What have I done????????

[GraciesGran]

I've long harboured a longing for an allotment and took the plunge last autumn, husband horrified as he hates anything garden related. Allotment not in too bad condition, has some strawberries and rhubarb already. Its within walking distance so am trying to do an hour a day except for the 2 days when I work. Not as easy as it sounds - the problem with being retired is that there is so much to do.

So far I've cleared some ground and have compost bins coming along nicely. The aim this year is for sweet peas, beans, mangetout and perhaps some 'winter' type greens. Am being mentored by my neighbour who not only provides good advice but hot chocolate at 11.00 and tea at 3.00.

Only problem no shed, BUT there is a nearby allotment that apparently has not been used for a year which has one, so I took the plunge spoke to the Parish Council and they said YES, so now have 2 allotments. Please advise - am I as mad as I think I am????

[Jay22]

Yes!!

I have no idea really as I don't have even one allotment but it will certainly keep you busy and well fed I would imagine!

[Scarlet]

How big are your plots? I know I would struggle, an hour a day isn't much at all. It can take me an hour to pick the raspberries in the summer.

[Scarlet]

You could plant one up with permanent fruit etc. blackcurrants, gooseberry, tayberry, rasps. That would cut down workload. Just prune and mulch heavily before spring to stop the weeds.

[Lisasbolt]

Helcome to the vine,

Lucky you, plots really vary in size, you could get a greenhouse. Get a load of perennia´s in there, maybe a asparagus bed, then apart from some maintenance and picking it the jobs done

I spend easy an hour a day in my garden and thats just walking around

[muddled]

TeeHee!

Are we talking full plots here?
And you took on a second without ever experiencing a spring/summer on the first?

Yup. Absolutely bonkers

I think maybe you should check out the cultivation rules on your site....what percentage must be under cultivation, are fruit trees allowed, that sort of thing.
My husband hates all things gardening too and so I have scaled down to a half plot because beginning a big allotment would likely be full time employment for a person on their own.

We'll need photos of course, pictures of your progress!
And you're in good company...there are plenty of nutters here

[Pacey]

That does sound like you have a lot to do. Could you not just keep the one with the shed and give up the first one you got? If you end up needing more space in the future, it doesn't sound like it will be too much of an issue, if the plot was free for a year.

[alldigging]

You could plant one up with permanent fruit etc. blackcurrants, gooseberry, tayberry, rasps. That would cut down workload. Just prune and mulch heavily before spring to stop the weeds.

Mulch is def your friend. Weedfabric underneath is well worth the investment but as woodchip rots it makes soil which things grow in - but can be replaced with more woodchip.

[sparrow100]

Wow, that's ambitious! 2 plots not even on the same site.

I hope they are better nick than mine were when I got them. I couldn't have done both at once, and they are only half plots. And within a few metres of each other.

Like muddled, I'd check your tenancy agreements to see what the expectations are on cultivation rates.

Good luck!!

[veggiechicken]

I don't know whether Gracie's gran has the same plot as in 2012. If so, its a half plot. http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1027441
To be honest, I struggled with a full plot, on my own, whilst working fulltime. An hour a day isn't really enough. Unless you've put lots of work into your existing plot, I'd think of moving to the other plot.

[4390evans]

What you could do is use one lottie for lets say tatties so you only have to pop over every now and then to weed and the other as your regular mix of thing . Or one as a fruit patch and the other as veg. You could just cover one of them to keep weeds off till you know what you want to do. I would love one lottie and adore two

[greenishfing]

Yes!! You are as mad as a box of frogs or as mad as my husband. When we took our allotments (nobody on the waiting list) we were asked how many (full size) plots we wanted. I said one my husband said three and we settled on two. They had not been cultivated for 20+ years.

Nightmare in the beginning!!!

Now under control (more or less) but still hard work.

[ancee]

Mad but enthusiastic and ambitious. Good luck!

[noviceveggrower]

Hi there. In answer to your question yep I think you are. But you will realise, if you already haven't, that most allotment people/ gardening people are slightly bonkers.
Think you have been given some good advice already.
I would check what fruit to veg ratio you might need. The allotment my aunty is on has a strict fruit to veg ratio. If you could get away with having one turned to fruit could be a bonus. You could wood chip paths then mulch between plants to keep weeds down.
Just worried that you might stretch yourself a bit thin and you could get disheartened about it all.

[Florence Fennel]

Hello and welcome and yes, stark raving, but I bet you enjoy being so