Our Half Plot (Take 2)

[NickG]

I wanted to post a thread so I have a record of our new half plot allotment, so I can track progress, as well as ask for advice.

We took charge of our first plot last may, a half plot that had been neglected for a few years, and the kids and I loved transforming it into something where we spent most dry days and holidays, learning from our mistakes as we went. The only real issue with the plot was a third of it was concrete so it really limited raised beds for the kids etc.

A corner plot that has been left for the last 3 seasons was offered to us late in the year, and discussion's were had as a family on if we wanted to make the move, to essentially start again.

After a few fellow plotters kindly strimmed the weeds, we decided as a family that we would make the move at the start of Feb this year. The plot is classed as a half plot but is actually not far from being a full one. There are a few raised beds in various states of repair, a home made shed structure, along with a 5x2 poly tunnel frame.



The first job was to get some weed control fabric down so we could see the potential of the site and start to plan layout.










The job of moving a poly tunnel, our existing raised beds, garden shed and fruit shrubs began in earnest.......

[NickG]

First we had to move the raised beds from the old allotment, this was a bigger task than I first imagined.....



On my next day off I enlisted the help of my thirteen year old daughter to help her old man move our 4x2 poly tunnel to the new plot and to dig it in. The site we chose had been covered for a few years with tarpaulin so the ground looked great for it under neath:



I thought I would keep the existing frame also and just get a cover for it. Little did I know until I started looking into it was that the 5x2 was rarer than hens teeth. I had to buy a complete tunnel and frame again, but it meant that I have a spare that I can make a fruit cage with in the future. Let there be 2 tunnels lol:



The onions have also been moved that I planted late last year and seem to have taken to their new plot quite well.

[NickG]

On Sunday I negotiated with my better half a few hours to move our shed from the old plot to the new one, promising it would be an easy move (help generously offered from 2 other plotters) returning a good 5 hours later with the day gone!!! Shed moved, dog house entered.

At the side of the plot the rail fence has loads of brambles that I cut back on Thursday to just above the fence height. They are on the other side and form a good natural barrier, promising a fab autumn jam harvest that will be a great adventure for all the family. I took the opportunity to cover the land up to the fence after digging up some currant bushes and raspberry canes, which will go back in through the membrane hopefully this Sunday.









I also took the opportunity to dig up the rhubarb in the existing long planter which was a job and a half. I did think I would hit oil going as deep down as I had to.....

[johnjohn]

Nice work Nick, keep the updates coming. You obviously know what you want to achieve it's looking great

[Cadalot]

Nick G looking good, but there is not a good track record for the survival of photographs on here at the moment, and a migration to a new platform is to come. If I were you I would use Blogger or some other means of making a record and post links to it. Know exactly what you mean about the dog house, I spend some time in mine every now and then.

[NickG]

Finally finished the weed control membrane for this year, I will cover the rest once we have moved the earth mound at the bottom of the plot and next to the shed.

[NickG]

One thing I was conscious I needed to do as soon as I had the opportunity was to build a boundary fence to pen in my 3 year old little boy, so he doesn't go for a wander when we are not looking. On Thursday I built a simple fence which just needs gates and tidying off.

[NickG]

I was also given a sliding door from an old poly tunnel that I took the opportunity to cut down to fit ours and fit as well. A lot of playing around but I am pleased with the finished result

[NickG]

Another morning spent in the rain, I looked like a drowned rat when I collected my little boy from nursery at lunch time, but a productive morning it was too. Despite the rain, I managed to fill 3 more raised beds, this time making a start on removing the huge earth mound at the front of the plot using this to fill the beds.

I planted our autumn raspberries from our old plot, along with a load of summer raspberry canes that I removed from this plot whilst laying the weed control membrane.

The first bed on the left is our transplanted autumn canes, the centre with the summer ones and the right bed has the boysenberry and loganberry plants one of each. The idea is to create a fruit wall the full side of the plot, we will have raspberries, blackberries, Logan and boysenberries, currants as well (not sure what they actually are as they are just starting to bud up now.

I also finally re fitted the guttering to the shed and finished off putting in the last 3 fence posts. A busy 2 hours was had.....

[NickG]

A good morning spent down on the plot today, finished off the fence ends by securing and making KID friendly, strawberry runners planted through membrane in the raised bed between the polytunnels.

We also took the opportunity to sort out the two beds that run along the entrance path, weeding, laying membrane and stones and planting lavender and a clematis. Looking forward to seeing these all in bloom, they should be a welcoming sight as we walk down to the plot each visit.

Got back to find the post man had delivered the ten gold autumn raspberry canes, they will have to be weekend job, a great excuse to nip down the allotment