Newbie Gardener looking for some advice.

[veggiechicken]

If you have a choice of plots - whatever size - there are a few things to look for -
How near to water supply?
Is it shaded by trees or buildings?
Access/parking?
Any sheds/greenhouses on it - and do they come with the plot?
Which way is South - for most sun!
How weedy and what weeds are they?

Others here will come up with more things to look for.....................wait for it

[ESBkevin]

If you go big you can always have a mini orchard? I took on a half plot and at the end of the first season was offered the other half. Our decision was to do all construction/hard landscape on the first half and use the second half as open ground for row crops (spuds/peas/beans etc.) When retirement beckons I will have enough to do but should I want or be forced to do less, I can relinquish the 'open' half and keep my fruit trees, shed, raised beds, water buts and compost bins etc. for a simpler life.
Don't forget the beauty of machines when tackling large jobs. Petrol mowers and rotavators can help you get a handle on things. They can be hired but often a neighbour has one they will loan you for a couple of beers. Keep an eye on auction sites for used machines if you get addicted to machines.
There is nothing are relaxing as double digging plots but to do the whole thing in one short period is daunting to even the most seasoned gardener.
Finally don't forget the beauty of cardboard, place thick cardboard over the weeds and weigh down with clods of earth. By the time you get to digging weeks or even months later, the weeds are dead (mostly). You can dig the remnants of the cardboard in too, the worms love it. Use brown box card rather than white/colour printed for best results, you never know what plastic or toxin is used in the ink. Most supermarkets or corner shops have a surplus of boxes to dispose of.

[noviceveggrower]

Hi Andy,

These questions VC has given are really good to ask your site guy when looking at the plots. So I think you should take a pen and paper with you and make notes on what he/she has says.

May I add

What are your fellow plot holders like, especially the ones next to you.

How family friendly are they. I see you have a four year old I have an eight and five year old. My new site is very social and family friendly.

Are you allowed to put up your own sheds, greenhouses etc. My council has a booklet with rules on building sizes. My new site doesn't allow sheds or greenhouses due to vandalism.

Check and see how much a 5 pole and 10 is. If the plot is really, really weedy and beaten up be a bit cheeky and point out that since you can't grow anything now can you have it 'free' until the next time the allotment bills come out. My rent bill come out in April.

Fruit trees, if you are wanting to grow them, see if you are allowed them. In our area you can grow fruit bushes and other soft fruits but not have any fruit tree at all.

Hope this helps Oh how rude of me Welcome to the Vine

[sparrow100]

Hi Andy,

Personally I would take the bigger one if possible, if it's not prohibitively expensive and if you think you might have been bitten by the bug. It's easier to give up half than move to a bigger plot and start again, particularly if they are all overgrown. I have 2 half plots now, they are 20m away from each other and I am forever shuttling between them to get tools I'd forgotten I needed.

As others have said, if you can do an initial strim and get big cardboard boxes and put them down (I get mine from bike shops and then cover them with cheap tarps) it will keep light out and weeds at bay till you get round to digging/clearing that bit.

My site has rules on building sizes and placement, ie not shading your neighbour. It also has rules about rootstocks for fruit trees and doesn't allow orchard plots. But we are allowed fires all year round as long as the wind is from the west. Each site on here seems to differ from others. It's worth checking what yours would be. And checking how sociable your site is. We have no fences between plots, communal picnic/BBQ areas and people are encouraged to bring friends and family on site.

Good luck with it, and welcome to the Vine.

And remember to take photos, we're really nosey!

[Tripmeup]

Best of luck with the new plot..

The one thing to remember is that you have the gardening bug now and really enjoy it as you say.. So don't let the new plot become a chore and dampen the enjoyment you get..

That said, if you are bitten by the bug and also, you seem to be the master of your own time the larger one may be viable... Especially if you can erect a greenhouse or tunnel to grow lots of nice tomatoes, chilli, peppers, cucs etc

[rosiepumpkin]

I had a choice last year of an overgrown and neglected mostly shady 9 pole plot that is a minute's walk from the water supply (that's longer than it sounds) and bordered by a full height leylandii hedge and several mature trees on the south side. The other one was 4 poles, in a sunny position that didn't need that much work done to it.

My OH was insistent on the smaller one. I was insistent on the bigger one. I won and 18 months later he now sees why I was right. (hehe)

Why I chose the bigger one:
Our space at home is tiny and we both have our own businesses working from home. It's a miracle we don't kill each other. The 9 pole plot is a lot bigger than our flat.
It was previously owned by an old timer and I could see (under the 6 foot nettles etc) that there was an excellent plot structure, the soil would be fabulous and there was likely to be great plants under the weeds.
It had 2 greenhouses, a shed, a bbq area, a grassed area, a bench and a picnic table. (Under current rules, only one shed or greenhouse is allowed)
It had paved or mulched paths which are no longer allowed.
Grassed areas are no longer allowed.
It had lots of mature fruit trees.
It had lots of privacy.
Although there was a lot of shade, I could see that we'd have enough light in the growing season when it mattered and there was a lot we could do to increase light.
Neither of us are sun bunnies and we have lots of shade on hot days when everyone else is half dying of heat stroke.
Did I mention 2 greenhouses?
It had a garden area which means we get a garden and an allotment (wouldn't be allowed under current rules but we're only continuing what was there)
It's sheltered on a windy site.

There are 2 of us, not one, and it's been a lot of work.

I'm sharing so you can see how I made my decision and why and hopefully it'll help. So much depends on whether you can have structures, how much needs to be cultivated, the kinds of things you like to grow, whether you love sun, where you are etc etc.

If you do choose the larger plot (or even if you choose the smaller one), deal with perennial weeds first, then annual seeding weeds, and then decide what will make you feel best fastest, and concentrate on that part until it's good enough. Then move onto the next part. It shows you are working on the plot, shows progress and no reasonable person should be chucking you off a plot if you have clear progress they can see. Also take photos (especially at the beginning and during growing season) so you have proof of what you've done.

Lastly, there will be a point when suddenly it's your plot, not someone else's you now have. For us, it was taking down the second tree which really opened the plot up. That's the point when we felt it was ours.

[rosiepumpkin]

Oooh and I need to mention this so I can crow. I have better soil than Monty Don it turns out. It's clay-based loam. It's amazing. It's oozing with worms and beneficial insects. Beautiful stuff.

I love it when I'm right.

Thank you old timer (Reg) for looking after your soil so well so I can have it and look after it for the future.

[Andy-W]

Hi everyone. So i went to the site today and looked at all the plts available. They are all in a similar state but I think i am going to settle for a certain 10 pole plot for a few reasons.

It is right next to the water pump
it was the only one with a shed (even if it was filled with rubbish)
The neigbors have kids or grandkids (or atleast it looks liek they do with a swing set on the plot)
It already has some lovely fruit trees Pear, Apple and i think Cherry tree along with a massive blackberry bush which right now is taking over the whole shed.

It looks pretty scary right now and very over grown with lots of weeds. They all had similar problems. The parts I can see the ground it seems like we have a great base. I manged to snap a quick photo on my phone.

Where do i start? Arhhggg I am scard

[veggiechicken]

Sounds great Andy
Don't be scared - we're here to help you - although we don't do weeding
I'm not sure which bit on the photo is yours. Is it the long grass bit on the left or the less grassy bit on the right - or both?

[Andy-W]

Sounds great Andy
Don't be scared - we're here to help you - although we don't do weeding
I'm not sure which bit on the photo is yours. Is it the long grass bit on the left or the less grassy bit on the right - or both?

Basically anything that is overgrown is now mine ha. So its a long plot from top to bottom and a bit more on the right hand side.

It is mostly grass so I am guessing mowing it is the way to start?

[veggiechicken]

Mowing, strimming, scything or borrow a goat.
You may find something interesting in the grass - rhubarb perhaps. Exciting times.
Start collecting big cardboard boxes to lay down on top of the cut grass. This will help kill off the grass and stop more weeds growing. You can lift it bit by bit, when you're ready to prepare it for planting it up.

[Andy-W]

Mowing, strimming, scything or borrow a goat.
You may find something interesting in the grass - rhubarb perhaps. Exciting times.
Start collecting big cardboard boxes to lay down on top of the cut grass. This will help kill off the grass and stop more weeds growing. You can lift it bit by bit, when you're ready to prepare it for planting it up.

Ok great. So if i cut it all down first do i need to collect it all up or just lay the card over the cuttings?

[Martin H]

Congratulations, I like your reasoning for taking this one.

Like VC says, first thing is to check if there are any fruit bushes or other permanent stuff in there you want to keep, then cut the rest to the ground. Pile it up in a corner and let it rot down into a lovely mulch that you can spread over your beds.

Then the plan is to dig it over a bit at a time and get roots out. Start at one end or one corner, peg out a patch to tackle in one session and do that bit. Don't overdo it and don't rush, you have to enjoy the process. Try and work facing the bit you've already done, so you can't see the mountain left to climb.

As you clear a bit, try and plant something. In the next month or so you can get overwintering onion sets, garlic, broad beans in there. It's great to be able to look up and see something growing when you need a breather from the hard work.

If you can't cover with cardboard, be prepared to strim again before winter sets in.

Over the next few months, while you're digging, you'll be able to think about what sort of arrangement of beds you want to put in there. You'll also learn a bit about what sort of soil you have!

[Andy-W]

Double post sorry

[Andy-W]

So today i had a spare hour so i spent it getting starting on this very overgrown plot. I got myself trimmer and got working. I didn't have long but made some progress by clearly the shed and starting cutting down the grass. I got about half done and will do the same tomorrow. The bottom end is just full of rubbish, wood, rusted metal buckets, poles all sorts.... not looking forward to that bit.

My Plan was after storming to cover with as much card as i can find and hopefully some horse muck. The only problem is getting the Muck. Do places normally deliver manure to allotments?

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...921-wa0000.jpg