought of when I saw your channel name. Hope you're enjoying the planting season!

Put some sponge pipe lagging on my frame for polytunnel. Seems to be working ok .

I feel for all the utube gardeners I watch.☺️life gets in the way

Great vlog , thanks for sharing 😊

Nice one Jim. I put out one lot of onions plus peas and sweetpeas. I too have some sacrificial peppers and tomatoes in the polytunnel. You gotta try 😜. Have a great week. Mags

Hi Jim, I'm also in Lancashire, Chorley. Have you ever grown Pack Choi? I've tried umpteen different ways, it always bolts😢. Love you're channel. Bx❤

Get some Nematodes for the ants they will soon move out. Worked a treat for me last year.