Finally, an allotment (I hope!)

[sparrow100]

Hmmm Chemist - Edible Garden Show is on this weekend....just sayin'

[TheChemist]

Hmmm Chemist - Edible Garden Show is on this weekend....just sayin'

I would love to go. If only a little person in my house didn't have their birthday on Saturday, and party on Sunday morning! Next year her birthday is cancelled

We're heading up today to measure and mark up, and do some damage to that turf!

[TheChemist]

Went up today to have a look and formulate a general plan. The plot is 24' wide and 83' long. The soil is clay which makes a change from our perfect, loamy back garden soil but we will just have to work with it!

Nevertheless it was a lovely day! The plot is frequented by dog walkers, red kites and (apparently) deer.



We managed to dig out about 10X9 (these will become two long thin beds with a path between). Three friendly plot neighbours came over at different times to wish us luck and offer us plant matter of various kinds!

We built a ramshackle composter out of some pallets we found - also allows us to stick canes and tools down the side. We haven't figured out what we're going to line it with yet...



On the to do list:

- Mark out entire plot with string

- Dig out more beds, enrich with manure, mulch

- Get roots and potato bed planted

- Source 1X1s/waterpipes/scaffold poles for fruit cages and cloches.

- Try not to panic

We're going back on Sunday and we'd like to get some beds marked out and dig at least another. Perhaps also line the composter.

[Bigmallly]

Looking good TC........go to your local £land & pick up a few rolls of chicken wire for the compost pallets. That's what I've done & it holds it in fine plus lets the air through.

[TheChemist]

Looking good TC........go to your local £land & pick up a few rolls of chicken wire for the compost pallets. That's what I've done & it holds it in fine plus lets the air through.

Perfect, thanks!!

[Gillykat]

Try not to panic

Yes, that would be MY number one tip The first few days after we got the key to RR34 (i have an address yaaayy ) I was in a bit of a daze as it hadn't sunk in! By week two I was doodling plans on bits of paper and by the end of that week I was beginning to panic in case I did everything wrong!!!!!!
But then I made a list of jobs to do on the plot before the seed sowing started properly and I'm working my way through them and crossing them off as I go....and now I'm not panicking Especially as our boss has cut our hours at work and I have 3.5 days off next week....my first thought was ''Brilliant.....I'm on gardening leave...I can catch up!''

Having an allotment is GREAT!!!! Why on earth has it taken me 46 years, 11 months and one week to realise that fact?

[TheChemist]

Today we went to our beloved little rectangle of borrowed land. We...

- put up a plastic cold frame (no idea what we'll do with it, but it was £7 in a sale last year and I'm determined to use it for something!

- built a wooden raised bed (10X4)

- dug out another 10X8ish area.

- marked out a central 2 ft path to run all the way up to the allotment, until you reach the fruit area, which we haven't quite worked out exactly yet.

After my morning (taking 15 six/seven year old girls to the cinema then a restaurant for my daughter's birthday) I was knackered, and quite relieved when sundown came. It was very chilly.

Saw a couple of other plot holders and had nice chats. Everyone there is lovely; there are only 17 plots. One gave me some red onion sets. No idea what to do with them - if I should start them somewhere or wait for the beds to be filled and whack them in.

Progress being made. Off for a brew, to research cheap sources of dirt and revise for an exam.

[NatalieCooke]

Congratulations on your new plot, it looks great!
Sounds like you have a great plan. Look forward to seeing pictures as the years going on!

[TheChemist]

We now have three beds dug out.

Tomorrow we're going to attempt:

Nail chicken wire to inside of pallet composter

Plant comfrey next to composter - I have a few tubers(?) of Bocking 14 from eBay. Do I sink them in pots or are they ok to just plant out?

Get some PSB planted in modules under the cold frame

Plant some foxglove, sweet peas and sunflowers (with my daughter - her little project)

Get some spuds in the ground - will my main crop spuds be ok straight in the ground or do I need to mix something in/fertilise them/add a handful of MPC in each hole?

Dig out our fourth bed. This one we're going to double dig and remove stones etc as we'd like it to be our roots bed. I'm not too worried about the odd bit of forking but the way the bed is now we'd end up with little gnarled mop ends instead of carrots

[sparrow100]

Re Bocking 14 - if you know where you want it to live it's fine straight in the ground. It has a long taproot, so if you're not sure, keep it in a pot for a bit.

Spuds - I'd add some fertiliser with each and possibly a handful or two of MPC if your soil is still claggy. Am not sticking mine in yet as my place is still too cold. First week in April will do me.

[Bohobumble]

It is all rather exciting with a new allotment isn't it?!

Unsure what you/previous occupier has fertilised with in the beds previously so it's probably worthwhile mixing a handful of something into the bottom of your holes: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=716

did you test your soil for pH/nutrient deficiency at all?

[TheChemist]

It is all rather exciting with a new allotment isn't it?!

Unsure what you/previous occupier has fertilised with in the beds previously so it's probably worthwhile mixing a handful of something into the bottom of your holes: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=716

did you test your soil for pH/nutrient deficiency at all?

No, I haven't. I'm more of a chemical physicist (I study more quantum mechanics/kinetics/laser chemistry) so could manage pH myself but will have to ask a kind inorganic chemist or send it off somewhere for something more in depth. I remember very little from my early, less specialised, chemistry days!

Thanks for the link Very helpful! Everyone else on the site seems to be popping in spuds and onion sets now, but it was definitely frosty when I went out this morning, so I'll hang tight for a bit longer. Think I might be impatient by nature!

[Gillykat]

We had a VERY hard frost first thing when I set off for work at 6am but it's not too bad now. Sleety showers is the forecast for tomorrow!!!

Wish it would warm up properly....like you I'm just impatient to get going properly!

[TheChemist]

Today Mr. TC dug bed number four. We've composted the turf (composter now fully lined and covered) and all the soil is piled up by the side, ready for stone removal (it's going to be our roots bed)

I planted some PSB and flowers under the cold frame. I also planted my comfrey roots. That's all so far. Pushing barrows of turf up the hill was really back breaking. We're both wrecked. For dinner I made frittata and salad. I'd love to make the same again but with everything except the oil and pepper from our garden/hens! Exciting!

[TheChemist]

The seeds keep on arriving, the pots keep on multiplying...