Starting a new plot

[Plumed90]

Hi everyone!

I'm getting my first plot on April 1st. I'm itching to get started, is there anything I can do while I'm waiting to help get me ahead?

Maybe planting some seeds in pots?

Thanks!
Dan

[Bigmallly]

Hello Dan & welcome to the vine, If it's not an April Fools, keep tabs on this thread, it will give you tips as to what folk are sowing. Bear in mind there location in relation to yours though.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...6-a_87843.html

[Scarlet]

Hi Dan and welcome to the vine have you taken any photos of your plot? How bad is it how big is it? Do you have access to a greenhouse?

You could get some spuds and start chitting them. T

What do you plan to grow, what do you like to eat.

[Scarlet]

You could start some cloves of garlic off in pots. Though it depends on how much work/weeding you've got to do before you can get things in the ground.

[muddled]

Hello and welcome!

You could start stockpiling cardboard to cover sections of the plot with?
Also, collect loo roll tubes (they make great little seed starter pots).

Have you seen the plot that will be yours?
Whats it like?

[Tripmeup]

Hello and welcome...

Pics will help us see what you can do and what you face....
Get some onion sets going in modules maybe, sow some cabbage seed in a few weeks and some lettuce too...
What veg do you like or hope to grow?

[Plumed90]

I haven't seen the plot yet but I know it is a 10 rod. I've been told by the letting secretary at my local grounds that it equates to 100 ft by 30 ft. Is this a fairly large plot?

I'm viewing the plot mid March but from what I've heard half of it is not great and the other half Is very bad.

I'm 25 so I should have the fitness to clear it this year but I'm really keen to have some kind of crop this year. I'm in loughton which is Essex just outside of London so heavy clay soils.

From the research I've done I'm going to clear the plot one bed at a time and plant as soon as it's clear. I'll aim to have a few large beds this year with easy plants, potatoes, corgettes, onions, garlic... Any other suggestions will be very welcome.

Essentially I'm going to have an overgrown plot on April 1st but I want to know what to seed indoors so I'm ready to plant within 2 weeks of clearing a couple of beds.

Give me your knowledge and advice!!!! 😀

[Scarlet]

Well, there's lots of stuff you can start off in March/April. I start everything in pots and pot on until they are large enough to withstand slug attacks etc. which will give you time to clear your beds.
I love purple sprouting. There's a summer sprouting that you could start now. Once they are in the ground, heavily mulched (newspapers and grass clippings or plant through card) and netted they take a couple of months to grow so would leave you free for other beds.
Potatoes are a good idea, you can start putting these in around April. Courgettes and squash, start sowing in pots late April/early May. Don't sow them too soon as they are very tender , you can't put them out until after your last frost date and they get big fast! If you heavily mulch around them and keep topping it up you shouldn't have to keep returning to the same spots to weed.
Sure there's a planting calendar somewhere....

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...dar_81258.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...sed_87761.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...6-a_87843.html

[Bren In Pots]

Dan you've had excellent advice so I'll just say hello and welcome to the vine

[plam]

I got my allotment at the end of last May, you are certainly right about starting with easy crops, consider what will be quick to crop too. I started off with courgettes, runner beans and lettuce. After a hard day clearing the rubbish and brambles etc it was great to be able to actually pick something to eat!

[dilettante]

Hi! I live not far from you in Chingford. Nice to see another young local on here - I'm 27. This is my first season with my allotment, I only got it in October, so we can learn together. I'm dying to get going, I haven't really been able to do much at the plot yet because it's so boggy. Most of the beds came with foot deep trenches around them, which are half filled with water still. I've only done a bit of growing in my garden up until now. A whole 10 rods is massive!

You'll be able to have tons of things ready to go in pots for when you get the plot, it'll just be a matter of whether or not the space is cleared ready for them. But then, lots of things don't need to be planted out until May - June, or you can focus on autumn/winter crops this year.

Edit: If you're looking for seed potatoes, Chapelfields Nursery on Sewardstone Road is really cheap, 1kg for £1-1.50 depending on variety. It's a bit creepy there, but pretty good.

[Greenleaves]

Did they see you coming Dan, taking the tenancy on 1st April???.....welcome to the vine, enjoy the benefits of the advice and humour

[jonny the plant pot]

I think it all depends on how daft you are if your like me you will dream of polytunnels and greenhouses if you are normal you will plant cabages and potatoes .
The world is your oyster or your 300ft which in my book is the same thing .
Welcome and enjoy is all I can say.

[Martin H]

Hi, welcome to the vine from another Essex/London grower!

If you've got enough sunny windowsills and a cold frame you can certainly get things started indoors and plant them out when they are bigger. But things grow quicker than you think so I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry. You don't want your plants to be ready to go out before you've cleared space for them! Mid March is plenty early enough to get started with most stuff, April for beans or sweetcorn.

Good luck, enjoy the work!