Newbie in Berkshire

[Stan79]

My tuppence worth!

Work out which way is north for starters...

Work out if you're going to have a shed, greenhouse, etc, etc. If so, plan them into a design on paper or on Excel on the computer and put them at the northern end of the plot so you're not shading your veg. Make sure anything you put up isn't going to break any rules or shade any neighbouring plots.

Get some pallets and make some compost heaps locating them in a convenient location (north end again probably). 3 screwed together to make a 'U' shape and tie a fourth on the front so you can easily remove it to dig it out at a later date. 10 pallets make three compost heaps so you can turn your heap into an empty one and help it compost quicker.

Mark out some beds with pegs and string and get digging two beds near the entrance so you feel like you've made some impact. Plant them up with lettuce, radish, etc to get a crop in the coming weeks.

Then consider what you want to do with the rest of the plot...

If you want to dig beds and have paths in between consider the size of a lawnmower to keep the paths neat.
If you want raised beds you're going to have to ship in tonnes of soil, compost, manure, etc. And the wood (something solid enough to last) is likely to be a bit pricey on a large plot.
If you want to go no dig you can get cardboard boxes from industrial estates, bike shops, etc.

When i started my plot i got a big roll of weed suppressant sheeting/matting and double layered it over the are i identified for beds and rolled it back in sections as i found time to clear the next area. I felt this was neater than having a load of cardboard flapping around and i wanted to get as many of the weeds out of the ground and into the compost heap as possible!

Planning is key and seeing some progress is essential... do it in small manageable chunks!

[Jay-ell]

Hi Kazz - and welcome to the vine (ok you've been lurking around for a while but welcome anyway)

Nothing really to add. Don't think you have the entire plot to clear. Always thing you only have the small patch in front of you to clear and the rest is for later. That way you see what you've achieved rather than looking at what needs to be done.

Cardboard, newspaper (laid thickly), landscaping fabric (the thick stuff, not poundland), black plastic - all can cover up areas that you aren't working on right now and smother the weeds for when you. When you do want to plant out an area you can just cut holes in black plastic and landscaping fabric and plant through them (although the plastic wont let water through before you've made all the holes in it).

If you can, you might want to wok it for a season before you put in the shed, greenhouse, polytunnel etc so that you can see where the sun is at different times of the year.

[chillithyme]

Welcome Kazz
Congrats on your new allotment, great photo, good luck

[bikermike]

welcome!

My advice - it's a bit late to do much for this year (are you paying rent for this year? see if you can get at least a rebate).

0) Do you have any old buckets etc? you could put a cluster of them together and start salad etc, so you've got something.
1) start a compost heap - all that grass can be raked into it, and you can add uncooked vegetable waste from the kitchen, (and garden waste if you have a garden etc etc). Whatever else you do, you'll always want compost it can be happening whilst you do other stuff. Do you have access to manure? coffee grounds? that sort of thing? you can never have enough compost/
2) Don't rush into anything, it's a marathon not a sprint. If permissible/applicable etc, then I suggest surveying the plot with something cold in hand and think about what you might do.
3) I am a no-dig, no chemicals type, so my advice is coloured accordingly. I would pick a location where you want to start next year and cover it with black plastic/cardboard/whatever you can get (not carpet) and weight it down. then it will be clear for next year. Pick an achievable area, you don't need to do it all in year one.
4) At the start of next year, get some spuds in - they are pretty hard to get wrong and then you'll be pretty sure of getting something and be able to show the committee you are cultivating.
5) When you plan beds, make sure you factor in your reach - I have standardised at 1.2m wide, which is a bit wide, but I'm fairly tall. I have also standardised at length of 2.7m (which gives me two across the plot with a path in between).
6) A shed is a useful thing to get early, you can put things in it, and hide in it if the rain gets too bad (assuming we get any)

[Jay-ell]

When it comes to beds, we'll that's a whole thread in itself (actually there's probably already several).

Some people use large beds (e.g. A quarter of the growing area per bed) and split that into rows of different crops.

Some people like smaller defined beds with permanent paths in between (mine are 8 foot by 4 foot and 14 by 4).

Beds DO NOT NEED a wooden surround. As you add compost, mulch or dig the beds will naturally become raised higher than the paths.

Edged beds may help stop the soil falling back onto the path, remind you when to stop digging the bed (stopping bed or path creep) and tells others where they can walk.

[Earthgirl Jen]

Evening Kazz get far to over excited at the prospect of what you might be able to grow and enjoy x

Lookout 2019 ! It's fun and they are a lovely bunch on here .