10 weeks to design and build a plot

[Pa Snips]

Is there a group of you working on this plot, or just you? You're making it sound like some sort of a challenge - like those TV programmes where they have a week to transform a garden.
Obviously, a group can achieve far more in a given time than an individual and I expect most of these replies are tailored towards an individual's capabilities. You may need to provide more information!!

I could be barking up the wrong tree here, and this could be a completely unrelated project, but I happen to know someone from Chadderton in Oldham who has recently won a long battle with the authorities to have an unused area of land turned into a 'community garden' type allotment. The emphasis, apparently, being on getting the community involved in growing veg.

[taff]

I don't know!
Building the compost heap would be if they had time (and we got plenty of free wood available)... same with building edged beds rather than just cutting beds out of the ground.

All just trying to think of things that make it look like an allotment.

haha!! rusty baths make it look like an allotment. As veggiechicken says, you need to provide us with a bit more info.
Is it a community project, it is a sponsored thing by a group or whatever where there has to be a definite end result in a definite amount of time, how many people are you, what access to manure/compost/wood etc have you got, does it have to have a certain aesthetic level when finished, you know, that sort of thing

[taff]

Or just cover with cardboard, and plant through. The lack of light will kill off all the grass by next year. Or do a lazy potato bed. Works as well with most other crops apart from carrots and parsnips. Growing vegetables on Leeds allotments - Lazy Beds

Oh my god!!! how cool is that? How many times this year will I be doing that? Oh wow oh wow oh wow, that's competely solved my problems!!
I know I know, a bit over the top but really....fab!!!!

yayyyyyy!!!! wheeeeee!!!

[alldigging]

Duke of Edinburgh award activity been suggested for a half plot on our site.
5 young people but with support from allotmenters, parents etc, other young people.

In planning stages - whether it's viable or not.

Plot is 6x16 m I think. Not been touched yet. We have some materials (muck, mulch, seeds, plants ) but not a lot of cash.
Might be able to scrounge some wood for beds etc ..

But it would be I think 1 session a week for ten weeks. Which I'm not sure would be enough time.

So looking for ideas / ways they can do something productive in the time.


End aim: they have created an allotment, grown stuff and harvested a few things.

Whether they opt to keep the plot on as a group after is also up for discussion. Or whether we have it back for a member of the public to take over.

[taff]

do some lazy beds!!!

courgettes grow impressively big in 10 weeks, so do runners, squash, toms should be ok, potatoes too.
sow them at the beginning of may if you can, somewhere out of the main weather.
ask double glazing firms for blown inserets, make a cold frame with some bricks and some of those.
Sow some flowers, marigolds, sweet williams, poached egg for putting round the outside of beds...
runner bean wigwams, get some bamboo canes, build insect houses out of rubbish form other plots, sow some sunflowers, make a patch of them or a row or something with a bit of visual impact.

For the first time, mark out and dig some beds, sow potatoes, sow flower and some veg seeds,should be feasible...report back on your progress

[zazen999]

Oh my god!!! how cool is that? How many times this year will I be doing that? Oh wow oh wow oh wow, that's competely solved my problems!!
I know I know, a bit over the top but really....fab!!!!

yayyyyyy!!!! wheeeeee!!!

They are good - we did one last summer in Oxford on sandy soil and had great potatoes from them. It's such a good technique for grassy plots. Enjoy!

[alldigging]

I could be barking up the wrong tree here, and this could be a completely unrelated project, but I happen to know someone from Chadderton in Oldham who has recently won a long battle with the authorities to have an unused area of land turned into a 'community garden' type allotment. The emphasis, apparently, being on getting the community involved in growing veg.

Unrelated project I thnk but pleased to know more is going on in chadderton!

[rustylady]

Duke of Edinburgh award activity been suggested for a half plot on our site.
5 young people but with support from allotmenters, parents etc, other young people.

In planning stages - whether it's viable or not.

Plot is 6x16 m I think. Not been touched yet. We have some materials (muck, mulch, seeds, plants ) but not a lot of cash.
Might be able to scrounge some wood for beds etc ..

But it would be I think 1 session a week for ten weeks. Which I'm not sure would be enough time.

So looking for ideas / ways they can do something productive in the time.


End aim: they have created an allotment, grown stuff and harvested a few things.

Whether they opt to keep the plot on as a group after is also up for discussion. Or whether we have it back for a member of the public to take over.

How long is a session?

[Snadger]

Or just cover with cardboard, and plant through. The lack of light will kill off all the grass by next year. Or do a lazy potato bed. Works as well with most other crops apart from carrots and parsnips. Growing vegetables on Leeds allotments - Lazy Beds

Hi Zaz, I've just got round to having a look at your link. I like the principal and it would work well on non pernicious weeds BUT................

If the weeds were for instance couch grass or ground elder, I would think you would be giving yourself one heck of a lot of grief?
We've often mentioned on the vine about not rotovating perennial weeds because you are basically root pruning and spreading the weed. I feel that this process would have a similar effect!

Fine on weed free turf, but thats about all IMHO.

[zazen999]

Snadger you don't rotovate. You just fold the turf over. And the original poster said his plot was grass. Hence posting about lazy beds. Otherwise I would go back to the cardboard option

[alldigging]

How long is a session?

Not sure.
If it's an hour then we'd have 5 man hours (Is a youth hour longer than a man hour?) per session - plus whatever help they can rope in.

When I say grass its bound to have couch grass in it.

I spose if they're keen they might want to do longer than an hour.

[Newton]

Try to set targets for each session and work to the targets rather than man hours. Work backwards from an end goal. The last session will just be harvesting presumably......so won't take 5 hours.......whereas the first session might be to achieve a dug over plot! Weeded.......and ready to plant......at least some of it!

Good luck......