New allotment, newbie!

[secretgardener]

Hello everyone!

I've just found myself a half plot, which I really excited about. It hasn't been cultivated, apparently, for the last four years, but the lottie association people have v helpfully done some bits to it (including covering a large patch, and strimming it all down today ready for me!)

I'm told that its position at the bottom of a gentle slope means raised beds are a good idea as it has got waterlogged before, but otherwise the world is my oyster! EXCEPT money is pretty tight (with a baby and only one wage coming in at the mo) so my challenge is to grow on a shoestring.

Does anyone have any tips about getting allotment supplies (anything, really, from the makings of raised beds to tools to seeds) for free/very cheap?? Handily I have family who grow veg, and will be willing to help with spare tools/unused seeds, but any advice, knowledge, tips etc you guys have picked up over the years would be gratefully received!

Thanks in advance

Oh, and I've Attached some photos, pre strim. It looks a lot better now!

[Cadalot]

Welcome

Wyevale 50p seed sale is on at the moment so you can save money by buying the seed for next year now.

Keep an eye on Freecycle, Dalek Compost Bins, Water Butts, Sheds, paving slabs, hoses, old decking and timber and all kinds of gardening tools come up on a regular basis.

Most of all enjoy it and aim to get as much infrastructure, digging over and weeding done from now until next season whist not over doing it.

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine. Grats on your lottie.

In regards to advice......talk - talk to everyone you have a lottie, you are starting from scratch etc. etc. once they know it is amazing what you get.

Tools - car boots, friends + family, other allotmenteers may well lend you
Seeds - seed sales on as it is end of season or try £ shops, wilko, aldi, lidl at the start of next season. In future years if you seed save you can play swapsies
Plants - peoples drives, other allotment holders, friends + families, gc unloved corners.
Sheds, gh's, slabs etc - freecycle, preloved etc.
Woodchippings - possibly your council, speak to tree surgeons
Soil improver - possibly your council
organic matter/ animal poo - farmers, horse stables etc.
mushroom compost - off chance you have a mushroom farm near you
cardboard (to mulch with/ cover weeds) - bike shops, trade merchants etc.
Pallets, blue barrels - industrial estates. Also worth speaking to trade merchants if they have damaged baths, bath panels, worktop etc. and what they do with it.
Scaffold boards/ debris netting - speak to companies to see what they do with their written off boards and what happens to nets after jobs
Keep an eye out for skips and have a nosey.
Household items - butter pots, fruit punnets, egg boxes, ice cream pots can all be used as seed trays. Small milk bottles can be compost scoops, slug traps etc. Plastic bottles can be made into windmills, help with watering the list is endless.

Make sure you ask permission to take stuff where applicable it may be rubbish/ get rid but it is the decent thing.

Hope this helps - the main thing is to ask/talk

[Scarlet]

I can't add to any of the info been given except keep us posted with your progress!

Welcome to the vine.

[secretgardener]

Thanks!

Thanks guys, this is all great advice and being absorbed! I'll be checking freecycle - slightly obsessively, probably - and off to my local wyevale/aldi/lidl today!

One other thing I was told was that it's a nice idea to blog the progress of the plot - so (even though I'm a committed technophobe usually) I'm giving that a go. If anyone is interested the address is:

https://newsecretgardener.wordpress.com

I'm sure I'll be back with lots of questions when I get going on actually working my plot. Thanks for all your advice so far! 😊

[secretgardener]

Raised bed material

Hello
Does anyone know if old spare laminate flooring planks can be used for raised bed edging? I can get hold of some but am not sure if they will do the job...
Thanks!

[Jungle Jane]

This thread might be helpful,it doesn't seem to be a good choice of material for raised beds.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...rds_80380.html

[secretgardener]

Thanks!

This thread might be helpful,it doesn't seem to be a good choice of material for raised beds.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...rds_80380.html

Thankyou! Yes, think I'll give that a miss. Onwards and upwards!

[secretgardener]

Update blog

https://newsecretgardener.wordpress.com

Just a little update from my plot (inc photos!) if you're interested!

[Pooleman]

Nice Blog - best of luck

[MadMackem]

Welcome to the vine and congratulations on your allotment. I've only just got mine - also a half plot - also not dug for 4 years and it is a bit of a challenge. As for bits - the previous advice is good advice.

[dru`s haven]

good luck secretgardner ive just read your blog and you sure look like youre doing great cracking bargain on the mower brilliant keep the blog going love it signed up to see how you go woohoo exciting times ahead

[Sandyp]

Totally loved your blog and seeing the pics, I found during my first year that some people on the allotment site kept giving me extra little plants that they had sewn to much of, like broccoli and cabbage and seeds for broad beans and runner beans, another lady gave me flower cuttings, they are such a lovely bunch of people so I hope the same happens for you, well done on your new adventure and your blog is fab, you will really enjoy the adventure of it all.

[secretgardener]

Blog update

Hello!
An over-winter update hope you like!

https://newsecretgardener.wordpress....0/the-big-dig/

[Teabag]

Looking good! All the best with your plot! I've just taken on one too