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blackberries into large colanders.I say all this wistfully, because I still haven't found a good jam-making blackberry that I want to plant on the plot. An allotment friend has kindly given me a rooted cutting of 'Black Butte', but I note from the details

am neither territorial nor a micro-manager, so I really don't mind what they plant. We've agreed that the next step is to make a few labour-saving improvements. One half of our plot already has bark paths (good for beetles) which has really helped us

Where does the old season end and the new one begin? For allotmenteers it can feel like something of a continuum - these days you can buy excellent plug plants of winter lettuce and oriental greens that will take you right through winter, if you

, but our committee permits dwarfing rootstock and asks that we plant trees in the centre of the plot so that we don't shade or deplete the soil for someone else. The dwarf rootstock for plums is known as 'Pixy', but if you're planting in a back garden

and make sure you keep the middle of the plant open - the idea is to create a sort of goblet shape to allow plenty of air to circulate through the plant to prevent mildew.If redcurrants are what you're after, there are around 40 types grown at Wisley, which

, low-maintenance and rewarding. Considering their price at the supermarket, they are also inexpensive.Don't be tempted to impulse-buy those specimens stuffed into pots that you see in large garden centres. In my experience, mail order plants from

and tolerate more shade than sweet cherries, though beware of claims that they grow well on north-facing walls as they can become spindly. When it comes to planting on an allotment or small space, their size and spread make them ideal.I've ordered a variety

in the same place more than once - I wasn't bothered by them again.It's interesting to note that the previous year I had planted the herb Angelica archangelica on the allotment, for no other reason that it is statuesque and very pretty. I read in a book

organically, so my main line of defence up till now has been to plant mostly first early potatoes (blight tends to strike later in the season). I have grown 'Sarpo' varieties which have a greater resistance to blight, but when a warning is in force or signs