Advice on owning an Allotment

[bluemoon]

We're there every day, but we do keep chickens. The actual work (and the rotovator may well have made work for you) seems to come in two phases; in spring when there's much sowing and planting and in August/September when everything needs harvesting and preserving and at these times you'll need a good few hours every week. The rest of the time it's just keeping down the weeds in summer and digging in winter. If there is part of the plot you are not planning to use for a time then I'd consider covering it as the rotovator will not have done you any favours.

[teamladd]

Thanks for all you advice again, this is great. I dont mind hard work. I keep thinking about the harvest I will get at the end of it. My garden at the moment is being taken over with tomato plants and lettuces. We dont have a big garden and to keep it all tidy, so its all in pots.

I definitely dont intend on using the whole plot for the first year and will either cover it in cardboard (better start saving those boxes) or see if my Grampy would want to grow a few things their.

I dont know much at all about having an allotment so if any other advice anyone can give this will be great. Im going to invest in a book at lunchtime to have a read off.

Can anyone tell me how to start of potatoes?

Thanks all

[Mrs Dobby]

You're a bit late for maincrop spuds, but if you can get hold of some First Early spud varieties (new potatoes from the shop, but ensure they are organic as they wont have been sprayed with an inhibitor to stop them from growing), then you MAY be able to get a crop in now and harvest it before the first frosts!

[zazen999]

Thanks for all you advice again, this is great. I dont mind hard work. I keep thinking about the harvest I will get at the end of it. My garden at the moment is being taken over with tomato plants and lettuces. We dont have a big garden and to keep it all tidy, so its all in pots.

I definitely dont intend on using the whole plot for the first year and will either cover it in cardboard (better start saving those boxes) or see if my Grampy would want to grow a few things their.

I dont know much at all about having an allotment so if any other advice anyone can give this will be great. Im going to invest in a book at lunchtime to have a read off.

Can anyone tell me how to start of potatoes?

Thanks all

Keep an eye on here towards the end of December and through to the end of March and there will be loads of threads on starting off potatoes. I'll probably be merging them into one long 'chitting potatoes' thread - we had one earlier this year if you have a little search.