New Allotment!

[Hawthorn]

We got an allotment a couple of months back. Not had a chance to do anything with it yet, because we were flooded and have had the house to sort out after moving back in.
Last week we used Roundup on it (it's a mass of couch grass)
We're going back this weekend to get the bits that we missed, then we're going to dig it over then rotavate it.
This should be completed in about a month.

My question is, what can we sow in June?

I know we're a little late, but it seems a shame not to get anything done on it this year.
Soil seems ok so I just want to see how we do this year?

Any advice for a newbie?

Thanks

[Flummery]

You could put in some beans - french and runner could be sown directly in June. Also some of the greens for over-wintering - kale etc. Garden centres may still have outdoor toms - they did until last week! , courgettes, cabbages, lettuce plants too. Anything you might successionally sow such as salads - I'm sure there's more but I'm a bit brain-dead just now - been planting flower plugs I raised for cutting, just stopped for lunch. Good luck with it - sorry you got caught in the floods, lots did round here.

[Winged one]

If you have couch grass, you'd be better off NOT rotovating it but digging slowly. Otherwise you'll have tonnes of tiny roots, each ready to make a new plant.

Dig a bit and plant it up straight away instead. Remove EVERY root you can while digging - it makes a huge difference later on. And cover what you haven't dug with cardboard, plastic, whatever mulch you can.

As for plants, why not put a couple of pumpkin, squash and courgette seeds in pots back at the house, and some beans as well. They would be ready to plant then when you need them. You should still be able to put in sweetcorn, beans, peas, salads, spring onions etc in June. I think even carrots too. Do a couple of trays of brassicas at home as well - I found they were great at covering ground last summer when we were trying to clear it. Have a good look around garden centres - some should have some interesting plants still and might even be starting to sell them off cheap now or inthe next few weeks.

Also, consider what you could over-winter. Things like leeks, brassicas, autumn sown onions and garlic, broad beans and peas. Think about where you'd like these to go, digging ground for summer veg straight away but leaving the other areas for a little later - gives you a bit of breathing space, as you can just cover that area up with cardboard etc in the meantime, dig when you can and cover it again until ready to plant. Perhaps the after digging cover could be an organic mulch life well rotted manure or compost to enrich the soil if needed.

One other point on the pre-planning is considering an area for fruit bushes, if you wanted them. This is the wrong time of year for planting, I think, but you ould decide where you are putting them and take the same principle there as overwintering veg spots - cover now, dig and cover until ready to plant.

[Hawthorn]

That's brilliant. Thanks folks

I'll get some potting compost this weekend from the lotty shop. I do have homemade compost coming on at home, but it's not ready yet.