I Don't Have One Yet But.....

[Shortie]

.... Have enquired about getting one and will be seeing the allotment secretary in the next few weeks for a tour.

BUT, the more people I speak to, the more they say allotments take up lots of time (which I don't have tonnes of). I was thinking of growing what I believe to be 'low amintenance, lots of space' crops like potatoes and squash, and onions as they seem realy low mainenence except for the odd bit of weeding.

Am I being really naive here? Please be honest as I'm worried I'll either invest lots of time into something that I'll realise won't work out in the long run, or be put off something that would actually work out fine. I have sussed out that the allotments have mains water supply (which I presume explains why the 'rent' seems higher than other councils) so this should stop some problems, and apparently the secretary rotavates before a newbie takes the plot on (worried about the dandilions though on this one so will speak to him when I meet him)

Any advice on the following would be VERY greatfully recieved:

What to look for when checking out an allotment
How to keep it low maintenance once the initial clearance is done
'Low maintence' crop suggestions
How much time do they REALLY take up?

...Bearing in mind I will only get there probably one day at the weekend as I have a 3 hour round trip to work (lucky me ) and work full time... Is this a really silly idea for me?

[pigletwillie]

Shortie,

we have two plots and they are managed quite differently. Plot Two has a polytunnel on it (which is time consuming) and we also grow all our "big" stuff on it like potatoes, corn, brassicas, squash etc. With the usual weeding, planting and maintenance its fairly intensive with two of us being there at least 2 evenings and 1 day in the spring and a bit less in the summer as stuff establishes itself and keeps weeds down.

Plot 1 however is all down to soft fruit and raised beds. Before planting the soft fruit beds and cage we ensured the soil was very clean of perenial weeds, was well manured and then planted. The raised beds were hard work to make and fill but now we are reaping the rewards.

Discounting planting and harvesting, we spend about 2 hours a week on it. This consistes of a bit of watering if required, some hoeing around the fruit bushes and hand weeding of the raised beds. The beds make it very manageable and easy to keep on top of. As we put membrane underneath and around the beds, creeping weeds are not an issue and clean beds stay that way bar annual weeds which are hand weeded out.

With beds you can take it easy and build them as you require and have time to do so. Our plot has some 17 raised beds of various sizes, 5 rows of raspberries, 120 strawberry plants, 13 blueberry, 13 blackcurrant, 5 redcurrant and 8 gooseberies plus rhubarb. These were build over a year and brought online as they were completed. One final bed now just needs filling up and will be ready for planting. An added bonus is that they never need digging, just topping up with either manure or compost.

[Nicos]

Shortie - I think it depends on what you grow and how you maintain it. A typical allotment, once cleared, should take 7 hrs a week to maintain. - ie 170ft x25ft. It you put down weed supressant membranes ,you could halve that. GYO is covering the aspects for an allotment-holder with only limited weekly time. I am sure that you could handle an allotment if very carefully managed,or shared, I think it depends on how keen you are to make it work, and getting your hands on a good plot. It's worth a try for a couple of years. You'll know by then!!
I used to work a 60 hr week and my OH a 90hr wk, and we still had 3 allotments and a horse on full livery -aswell as 2 teenage kids to chauffer around!! If you really want it. you'll find a way!
PS..I look about 105yrs old now though!!!:0

[noshed]

I think the busier you are the more you get done. Most of the blokes on our site stand around chatting while the women get on with the work...
Anyway it's so nice to get out of the hurly-burly onto your plot.

[bramble]

Shortie, if you have the time to get your allotment up and running i think it will be well worth while. Like most things in life, you need to put in a lot of effort inthe beginning but you will reap the rewards. Wish i had the chance to rent an allotment but they are few and far between here as they have never been as popular as in England.
Go for it girl!

[sewer rat]

Shortie
If you think there is any way you could manage it, go for it. You won't be short of advice, and if you get one, then Bramble and myself will be jealous as hell cos if there aren't many in Dublin, there are none at all up here

[Shortie]

Cheers for the words of encouragment and the advice on how long it takes you.... I think from your replies you're right, the only way I'll know if it's going to work for me is to give it a try. At worst I'll be a bit embarassed and have lost £55 for the year...

Can anyone recomend low maintenance crops to grow? Ther may be some I'd love to grow that I don't realise are easy etc....?

[nick the grief]

Twitch & dandelions, they will look after themselves no probs

A lot depends on the state of your plot when you get it. If its clear you can grow anything you want & if you can get an hour or so every day or two it will be a doddle (ish). Old Saying told to me years ago - The best Mulch is the gardeners shadow. & it's true. The old boys on our plot sit waiting for weeds to come up !!

Are they really £55 a year shortie, bl**dy hell, ours have just gone up to £20 & we had rumblings ( I thought it was wind) I think your best bet would be sell your cardboard box in Landen, move up here & catch the train from Sunny Nunny every day (90mins to Euston) & you'd save a bomb in house prices etc & cheap lotties

See if you can get hold of a copy of "the Allotment" it was done last year on ITV west & is marketed by Wildfire productions. That will show you what you can do in a little time.

[nick the grief]

Further to my last, I've just read you original posting (I guess I should have done that 1st, still)

I'm exactly the same as you Shortie, 3 hours of travelling a day. I can usually only get up the lottie at weekends. as I have stuff at home to look after as well. I wouldn'r be without my plot it is soooo peacfull you wouldn't adam & eve it.

As to questions to ask.

1) I wouldn't worry too much about dandelions & the rotavator, OK hey will grow from bits but as they are small they are easy to get out. It's the big old tough buggers that's the problem! You could always Nuke it with round up first (not the ready to use stuff it's too weak).

2) Ask him if what restrictions there are (can you have bonfires, grow Fruit trees etc) If you fancy an orchard you' may have trouble!

3) Can you keep livestock on there (you may fancy some Chooks _ I can guess the answer)

4) Do they have any problems with vandalism.

5) Do they have a site shop (what do they sell eg seed spuds, seeds etc)

6) do they run courses for beginners like you if not does he mind if you use him as a fount of knowledge (it never hurts to creep a bit )

7) Are you allowed sheds & greenhouse (or polytunnels)

As to keeping it low maintenence, well, I can only recommend your fellow Grapes for that, we all have our own little wrinkle's that may work for you.

Also, it may pay you to take a camera to take foto's of your plot then you can work stuff out, take a pencil, notepad & large tape measure as well. You can make a scal plan of stuff then if you want. See which way it faces so you can align crops to maximise the light.

If I think of any more I'll let you know!

[noshed]

I've found a lot of useful books (throw them at the slugs) but "Allotment Gardening" by Susan Berger is good and "Grow Your Own Vegetables" by Joy Larkom is too. Between them you could work out a low-maintenance solution depending on what you start with. Spuds will do OK in weedy ground - possibly just mulched a bit and apparently sweetcorn will cope as well.
On our site everyone seems to grow stuff on top of their manure heaps - squash and cucumbers etc - and they're all going like mad, even with the cold spring.
The bloke next to me has just cut some squares out of the massive amount of weeds on his plot and planted things. And a woman next to him just came up one day, hit everything with a mattock and planted onions and garlic.
So I'd go for it - allotments aren't supposed to be tidy (in my opinion) just enjoy yourself.

[Lesley Jay]

Shortie some easy crops to grow are courgettes, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, runner beans, climbing french beans, borlotti beans, broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, spinach, onions, leeks - these are all easy and will look after themselves more or less.

[Shortie]

I thought it seemed expensive when the council told me, and about £27 odd for a half size.... I might question this when I meet the guy as I'd have to grow a heck of a lot of potatoes to make my money back up!

I'm starting to think weed supressing membrane and expensive-to-buy fruit and veg if it's going to be worth while...

[Lesley Jay]

Shortie it is only £1 a week!!

[Shortie]

Thanks for the reality check there LJ.... I hadn't really seen it like that, was just comparing it to other allotments outside London

In reality, where else could I get, for £55 a year: excerise, fresh air, learn tips of the trade, mingle with all age groups, hopefully have a family activity not a lone one, and at the end of it all (hopefully) some tasty crops?

Maybe I shouldn't always think the grass is greener?

[Alice]

£55 for the year! That's a whole £1 a week! What else can you get for that? 3 packets of crisps maybe. If the whole thing is an economic proposition I wouldn't do it. On the other hand if you have some kind of vision of what you're trying to achieve it comes down to is it worth a £1 a week. Only you know the answer to that. Whatever the answer, do what's right for you. It's your life. Good luck and lets know what you decide and how you get on.