Got an allotment at last!

[andyf3050]

Hi everyone,
I'm Andy and should hopefully be taking over my allotment this weekend. I work for a local drug & alcohol support service in Thurrock, Essex and we have had an allotment for a few months now, which I'm in charge of running. The idea is to get our service users involved and so the work begins.
We're looking forward to having our own allotment too and we've grown veggies in sacks in our very small back garden with some success but it'll be nice to have a dedicated patch to look after and see what we can grow.
Any hints and tips for a family of new growers would be very much appreciated!

Thank...!

[rustylady]

Hello Andy - welcome to the Vine.

Have a browse through some of the threads on here, there's lots of interesting tips. Any specific questions please ask - we're always happy to give answers but we don't always agree with each other

[chris]

Don't forget to post pictures for us nosey lot

[Martin H]

Welcome to the vine, Andy!

I took an allotment this year so I'm only a season ahead of you, not so far away in Hornchurch.

You'll get loads of ideas from this great forum, the regulars here know a huge amount and don't always contradict one another either.



Take pics of the plot as you go, we like pics on here.

[Bill HH]

My most important bit of advice is, get a comfy chair and a shed to put it in.

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Andy

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine Andy, what a perfect time to get a plot.........good luck.

[Two_Sheds]

Hello and welcome. I lived in Grays for a year, while 'we' built the Lakeside Shopping Centre



I say we, I had nothing to do with the actual construction, but my team set up the WHSmith there

[veggiechicken]

Hello Andy and welcome. Good time to get planning and plotting!
Previous posts imply that we don't always agree - its more that we come up with alternative solutions for you to choose from - a sort of Pick and Mix of advice

[Two_Sheds]

Any hints and tips for a family of new growers would be very much appreciated

The same advice to anyone: grow what you like to eat. If you don't like chard, even though it's the easiest thing in the world to grow, don't plant it. Ditto rhubarb

If your space is small, grow crops that are expensive to buy (eg fruit)

Make a list of what you like.

Now divide that list into 4 "families": legumes, roots, brassicas, other. This can be your basic crop rotation scheme. Keep it simple: I've stuck with 4 for years (I have permanent crops, like asparagus & fruit beds, but I don't include them in the 4-bed rotation plan, because they never move)

Mark out the allotment with pegs & string. Get your paths marked out, get your beds marked out. Never walk on the beds, walk on the paths: don't skimp on paths or else you'll end up walking on the beds.

[Shelleybobs]

I've had my allotment since March 2012 and it's the best hobby I've had. Just been given more land to go at which is more hard work.

My advise is keep at it, work hard and you will reap the rewards. Talk to others on the allotments because they are so knowledgable and friendly, also sharing their produce.

Weeds are my enemy and I find it hard to keep up with them as I work full time. I recently have established is to use all the cultivated land to avoid them taking over.

Enjoy because I certainly do. Releases the stress of work and it's great exercise. Buy the book 'allotments for dummies', very useful.

Good luck!

[Florence Fennel]

Hello and a very warm welcome to the Vine

[Two_Sheds]

Weeds are my enemy

They don't have to be. There are many & varied ways of tackling/approaching weeds, inc. some you may not have thought of:

in a nutshell (I can explain more fully if required)

- nothing is useless, not even couch grass
- turn ALL your weeds into fertiliser, don't send anything to the tip
- use weeds as green manure
- use weeds as living mulch
- don't pull out weeds until they flower
- let weeds get pretty big before you pull them
- don't try to remove every single weed as it appears
- digging means more weeds
- so can hoeing

[Veggielot]

Congratulations, enjoy your growing.

[andyf3050]

Thanks for all the replies guys! What a nice friendly bunch...!


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