My new site

[newlottie]

Hurrah! finally got to see it on Sunday and it is FAB!!!!!!!!!!

Roughly 25' x 50', and in surprisingly good condition. There are 3 large beds, two of which are edged in wood although these are VERY overgrown.
There is also a row of fruit bushes, which I think might be gooseberry and a strawberry patch, compost bins, wildlife pond, storage shed (only waist high though) and quite a few tools and things which the previous owner left behind. Oh and a giant scarecrow!!!

Over the last 2 days I have dug over bed number 1. Surprised myself by really enjoying it

Sorry but being a total newbie I have some questions:

The ground was apparently worked last year and the soil seems good. I am even finding remnants of manure. i know I should be putting manure or compost or something on the soil...... but what is best and how much of it should I use? Should I do all the beds?(read somewhere that carrots etc don't like it)

The strawberry patch is very overgrown. They will get choked to death if I don't do something. Should I lift them now and replant after digging and manuring. Or leave it till spring. Or try to keep them going in my plastic greenhouse over winter. Bit unsure of the last one as I don't have any sun in the garden so it would be in a cold, shady area.

Apologies for what are doubtless very stupid, basic questions!!

[Hans Mum]

congrats, sounds like you've got the basis of a good plot.....

strawbs, i would weed the bed, cut back the strawbs, and leave them through the winter (they need a cold spell) then in the spring feed them well. If they've got a lot of runners it would be worth potting some of those up to increase your stock as you don't know how old the parent plants are.

I'd weed the other beds and cover them if you;re not putting garlic,onion sets, broadies in. Then think what you're going to grow where; to decide what additional manure, etc is needed where

Thanks

[ginger ninger]

There no such thing as a stupid question, if you don't know, you ask. Your plot sounds great, tools, a small shed, raised beds looks like you've inherited your plot of someone who loved gardening, lucky you.
I'm in the proses of helping my neighbour dig as much organic materiel into her raised beds at her allotment site as we can, that way its rotted down ready for planting up, some of her beds we've planted with cabbage, collies, kale etc.
Where the carrots and root veg are going to go we've not put manure in, we've dug some of the contents of her compost bin which will help with the structure and enrich the soil, there not over fond of having there feet in poo.
You need to plant greedy plants in those beds you put manure in ie squash, courgette, marrow you get the idea, put some runner beans in there as well, grow them up wig-wam's of long canes, but not while spring, they'll never survive the winter.
With regard to your strawberries just weed round them, you don't catch the farmers digging up all there plants, mulch round them with straw if you can get some this should keep the worst of the weather of them, but remember don't try and do too much all at once. I'm no expert but there are a lot of very knowledgeable peeps on here, I'm sure they'll be along soon.

Enjoy your allotment.

[ladylottie]

Hurrah! finally got to see it on Sunday and it is FAB!!!!!!!!!!

Roughly 25' x 50', and in surprisingly good condition. There are 3 large beds, two of which are edged in wood although these are VERY overgrown.
There is also a row of fruit bushes, which I think might be gooseberry and a strawberry patch, compost bins, wildlife pond, storage shed (only waist high though) and quite a few tools and things which the previous owner left behind. Oh and a giant scarecrow!!!

Over the last 2 days I have dug over bed number 1. Surprised myself by really enjoying it

Sorry but being a total newbie I have some questions:

The ground was apparently worked last year and the soil seems good. I am even finding remnants of manure. i know I should be putting manure or compost or something on the soil...... but what is best and how much of it should I use? Should I do all the beds?(read somewhere that carrots etc don't like it)

The strawberry patch is very overgrown. They will get choked to death if I don't do something. Should I lift them now and replant after digging and manuring. Or leave it till spring. Or try to keep them going in my plastic greenhouse over winter. Bit unsure of the last one as I don't have any sun in the garden so it would be in a cold, shady area.

Apologies for what are doubtless very stupid, basic questions!!

Hi Newlottie
Congrats on getting what sounds a really nice plot! From what I've read, some grapes on here have had nightmare plots.

I know I'm still only a novice myself, but agree with GingerNinger and Hansmum - I wouldn't dig up the strawberries either - just weed round them and start new runners off next year.

Have a lot of fun planning what and where you want to grow things.

Don't forget that no question is stupid, so just ask - everyone on here is so friendly and helpful.

[nickson71]

Congrat's on the new plot

I'll be in the same boat soon by the looks of things

Been on a waiting list for 15 months and I got a call yesterday saying that a plot is now available ..... So going down to have a look and say yes on Sat

After the wait I'll be happy with a plot in any condition

[basketcase]

Congratulations - sounds wonderful!

No advice to add, as I'm pretty new at this myself. But I agree that there's no such thing as a stupid question. I know this because the lovely people on here have told me so when I ask all mine!

[SarzWix]

If it was me, I'd lift the strawberry plants, and pot up the best ones to keep. Weed the bed and dig in some well rotted manure or compost out of the bins, and then replant the strawberries that you've kept. If you want to make the bed easy to keep weed free, you can lay down some weed suppressing fabric, and plant the strawberries through holes cut into it. I didn't do that last year, and my strawberry bed is now very weedy again, and they're all going to have to get dug up and replanted this year

[northepaul]

Congratulations, and good luck!
I cant offer any advice as I dont have an allotment, but with regards strawbs I would leave them as they need cold, just weed them. In the spring you;ll be able to see what you have got.

[Dane End Dolly]

Ooh Newlottie, congrats on the new plot, looks like you have a good base to start from, if you want to start planting something now, then garlic and winter shallots are a good bet, it does sound like the person who had the plot before you looked after it as you seem to have a good starting place.

please keep us informed on how you are doing

regards

K

[Dynamo]

I hope you have great fun at your lottie.

I agree with what SarzWix said about the strawberry plants though. I dug all mine up and split them a few weeks ago. Firstly because they were really weed infested so the only way to weed the ground properly was to dig them out. After I dug them up, I split the plants and I now have 108 seperate strawberry plants growing away happily in pots. I don't think thats a bad return from the half a dozen plants that were growing in the bed originally.

Another reason why I potted them up was because I want to change the layout of the garden and make what was the strawberry patch into a general veg bed. I still haven't decided exactly where I will be putting the strawberries next year, but I have all winter to decide.

[Scottishnewbie]

I'd agree with Sarzwix, only cos I have created extra work for myself by not doing what i should have with the strawbs!

So I'd dig them up, pot them and leave them outside (so they get their cold spell), dig over your bed, etc, etc and thenplant them through the weed suppressant membrane recommended.

I didnt and had more ground elder than i had strawberries this year and so now I'm having to did the whole lot up and replant......worth taking the extra time i think...

hope this helps.

welcome to the vine and i agree with all other comments - no such thing as a daft question and there is ALWAYS someone who knows and has been there before!