Should I get an Allotment?

[WiZeR]

Hi

I have recently been thinking about getting an Allotment, but am not sure if I should. I have never grown anything but herbs on the window sill and a chilli plant in the conservatory. There isn't much room in the garden for serious veg growing. There is a small deck/patio and then a very steep sloping lawn with the possibilty of some small raised planters at the bottom. With the possibilty of moving early next year i'm loath to go out there now and build the planters, start the growing process, only to move before the harvest.

Should I wait for a year and do what I can with container growing on the deck, or dive in with the Allotment?

PS: I will be following the Square Foot route, whatever I decide.

Your comments much apprecieated, thanks

[Beryl]

Beryl

If you plan to stay in the same area - dive in and get an allotment, if not I would wait till you have moved house and settled in.
An allotment can be a lot of work to start with but once started I am sure you will get the 'bug' like all of us lottie holders and enjoy it immmensly.
Come and visit our web site for inspiration.
www.saundersallotment.co.uk

Best of luck
Beryl.

[Lottie]

Yes go for it - it is hard work but so much fun - if I can do it you can too. You get to meet lots of wonderful and helpful people on forums and hopefully up the allotments.

You will never go back to buying veggies in shops again!

Keep in touch so we know how you get on

http://kooringa.blogspot.com

[andrewo]

You'll never go back

If you have the time, go for it. All I have to say is take your time, get the ground work right and you'll have years of fun ahead.

Anyway, you can grow varieties of veg and fruit that you just can't get at the supermarket.

Trust me, the first time you have your own potatoes as mash, you'll know that you did the right thing - god they're good.

Also, with the growing fear of contaminated veg and fruit, plus the long distances they travel, it really is worth it.

Andrewo

[WiZeR]

Well, I did it! Went down to the allotments today and was shown my plot.....





It's a bit daunting. This was the best of 2 availilbe plots. It was used to keep bees in the previous years but the bees stung everyone and was booted off! A small area of the plot is covered with carpet but the rest is a weed jungle. I think in the first year i'm going to cultivate half of it and see how I get on. I was hoping my plot would be near a boundary so I could get a polytunnel on it, but greenhouses are allowed. Again I think this is a plan for year 2.

Between now and Feb I will spend time digging the ground over and building the raised beds. Also need to put up a shed and compost bin.

Wish me luck!

[Lottie]

Absolutely well done WiZer - you will not regret it. It doesn't look to bad to me. How big is it? The carpet etc will have kept the weeds down and should kill them off over the winter by the look of it.

Doing a little bit at a time is the right thing to do - so go for it. If you concentrate on one area or one thing at a time, then you get such a sense of achievement. It you try to tackle the whole lot at once, then it does seem daunting, and can demoralise you. - I speak from experience.

Sounds like you have your head screwed on nicely and do not need luck, but you will get lots of encouragement from fellow allotment holders.

Best wishes, and more importantly - ENJOY

http:kooringa.blogspot.com

[WiZeR]

thanks for your words of encouragement lottie. Funnily enough I have spent the evening reading your blogs...

[Lottie]

You will have seen the mess I was in at the beginning then. Two years down the line, one retired lady is finally get to grips with it!

You will soon be knocking spots off mine! I looked at lots of other sites on the web, and saw all the wonderful things that had been done on big council run sites with paved paths, free woodchips, compost, manure, allotment clubs where you can buy everything a a little above cost. Then I looked at my site in the middle of a field!

It does not have to be the most perfect to bring you joy, just whatever suits you.

Do keep me updated I am really interested. You can post on here or leave a message on the blog - or even start a blog yourself so we can all see.

Why not - you can start at the very very beginning unlike me!

[dni_dave]

Good start

WiZeR

Congratulations.

You seem to have a good approach to what is needed. Don't tackle it all in one go is a good motto. It'll be there another day and there is no need to get it all done this year. It will evolve as you spend more time there and the more you speak to others on the plot and in the grapevine, so have a flexible plan.

Once you have planted your first seeds you'll be checking regularly for the first signs above ground. Then it's looking for the first thing you can harvest, and then you won't be able to stop. You will be biased but it will be the best you've ever tasted.

Plant something that you like that is quick to mature (Radish etc) so you get an early sense of satisfaction. This will help keep the momentum going and spur you on to do even more. You will be surprised at how much you get done in the first year.

Don't get downhearted though if you come across problems. There are plenty of people who have had the same happen to them, so ask them how they got around it. You are not alone.

Ask someone with a good looking plot for advice. A compliment works wonders and the advice invaluable as it will be from someone in the same area.

May you have a wonderful first year.

Dave

[andrewo]

Good on you

Wizer
Looks good - shame about the bees though - don't try and tackle it all at once. Put something in the New Shoots section, a top tip for allotment clearing. May save your back at first, would be interested if it works for you.

Good luck with the growing.

Andrewo