New allotment!

[MissPea]

So I have an allotment as of today! I am so excited (and scared) to begin.
Any advice for starting out?
Also I have a plot that had a pidgeon building/coop thing (can’t remember the name) and it seems to be slightly lower down. There no manure this year for the allotment unfortunately so does anyone know a cost saving way to try build it up slightly ? Also will the building have taken the nutrients or will it be ok? I plan on green manure over winter and the no dig method (feel it’s best being a puny 5’2) this is the plot...

[Chestnut]

That looks like a lovely spot!
I have seen a chicken coop have it’s netting run removed and sides boarded up to make a shed- if you don’t mind a bit of woodwork?

[Bluenowhere]

I’m 5’2 as well, think I’ve found muscles I never knew I had with my allotment over the last year and half!

Where the building was the soil may well be compacted if someone was walking over it a lot or there was a solid floor on it. I know you are planning no dig but I’d be tempted to dig it over to loosen the soil a bit at least in that area, you might find that increases the soil level a bit once you get some air in.

Manure you could see if any local stables will deliver some to your plot, perhaps even for just petrol money. You could spread it over the whole plot it will rot over the winter and worms will do most of the work for you reducing digging.

If you use a green manure you will need to dig it in when spring comes. No dig relies on large quantities of compost and manure so is hard when you start out. Also I’d want to dig over the soil at least once to get any perennial weed roots out but that’s because we have couch grass and horsetail on our plots and I’ve seen what happens to plots where new people tried no dig without getting the roots out first.

I do a combined approach, dig out perennial encroaching roots, we only took ours last Feb so still working on the couch grass encroaching from paths I’ve not dealt with yet and horsetail, the cover with manure over winter then gently fork in remainder before planting. Next year I will have some of our compost to use as well.

Either way you need to get the soil covered or you will end up with a weed covered mess on your hands before spring.

[ESBkevin]

Hello MissPea,

I'd take the 'cover it' option. Gather as many brown cardboard boxes as you can and lay them/overlap them about the surface. Chuck clods of earth on top to hold it down and then add any compost or green waste you can to that over time. come spring the soil will at least be clean and ready to plant. You might need to fork out the odd perenial weed like dandilion or couch grass etc. but otherwise the effort will be minimal on the digging and maximum of the gathering organic material as and when.

[Two_Sheds]

Be aware that horse muck is usually full of weed seeds. If you have it locally and for free, you could use it, but it’s not necessary. More info: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...uck_75789.html

I’m 5’3”
Had an allotment for 22 years
No dig, mostly organic

I recommend reading Sepp Holzer & the One Straw Revolution, and looking at Charles Dowding online

You have a lot of bare soil: sow green manures now and they’ll help with fertility, soil structure and weeds. I use Field Beans, Phacelia, Caliente Mustard and Crimson Clover - all shallow rooted and easy to pull up when you need the ground.

[MissPea]

That looks like a lovely spot!
I have seen a chicken coop have it’s netting run removed and sides boarded up to make a shed- if you don’t mind a bit of woodwork?

thanks all,

I don't think I would mind a bit of woodwork, but not sure where I'd even get a chicken coop lol I'm planning on getting some pallets for compost first anyway and obviously getting ready for planting next year, they mentioned I could borrow tools if need be, but my family are asking around if anyone has any spare that I could have.
@two_sheds, I have had a look at Charles Dowding, and it really appeals to me, the green Manure, Ive read it can be chopped before flowering and left as a ground cover, is this right? I;m tempted to buy soil but worried it'll need quite a lot, and cost alot, so not sure if i should buy some every so often or just plant the green manure and hope for the best.

it looks like there is some couch grass, so a little dig out is required but reading Charles Dowding, he said its best not to disturb the soil as much as possible, does that apply to the compacted soil too?
I have ordered Phacelia and crimson clover, so do i leave these till spring or cut them after a few weeks

Sorry for all the questions,

[ESBkevin]

Compacted soil will open up if treated to a thick mulch. the theory is that worms etc. together with the decaying roots of last years crop create airways into the soil. The air is critical to the survival of the 'soil food web'. By adding organic mulch you will build soil right there without having to dig or import any.
Typically three years of decent mulching will provide a healthy depth of soft frieble soil that is well balanced in nutrients for growing pretty much anything. In the first year you might choose to dig a small area for root crops like carrots, but Charles Dowding doesn't and his carrots look fantastic in year one.

[bikermike]

if it had a pigeon coop on it, won't it likely have been pretty heavily manured with pigeon guano anyway? (either naturally, or shovelled out of the coop)

[Jay-ell]

I believe that the problem is that the ground where the coop was is lower that the rest of the plot and MissPea is asking about how to raise the level, not the fertility.

MissPea you may want to do a test pit or two in the area the coop was, especially round the edge as the coop may have had a wire skirt or floor installed to prevent rats getting in.

How big an area are we talking about being lower and how much lower is it?

[MissPea]

The full plot so maybe that’s why if there was wire below it they have dug it up. Think it was a massive building going by what the others are like. I’ll try get pictures tomorrow. Hoping (braving ) taking the kids up to find something to do for them haha. It seems like an inch or two from remembering. Need to double check.

[Jay-ell]

If it's a bird site and there's other pigeon crees on the site then something you are going to need is brassica / pea cages. Pigeons LOVE these so you'll want to make a cage gig enough for a full grown sprout plant or three.

Pester your neighbours for all their garden clippings and start up a compost pile. If you know anyone with a horse ask them for the poop and start up a manure pile. Check gumtree and local papers see if anyone has free manure. Check your council and see if they provide discounted soil amendments to allotments and get some of that if you can afford it.

[MissPea]

I’ll try that. I think they said the place has got club root too so might prove difficult growing brassicas anyway. But I will try �� I don’t know anyone thatll have manure, unfortunately but I’ll keep an eye out on gumtree or something. My friend mentioned when she lived in Stirling, her recycle centre gave out free soil but that’s about an hour away from me. She is also going to help source pallets for a compost bin.

[MissPea]

Update: so I have two pictures of my progress.
I went up on the Wednesday and done a little hand digging with weeds, whilst also having a picnic with the kids of course, a man felt sorry for me and gave me a fork �� it really was a losing battle with the couch grass which is a lot more than I thought, so the no dig isn’t going to work this year but can continue hopefully next year once under control. I then went on Saturday and got help with a little patch removing weeds, whilst I done a bit at the back, and on Sunday I cleared the brambles and fern and a dogwood rose (is that even a thing or have I made that up �� ) I also found honeysuckle trying to make its way through, although it wasn’t until I cut it away I seen the flowers in amongst the weeds behind the fence. Still don’t have an idea for a layout. You can see the step down to my plot, and it’s also all on a hill too so need to tackle that (any tips?)

[Bluenowhere]

it really was a losing battle with the couch grass which is a lot more than I thought,
All on a hill too so need to tackle that (any tips?)

I feel your pain with the couch grass. We have that too. Year two and winning the battle!
As you are doing, dig out as many roots as you possibly can, whatever you do don’t compost it unless you have drowned the roots in a bucket/barrel of water for a couple of weeks first.

Cover what you can’t dig, if you can manure and cover the majority of the couch dies after around 8 months and it seems to bring the remaining living roots to the surface so they are easier to dig out, in our experience.

Ours also slopes downhill from entrance to end, we put our shed and compost bins at the bottom of the slope.

With a hill ai would just deal with each bed, edged with wood or mound the soil slightly with a little trench on the downhill side to stop the soil getting washed down the hill, and get the bed itself level’ish. You will never get rid of the slope and while the bottom bit might get soggy if there is a lot of rain hopefully the rest should be okay as excess water will drain to the bottom.

On the bright side barrowing stuff along the allotment is downhill , I can see why you put your little polytunnel at the bottom to get the shelter from the hedge but beware that frost pockets collect at the bottom of the slope so if you are going to start seeds in there on grow more tender things it might not be ideal.

Sure someone more experienced will be on to suggest layout ideas. We used a whiteboard to stretch out our ideas until we had a layout we were happy with.

Ours is. Smaller rotation beds at the top (near the water trough), then all our widlife pond, fruit beds - bushes and trees. Then big beds for squash, courgettes, potatoes. Polytunnel, then sheds, deck next to shed for sitting and flower bed with the compost bins, water ibc tanks, storage area for wheelbarrows etc right at the end.

[MissPea]

That gives me hope! I fell it'll be never ending, it's growing quick with the forever changing weather so looks worse now that when I started last week, I was just putting it there as i was putting my tools in it and didnt want it near the start, originally I wanted it it the entrance of plot, but for the first year anyway I think i will sow seeds at my house so i have a better chance of looking after them lol.
anyone have a full proof idea for doing a DIY shed haha?