My first allotment!

[Randommoose]

Hi,

I have got an allotment yesterday and so have been reading this forum to find out information. It is a half plot measuring 13.8m x 8.8m. It is in good condition, the previous owner moved away and it currently has some things growing on it, the rest is bare soil. It is in full sun, has a water tap a few meters away, flat land, clay soil, near a stream but isn't too wet considering there has been so much local flooding.

It has summer and autumn raspberries, 2 blackcurrants (I think), leeks scattered around the place, 2 rhubarbs, loads of strawberries some scattered garlic in a bed, a few daffodils and possibly something else that I don't know what it is.

First photo is looking along the plot, it goes up the the raspberry canes and compost bin.


This is the thing that I don't know what it is. It is in the (mainly) perennial bed and there are 3 clumps of it. Last year's stalks have been pruned back which makes me think it is 'something' - any ideas?


I will post updates on this thread as I start to work on the plot.

Randommoose

[bearded bloke]

Well done on getting a lotty that is not knee deep in weeds

Guessing game,might be Jerusalem artichokes

Keep the pictures coming

[veggiechicken]

Congrats on your allotment - looks good and with plenty of fruit alrerady established. Roll on summer
I don't recognise the mystery plant - maybe in a couple of weeks when the leaves have opened ?

[rustylady]

Congratulations on the plot. My guess at the mystery plant is comfrey. Mine looks just like that at the moment.

[alldigging]

I'd go with comfrey - furry leaves and the thick dead stems.

[Currysniffa]

Hello and congrats on getting your plot. Looks a good size for a half plot. The plant looks as like comfrey to me too.
Good luck with the plot

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hmm - I'm with BB on the Jerusalem artichokes. Welcome to the Vine, and well done on your plot - looks like you've hit the ground running.

[bario1]

Definitely comfrey - mine looked exactly like that this morning, i deliberately checked to see if there was new growth yet.

[Randommoose]

Thank you all for your replies! I had never heard of comfrey before but have now read up about it and so hopefully it is that as that would be useful to have.

The plot is nice, I had a choice of about 7 plots. I wanted a half, not a full size but this is a nice big half, a couple were smaller. It was the closest to the water tap, good sun, the best condition and the one with the least grass. I really like it! I was expecting to get something in worse condition, though having said that almost all the allotments at this site are very well maintained.

I'm planning everything out. Today I have worked out:
1. What I want to grow
2. When/which rotation/how many to grow/how much space for each plant.
3. I have drawn up some plans for beds (1.2m wide)
4. I have learnt about no dig methods, about green manures
5. I will be getting some edging planks from my parents as they are demolishing a wooden building


I need to plan/learn:
1. Learn about companion planting
2. Decide on a bed layout (it is down to two layouts)
3. Find good horse manure - I will hopefully be using green manure after this season but I assume I need instant manure to start off? I can do some green manure before later planted things (e.g. brassicas) but don't have time before early planted things.
4. Work out what else I might need (need to build a tool store, might need cloches and nets and stuff).

View from the opposite direction

Raspberries

Old beds

Perennial bed (+ more leeks!)


Luckily, what I want to grow and the quantities I want seem to fit exactly in the space I have!

It is good fun planning and it will be great to see it change as I work on it.

Moose

[Randommoose]

A few more photos and some more questions!

Soil condition at the moment - has been very wet possibly ground water flooding, now no standing water and starting to dry out. This is what one of the bare soil areas (ie not old beds) looks like. The roots were coming from a central point so I assume a plant that has been harvested rather than bindweed.


Another mystery plant - maybe Verbascum - that's what I have found similar in Google.


What I think are blackcurrants


That have a few big buds - if I pick these off and get rid of them can I stop the big bid mite?


Moose

[Randommoose]

Can you have a look at my potential plan and tell me what is good and what is bad please?

The link is
http://www.growveg.com/garden-plan.aspx?p=496315

I worked out what I wanted and how many (including freezing and storing) and have plugged that in in a somewhat random manner. This plan is not complete, just trying to work out where the big things and will go and how the rotation will work.

Today I have spoken to a friend who is a tree surgeon and hedge trimmer. He can source me fresh woodchip (allotment site has a regular large supply too), 3 year old rotted woodchip/leaf soil improver and possibly horse manure. I am still unsure whether to do soil improver and manure or not. I will be doing green manures the rest of the time.

This forum has been invaluable for information, I just haven't had time to find out everything hence why asking questions!

Thanks,
Randommoose

[WendyC]

Which way is north? Just trying to work out shade. I haven't got such formal edged/raised beds so I don't know the answer but what is the thinking behind all the different sized beds. Wouldn't it make rotation simpler if they were all the same size. On my plot I have a the fruit together, in a fruit cage along one short side and then the rest is divided into four through the middle and rotated. Practical but not as pretty as yours.

[Randommoose]

Hi and thanks for the reply.

Top edge is NNW. On the first post in this thread I did a map picture so that might help.

The layout is a bit odd because some of the stuff is already there (raspberries, blackcurrants, rhubarb, strawberries, comfrey, garlic) and some beds are already laid out (well, richer soil and chipping paths, not edged). Plus, I read that sweetcorn has to be in a block to pollinate hence that big bed. Basically I will be putting in the beds that run from left to right, the rest are already there.

They won't be raised beds, I just did that on the plan to mark them out clearly. They will be edged if I have enough planks.

If necessary I will change the existing beds and stuff to make a better layout, this way just seemed easier to plug the space with some long left to right beds!

Rotation might be a pain anyway as I have loads of brassicas, a lot of roots, and not many legumes or alliums. I will need to sow over wintering green manure legumes to prepare the land when brassicas move.

Thanks,
Moose

[bario1]

I would put all the brassicas together in the 'U' shaped bed, as they will all need netting right through summer and winter, and the less fiddly little nets you have to deal with the better. Sweetcorn does need to be grown in a block, but it could be a long thin block....

[chilli_grower]

Have you stuck a spade in the ground yet?

As I aquired an allotment several weeks ago, and after digging it all over TWICE.

I filled 3 HUGE sacks FULL of bindweed, which was lurking around 8 inches below the soil surface!!!