Unlike mass social media; X, Facebook, etc. our chat and help forums are closely moderated by volunteers who are knowledgeable gardeners and cooks. Any member may post and answer posts but some forum functions are unavailable immediately on joining. This weeds out spammers who think they can use the forum as a free advertising medium
Before joining please be aware we encourage different points of view but do not allow rudeness and personal insults. I’d strongly encourage new members to look on the Notice Board and read the Site Policies and Compliance with Code of Practice for Online Social Media Platforms
Because of the knowledgeable members and their experience, the quality of advice and information is generally a lot higher than that I’ve seen on mass social media platforms. As well as being able to ask questions and “chat on the plot” there is a wealth of knowledge contained within; so make use of the search function too as you will find many growing and preserving questions already answered there.
Please be aware that these screen images are from the desktop version which may vary slightly from the phone version. Click on the images to display a larger version.
Joining the Forum
1) To contribute you need to become a member which means you must register.
Please ignore the Social Media logins – these will be retired in the near future. Read and scroll down through the Registration Agreement
3) At the base of the of the page accept the agreement to proceed
Your Main Details
Enter a Username – please note this will be visible on line
Enter your Email – this will be used to verify you are not a spam bot and unless it can receive emails you will not be able to verify and join. I’d suggest you ‘whitelist’ forum@allotment-garden.org so the emails do not end up in some spam folder. How to do this will vary according to your email provider (Outlook, Gmail etc.)
Leave the ‘Allow users to email me’ box unticked
Enter a password and confirm it in the Verify password box
Tick the next box ‘Allow the administrators to send me important news by email’ (Recommended but not compulsory)
Location is very useful when people are advising you. A county is ideal unless you’re not in the UK in which case please say which country.
Tick and follow the reCAPTCHA
Finally Click Register
IMPORTANT
The system will send you an email which you must click on the link to verify. Allow up to 30 minutes for the email to arrive. No email? Check your spam folder.
Logging On
5) When you are a registered member you will need to login so we know you’re a member. Tick the ‘Always stay logged in:’ box so the system remembers you unless you’re on a borrowed computer.
If you’ve forgotten your password, click the link on the page.
As before, ignore the Social Media logins
Boards
6) Unlike Facebook etc. which is set up to follow people, the forums are about information. The information is filed in Boards – so if you’re looking at grow your own information, it will be in the Grow Your Own board. Click the title to open up that board.
Topics
7) Opening a board will display the various topics, also called threads. At the top is a menu which allows you to start a New Topic.
New Topic
8) Clicking New Topic opens this posting box.
Try to put a meaningful subject. “Help!” is not much use as it could be anything. “Onion stems have fallen over” immediately tells readers what your problem is.
Put your question in the large box and add any photos in the box below by dragging them or selecting.
Once you’re done, you can check what you’ve put by clicking Preview prior to clicking Post to publish.
Replying to An Existing Topic.
This is easy. Open the topic and scroll down to the end. Then click Reply to open a posting box as for a New Topic.
Starting
You might like to start by saying hello and a bit about yourself in the Welcome to the Forums board. It’s not compulsory but it’s friendly.
Experiment
I’ve covered the basics of joining and using the forum but there are features you’ll discover as you become more comfortable with the system. If you’re stuck, pop a question in Chatting on the Plot.
how do i join am interested in joining Pete
Hello Pete – just go to the main menu and click Chat & Help Forum then follow the instructions in this article.
Thankyou John, that is very helpful 🙂
I want to find out about building a ‘proper’ compost bin/holder/heap (many half-cocked attempts over the years?)- I have a collection of pallets and broken up wooden crates and thought of using those. I know one should never assume, but I am tempted to assume that the subject has already been covered in the forums – only, how do I find that thread, easily, please?
You can search the forum using the search box. If nothing appears, try using different terms (It’s not backed by a mega server farm with AI) e.g. compost bin breaks to compost and bin
Hi John
I am registered on the site at my email address above. We are moving to a new internet provider so I will soon lose my blueyonder email address ( it predates Virgin Media who we are leaving). I have tried everywhere to find out how I can change my email address on site but can’t find it. I don’t want to have to re-register as I think all record of my previous posts, diaries etc will disappear. Can you help?
Hi Anne – to change your email address, use the message system and either myself or Aunt Sally will do it for you.
I would very much like to join.
Michael
How can I force my raspberry plants to send out suckers? I want to produce more plants but I haven’t seen any for years.
You could ask on the forums.
Saving tomatoes plants,
I have taken cuttings of tomatoes in the autumn For three years running placed in a cold frame against the house, by spring ready to plant