New Plot - 2 options to choose

[Selymbria]

Hi all,

I am getting an allotment first time and need your quick advice.

I have 2 options:

Plot 1: 1 plot away from the walking path and water tap. It has 9 small raised beds but the state of the paths in between is really bad, I can see a lot of plastic underneath grass and barks, which I probably need to clear completely. I also dont like the small raised beds but can remove and readjust easily.

Plot 2: Next to walking path and water tap but has nothing but very dense grass on it. I can see someone attempted to grow but largely left it blank.

Which one should I choose? Would it be easier to work on the Plot 1? Or shall I go for the blank canvas?

Thanks
Sel

[bario1]

I'd say there are more important factors to consider than what's on the plot and how near water/paths it is, first one being how much sunlight does it get? Presuming they get the same amount of light, I'd go for the blank canvas personally. You could cover the whole thing in cardboard, plastic or whatever and use the winter to formulate your ideal layout...

[Jay-ell]

Yep, sun is an important factor - are either plot shaded by hedges/trees/neighbours sheds?
Are there any hedges on the north side that will sap out the moisture from the plots?

After that the water supply would come into it.

With either plot you'll probably need to dig it over in any case to get rid of weed roots/black plastic. If you don't want the raised beds then removing them is an additional chore and you'll have to get rid of the wood somehow (are fires allowed?)

I'd probably try and get as much newspaper and cardboard as possible, strim/mow the grass off the blank canvas and cover it - either leaving the cuttings to lie as a mulch and break down over winter or starting up the compost pile.

Next year you could also grow everything off in pots at the start and transplant them, using newspaper and grass cuttings to sheet mulch in between the larger crops to reduce weed pressure.

[Snadger]

My plot is one away from the public path and I feel my produce, fixtures and fittings are safer and less likely to be stolen or vandalised than if I was next to the path. There is also the privacy issue as I don't particularily want to be talking to every Tom Dick or Harry that wanders up the path.

[Chestnut]

I would go with light and landscape first (is there a slope? Either plot in a dip that floods?).
Are there any hedges or big trees putting their roots through your new plot?
Also put a spade in to the ‘all grass’ plot to check there isn’t plastic or carpet under the grass...

After that, does either plot ‘feel right’ instinctively? It’s a bit like when you are viewing houses, or potential partners; sometimes you know instantly and sometimes it takes time. ;-)

[Bluenowhere]

Sun, soil, gut feeling, do you want to be a bit more private or chat to lots of people, what condition surrounding plots are in, who your allotment neighbours are, what you want on your plot in comparison to the plots around you, access to water. Water can always be collected/transported but weeds spreading from an adjacent plot or a neighbour who is annoying can’t so easily be dealt with.

I say gut feel as on parts of our site everyone has a large shed and polytunnel the other side of the site mainly tiny sheds, we wanted a polytunnel and shed big enough to make tea and store produce in so in choosing our plot we were automatically more comfortable on the plot that side of the site as the surrounding plots looked like we wanted to achieve and we knew we wouldn’t be upsetting anyone next to us as we were going to be building what they already had. Then we were down to a choice of two plots, one that backed onto the side of the site (back gardens the other side of the boundary) the other was in the middle of the site with a side path which links two main paths. We chose the edge plot, which has no shared paths down the side as we wanted a sitting area and not to feel we were on a ‘thoroughfare’ even though it was smothered in couch grass and on a slope.

Providing you see it as a long term proposition then the condition of the plot shouldn’t influence the decision too much unless you aren’t prepared to put ten’s of hours in to dig up the grass in which case the other plot might be an easier start as you could get the beds into commission pretty quickly (even if long term you wanted to rip them out), shovel off the weeds on top of the matting path then cover them with more woodchip until you had time to dig them out properly.

To give you an idea on how long a fully couch grass plot takes to sort out. After a year and half we have dealt with the grass (in year one we cultivated over three quarters and covered the remaining bits), this year we finished digging out the remainder. The first year I spent almost every evening when the clocks went forward and at least one day at the weekend getting it into shape - we took it on in Feb so you have a head start taking it on now.

[Selymbria]

Thanks a lot for the long responses! These 2 plots are diagonal to each other, plot 1 is the second plot of a row and plot 2 is the first plot of the next row. No hedges, both have same sunlight. Plot 1s neighbouring plots are well maintained but the plot across is blank, that plot across is basically the one on the left of the plot 2.
I saw a lot of material under plot 1 paths and it will take time to clear it out but there shouldnt be any grass or weed underneath. Plot 2 is all grass and deep couple of holes, I think there were gooseberries there. I also see that it was digged deeply as it has big lumps.
There is also a shed area in plot 1 where a shed used to be but nothing indicates that there was a shed in plot 2.

[Selymbria]

One difference is which way they face looking from the shed space. Plot 1 will be south facing whereas plot 2 will be north facing as the north side is next to the path.

[veggiechicken]

Plot 2 - is it "all grass" or are there weeds in the grass? Weeds like marestail or brambles?
Without seeing them, I'd have Plot 1. With 9 small beds, even though you don't want them, it gives you a layout to start with. Clear a bed at a time and you can plant it up. It'll feel like progress. With Plot 2, you'd be clearing a corner or strip at a time.

[Bluenowhere]

On balance I�d probably go for plot 1.

I�d favour the one which is more naturally south facing in respect of the paths/shed, although you could set up the plot 2 back to front so the shed was still on the north end. I�d also go for having nicely cultivated plots both sides as they seem pretty equal otherwise.

[lynda66]

I had pretty much the same choice when I got mine, one had a few raised beds, and a blackcurrant bush but tons of the reedy tufts of grass, found in bogs and damp areas,
or one with 2 paths a fair bit of carpet and black plastic and surrounded by mounds of weedy soil that's not really classed as part of the plot. but it did have a few red currant bushes and a big plum tree.

I figured that it would be easier to remove the carpets and plastic than the tufty reeds
the plum tree outweighed the raised beds that I didn't want anyway. plus it turned out
mine is the last place on the lottie to get sun when it goes down, plus I have a streetlight as there's a footpath on the other side of the fence. ... the manure pile/car park is about as far away as it could be, and I need 100ft hose to use the tap. but I've got a water butt on next doors shed ..... I definitely made the right decision, the guy who took the raised bed one .... ended up they were all rotten and he had to get a mini digger in to put drainage in as it was literally just a bog under the raised beds.

I just had a feeling about my plot .... turned out I was right ... gut instinct is often the best way to choose x

[Jay-ell]

I had a choice between a plot ready to start planting in with minimal work, one needing a bit of work and one needing years of work.

I followed my feelings and can you get which one I took?

[Derbydal]

Number 1 ! atb Dal.

[Jay-ell]

Erm, number 3 actually

Main reason was when I put my hand into the soil in the beds it was the most gorgeous friable crumbly soil. It may have had the odd electrical appliance buried but they came out easily enough. The wood on the beds was rotten and I had to replace it - but I'd have had to build beds on any of the plots.

There were less trees along the back which meant that the plot got more morning than the first plot and more evening sun than the third.

It also has it's own tap but that was just a bonus.

At the start it looked a nightmare but thinking about what it had going for it I though what it could be like in a year or five. After a year most of the work had been done on fixing the beds and it is a great plot now, productive, great soil.

My second plot (the New Territories) I took over because it's next door to the Jungle and was full of weeds which I didn't want to be continuously spreading into the Jungle after I worked hard to bring it into shape. It was also one of the biggest plots on the site

[bikermike]

is either significantly nearer to your house? I chose the plot I did as it was nearest to my house (5 mins walk). OK, I don't get enough done there, but I'd get even less done if it was less close. And it means the wife and small person can visit without committing a lot of time.