Just starting out...

[Katie&Seb]

Hello everyone...

We have just acquired our first allotment
It has certainly been used in the past to grow potatoes, onions and corn as we are finding these as we dig!

It looks like quite good soil, finding some clay, but not much, about 1ft down.

There is a lot of very long beige, thick straw like stuff on the plot, am I right to assume this is couch grass?

We have started by digging about 1/3 of the ground over (using a fork, not a spade) and removing a lot of the 'very long beige, thick straw like stuff' by hand. The next step is to build three 6ft sq beds this week, then sift the soil into them to remove any weeds we may have missed by hand.

We plan to grow both directly into the ground as well as into the raised beds (with the likelihood of building more beds in the future). What do you suggest we grow in the beds, and what out of? We know the rules around crop rotation year after year. Does this apply to all crops apart from permanent crops? Which crops are permanent?

Definitely hoping to grow the following:
White onions
Red onions
Spring onions
Potatoes
Carrots
Cabbage
Brocolli
Green beans
Tomatoes
Peppers
Chillies
Cauliflower
Garlic
Salad (of any and all kinds!)
Fruit (of any and all kinds!)

Which items should we grow in the same beds or should all items be separate?
Do we use manure on both the raised beds and directly on the ground?
Are we too late in the year to do certain things, use certain things/grow certain things?
Are we too late to use manure?
Is the Groworganic fertiliser which we have seen mentioned on these forums a substitution for manure?
When you buy manure, is it generally already rotted or will we be buying it 'fresh'? I appreciate this may vary from supplier to supplier but I just wanted an idea of how it 'usually' works.

I have attached a picture of the allotment when we first got it, then one after we had spent a couple of hours on it, we have since spent a couple more hours on it.

We're based in Hillingdon, London.

Thanks for any advice, happy allotmenting!!

Katie&Seb

[Kirk]

Garlic is going to have to go in soon as they need a cold spell, you are getting a bit close to being too late.
Red Onions, best of luck, seems some are successful others are not, I am one of the others.
Fruit really depends what fruit, remember that many fruit bushes fruit on year old and old wood. Raspberries will spread if they can and for the ease I would suggest Autumn fruiting varieties as on an annual basis it is Grow, Fruit, Chop. Makes life easy.

Manure is (should) be rotted, in fresh form too acidic. Would not have thought that Groworganic fertiliser was an equal to manure as manure also adds to the structure of the soil and would not expect Groworganic fertiliser to do so.

[WendyC]

Congratulations on your new plot! Sounds like you are getting it in hand. Yes I think you have couch grass, the roots are quite strong and like string. Carefully dig out as much as you can. What ever you do don't rotavate or you will chop it up into small pieces, and each one will grow making it so much worse.
I've never heard of Groworganic fertilizer - do you mean Growmore? If so it is a chemical fertiliser which will add nutrients in a chemical form into your soil. Manure will add organic matter to the soil as well and help to improve the soil structure. Some people never add manure as still grow perfectly good crops.
You are still in time to plant fruit bushes/ canes. Can you add your location to your profile as the climate varies quite a bit North to South and East to West. Assuming UK for now!
When my sister got her allotment I got her the book "The Allotment Book" by Andi Cleverly. Quite an easy book to dip into and from memory has a very useful seasonal guide at the back.

[out in the cold]

Hi folks and welcome to the forum.

Your plot looks a decent size and in not too bad nick.

The search facility at the top of the page has been really useful for me and the folks all give good advice.

Best of luck with the plot

[Katie&Seb]

Can you add your location to your profile as the climate varies quite a bit North to South and East to West. Assuming UK for now!

Thanks - we're in Hillingdon, London.

I will take the time to respond to other posts, but for now I want to get as much advice as possible and combine it! :-)

Katie&Seb

[Potstubsdustbins]

Groworganic is a quality general fertiliser.

Another is Marshalls Organic Extra.

I would google both and read the specifications to help you make your mind up which one to use.

Potty

[rabbit]

Good Luck Katie&Seb, I used to live in Hillingdon. I'm a total newb so in no position to give advice except you might want to cover the plot with black plastic to stop weeds setting in and cats pooing in the fresh earth?

[Feral007]

Welcome, I'm not much use to you because i"m on the other side of the world.

I would say have a look at the threads for tea's. Comfrey tea, weed tea, nettle tea, manure tea.
It's quite easy to make, you could just set it to brew while you get the soil ready. I noticed a plastic drum in the photo so you'd have a container, or you can just use 2 litre plastic bottles as TS does.

Looks like you're getting it sorted quickly. Best of luck.

[WendyC]

Groworganic is a quality general fertiliser.

Another is Marshalls Organic Extra

Learn something new everyday!

I also meant to say that the idea with raised beds is never to walk on them, so most folks seem to make them 4' deep so the middle can be reached from either side without treading on them. Unless you have Mr Tickle arms you might struggle to reach the centre of 6'beds. Check it out before you build them.

[snakeshack]

look at the reduce reuse recycle thread for lots of handy cheap ways to improve your space

[Jimmy]

See
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ets_43666.html

The concrete fence panel bases might last longer, I think you can also get large metal spikes from the builders yards.

Jimmy

[SarzWix]

When you're thinking what to plant where, the type of soil that plants prefer might help; carrots and parsnips will like loose, stone-free soil, so would be happy in the sieved soil in a raised bed. Onions can go in the same bed as carrots, or have a bed of their own along with garlic, leeks, spring onions. Don't fertilize the carrot bed though, they grow better without.

Cabbages, broccoli, sprouts, kale etc like firm ground, so you can start those in pots/trays at home and plant them later into an undug patch covered with cardboard &/or plastic. Potatoes, pumpkins, squash like plenty of food but also are okay to put in where you haven't dug yet, as long as you feed them well.

Salads are good to just slot in wherever you have a gap, unless you want to dedicate a whole patch to them. Oh, and also, carrots will need a cover of fleece or insect netting to protect them from root fly and the cabbages etc will need netting to keep the butterflies off.

Hope this all makes some sense

[Two_Sheds]

There is a lot of very long beige, thick straw like stuff on the plot, am I right to assume this is couch grass?

I doubt it. There isn't much showing above ground at the mo, just the odd green blade.
It's under the soil that you see the couch: long 12" white roots like spaghetti. Each bit or portion that you leave in the soil will regrow into another demon plant



Your beige thatch could be anything really, but couch doesn't turn to straw

Which crops are permanent?

Not many: mostly fruit & asparagus. Look for "perennial", that's the gardening term for permanent

Is the Groworganic fertiliser which we have seen mentioned on these forums a substitution for manure?

No. Fertiliser is fertiliser (plant food). Manure isn't a food, it's a soil improver: it adds humus to the soil, improving drainage, structure & water absorption.

You don't absolutely have to use it: I never have.
I use green manures, homemade compost (I have 5 heaps on the lotty) and pet bedding (vegetarian pets: guinea pigs & parrots).

I've never needed FYM, and I've been growing veggies for 16 years now

[Katie&Seb]

Garlic is going to have to go in soon as they need a cold spell, you are getting a bit close to being too late.
Red Onions, best of luck, seems some are successful others are not, I am one of the others.

Thanks. Going to put the garlic in this weekend hopefully and just cross our fingers! Will also give the red onions a shot, one can only try.

[Katie&Seb]

I also meant to say that the idea with raised beds is never to walk on them, so most folks seem to make them 4' deep so the middle can be reached from either side without treading on them. Unless you have Mr Tickle arms you might struggle to reach the centre of 6'beds. Check it out before you build them.

Seb is a very tall young man, think we'll be fine with the 6' beds. Considering a sort of 'walkway' through the beds also, we'll see this weekend when we build our first.