Whats the order of jobs on new plot.

[woodsmithsbakery]

Well, First allotment, 26, own Bakery, want to grow fruits and veg to bake with and do my part, My offer letter dictates it's 100msq nice and huge from what I can see Googling.

SO What I think I need to do it, Asses the current plants left, and look for signs of pest and disease, I could not see any when I went to view but something may have developed in that time.
Look are whats growing around, LOTS and i Mean LOTS of bush Fruits, Raspberries are the more invasive on site and produce extremely well the other residents commented.
I know there is a huge wildly over grown horseradish.
I know what I want, so I believe I now need to clear and tidy, dig if needed but a few of the residents informed me the previous tenant, lovely older gentlemen took extreme great care and well dug and fed the site.
I plan to grow, carrot, raspberries, an apple family tree (allowed one tree on site so a family tree it is) strawberries and alot of them, Red Current, Black Current, Gooseberry, Cucamelons, Blueberries (In a pot as they love acid) some salad vegs for my self.

Anything I am missing and need to establish?
I do plan on growing flowers, everyone loves flowers and so do the bees
Any Advice is great
Thank you.

[SarrissUK]

I think that all sounds like a good plan!

There will be surprises along the way, and that's half the fun of it I think! Start trawling FB for a free shed, if there isn't one.
Get a kettle and a stove, or at the very least a hot flask. Breaks are important for you to be able to go on for longer.
Get something to sit on - I've picked up several chairs and a table for free off FB Marketplace.
Remember that raspberries aren't invasive - they're simply spreading their loveliness
Find something to mulch the raspberries with - wood chippings, leaf mold, shredded paper, grass clippings etc.
Enjoy it

[Scarlet]

Is Carrot the only veg you eat beside salad stuff? What do you like to eat beside that?
Courgettes, squash, beans? Garlic, onion garlic? Sprouting broccoli? Do you like any of those?

[Logunner]

Is Carrot the only veg you eat beside salad stuff? What do you like to eat beside that?
Courgettes, squash, beans? Garlic, onion garlic? Sprouting broccoli? Do you like any of those?

Reckon it’s for carrot cake.... but could be wrong

[Scarlet]

Well you can make beetroot and courgette cake too?
.....I bake lots of cake.

[veggiechicken]

What about vegetable bakes of some sort?

[Scarlet]

Courgette bread is delicious.....
Or with garlic and chili

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome, WSB. Sounds like you've got a great plot and a great plan. If you're looking to grow things for your bakery, you'll need to bear successional sowing in mind. You don't want all your carrots, say, to come all at once. Instead, you'll need to keep to a little and often regime. I personally find that quite difficult as I try and fill all my beds but then I'm juggling harvest times and what needs to go in next.

You might find putting your ideas on paper useful. I like graph or squared paper, as it makes spacings easy to represent.

Good luck.

[ESBkevin]

Consider the no dig method. It's not always less work up front, but the benefits can be huge.
Start amassing organic composted material and cardboard to lay on the soil to kill weeds and prepare for next seasons growing.


Oh and congratulations on the plot, welcome to a great 'hobby'.

[bikermike]

first thing I would do is make a cup of tea...

walk round your plot and have a good poke through it - you mention there are existing fruit bushes there (which is good). Are there existing beds/layout?

Assuming it is just a few surviving bushes, my next thing would be to cut back all the grass/weeds etc, and cover as much as you sensibly can. I used black plastic sheet for this from the garden centre. If you can get hold of it, I'd cover that in woodchip to stop the plastic being degraded by sunlight.

With the removed weeds, apart from bind weed and couch grass, you can compost most things, so unless it is diseased, I'd make a compost heap. Doesn't have to be anything more than a heap, although if you can make sides and a back for it, so much the better.

Do you want to grow anything now over the autumn/winter? Clear some ground for that and get things in. This will look good for in terms of your tenancy (you are generally supposed to be cultivating the plot, but there's usually a bit of slack at the beginning).

Then you can work your way through the covered areas as you have time with a view to getting stuff growing next year.

I don't use chemicals btw, and do "no dig".

What I am doing is to build beds with wooden sides (opinions vary on this) which are 2.7m long and 1.2m wide. I have then left the plastic and wood chip down between the beds as a path (make sure at least one path per bed is wide enough to get a barrow down).

Since I started no-dig, I have then put down cardboard and put compost on top.
The yields I have had are much better than on the beds I haven't done no dig on.

You can either buy compost or try to make more. If you are going to dig, I'd do the same as above but not put borders round each bed.

The main points for me are
- start small
- cover the bits you aren't using
- drink tea
- it's a marathon not a sprint
- get compost early, so it's had time to happen before you need it.

[muckdiva]

How exciting to be baking with your home produced fruit and veg. I’d say don’t try to do it all at once as that can be overwhelming. Get one area into production (there are still things you can get into the ground now) and mulch or cover the rest to keep the weeds down till you can get to it. Enjoy!

[Snadger]

My advice would be dig a bit, plant a bit, dig a bit, plant a bit ad infinitum. Good luck with the plot.

[Super Sprout]

Do you have rhubarb on your plot? There are various patches throughout our site. If you don't have a patch and want some it's getting towards the best time to transplant some. Your plot neighbours will likely be very happy to give you some of theirs.

I'm also slowly converting my plot to no dig having taken on 125m2 (half plot) in October 2016. If you're not familiar with this style check out Charles Dowding on YouTube. I find it takes less effort, suppresses weeds better than dug soil, and gives huge yields of fruit & veg. The only downside is trying to generate enough compost myself, I usually have to order a trailer of well rotted cow manure from the local farmer!

Good luck and enjoy.

[muckdiva]

My advice would be dig a bit, plant a bit, dig a bit, plant a bit ad infinitum. Good luck with the plot.

This is my new mantra - an antidote to trying to do everything all at once. Thanks Snadger

[woodsmithsbakery]

Thank you!

My Word COmminity users, Thank you so much for the replies, there are so many.

I love carrots for both, I am yet to try Beetroot and Courgette and I want to try a parsnip cake too.

I plan on doing it in 6 areas. little and often, I suffer with Crohns so extreme amoount of activity is not a good Idea but a great way to stay active and ensure the food I ete too is free from other nasties.

There is a young Rhubarb, THere is widly over grown Horseradish Already looked up how to make so wonderful. There are what looks to be bolted Alliums, either flowing types or edible, the head was huge about 1mtr tall and seeds inside was black, and smelt heavy of garlic and onion, base was very thick like a leek, so will have to dig it up and have a look, There was a short line of them.
Strawberries were there as well as a little raspberries.

There was a Shed Already but still her personal Items inside so Hopefully Previous tenant will have emptied, a make shift green house from old windows and doors, and a cold frame of same construction, a pile of old unused doors and such to make more and protective tops. Hoops for a poly tunnel.

Tere are 4 raised beds, abnout 6inch deep, I'll likely do the vegs like leafy greens and the same to protect them, I have previously used copper tape, hgow do you'll feel about that? it's natral no chemical.

Any Nut Trees/bushes we can grow in UK, I know with a polly tunnel I could attempt peanuts.

I was going to dig down a single spade depth, and sieve it removed debris and weeds, and mix in manure too.

I have a very strong affection to Dahlias, and Iris', it's bout half way up 'valley' of Bath City, I have asked the Allotments team to Define and Confirm the definition of one tree Most Notable, is it one tree regardless of planted or in pots and if they have a prefered hieght and such cause I'd love to surround my future Strawberry bed in Step over Apples and Pears, Id love to grow stone fruits such as apricots and Cherry sweet and Morrello.

Dopes anyone have any advice on where i best to purchase strawberries, I want more Malling Centenary as they're my Favorites and I eat a punnet a day at their height May mostly.

Can We grow Chilli In the Ground, As well as my own Bakery, I am also Employed, they use chillies about 20 a month, garlic a bulb a month, Onions about 6 KG a month (Red ones) Salad Leaves about 5KG a week, I cant' produce that But I want to grow potatoes, I love Jerseys and King Edwards, but I want new and Main, can I leave them in ground till needed when ready to harvest or do I need to dig them harden them in sun and store?


Delaying Planing is a must. I can't eat that much corn HA!

I'm sure I am forgetting to respond to a question, but please keep it coming.

It's this time of year I need to start planning. Garlic, Aliums and what else can I plan now for summer/Spring, I know there is winter cabbage but I don't feel confident of them never had much luck.

Thank you All