Allotment Design

[Marie73]

Has anyone got any advice on Designing an Allotment, This is my first Allotment and havent got a clue i intend to make raised boxes, Any advice will be greatfully recieved.

[Foxandbadger]

I'm in the same situation Marie, would love to share some tips!

My plot hasn't been tended for years by the looks of things, it's a heavy clay soil and I too am hoping to make some raised beds.

[alldigging]

Pallet collars might be an easier option than making boxes

I've got some. They cost me £6 each from a pallet yard near us.
They're hinged bottomless boxes about 4x3ft I think. (although there are different size ones)

re: planning - decide what's already there and start with the existing layout. Measure and draw it all out and spend some time thinking about how you'll use the plot - if you've got shed etc already then that decision is probably done.

[Two_Sheds]

i intend to make raised boxes

Is there a reason for that? Is your soil no good? Or do you have a bad back?

[Two_Sheds]

any advice on Designing an Allotment

For your first year, I wouldn't worry too much about getting it right. Just get something growing. You can do a "design" in your 2nd or 3rd year, once you have a handle on what you like to grow.

Me, I divided my plot into 8 equal beds.

1) soft fruit
2) onions & potatoes

the other four beds I rotate each year, and they go something like this:

3-5) legumes
6) brassicas
7) roots
8) pumpkins, sweetcorn

It's a rough plan, I don't worry too much about what goes where in reality, and because I grow more legumes than anything else, they get popped in anywhere there's a gap, whether that's in their "proper" bed or not.

[veggiechicken]

Is that 8 beds, TS, or 6

[Two_Sheds]

A good point, well made


(now corrected)

[veggiechicken]

A good point, well made
(now corrected)

If I'd had to guess where the other 2 beds were, it wouldn't have been in the legumes!

[Foxandbadger]

I've got some mobility issues which is why raised beds would be ideal (I've got ME). I was considering gravel boards as I would expect they'd last longer than pallet wood etc?

[veggiechicken]

Hello and Welcome to Marie and Foxandbadger. You may like to go over to Introduce yourself http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...duce-yourself/ and tell us a little more about your yourselves and you plans. Sometimes answers can be a little complicated when we're trying to help two people at once
Meanwhile here's a similar thread that you may like to read
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ner_67590.html

[MrBloom]

i agree with two sheds, im in same position too. the plot we have hasn't been worked for a long time and there are parts of it that are overgrown which we are not currently using, but i just cleared a few plots and planted a few things down. I will be concentrating on a design for the allotment after Christmas but for now im just happy to be growing something lol. The only thing i really done is build a 13ft shed at the bottom corner for when the winter comes, we do currently have a shed on there with log burner in but its no where near as big as what the new shed is going to be.

[Mikey]

I've got some mobility issues which is why raised beds would be ideal (I've got ME). I was considering gravel boards as I would expect they'd last longer than pallet wood etc?

Any timber treated or otherwise which is left in wet heavy clay soil won't last more than a couple of years. I have some raised beds on my heavy clay allotment, I use them to border my plot so that I can keep the grass border off the soil.

There is a product that you can get which will prolong the timbers life, some companies which sell bricks use a black uv stabilized corregated polythene to separate the brick layers. I'd ask around at some brick suppliers as the ones in my area throw it away. Its great stuff for lining the inside of the timber beds to keep the damp soil away from the timber.

[MrBloom]

its called (Damp Proof Course) im using it on the shed im building at the moment. and also use crasote to treat the timber its good stuff but remember to dip each end of the timber in the crasote as well

[Mikey]

No, Mr bloom its not DPC, that is on a roll and floppy, this is rigid board like that you'd use to cover a conservatory roof, although it is black.

[MrBloom]

hmmmm never heard of that, i just use that DPC its cheap and cheer full and does the job. theres another thing that you could use that my pal uses for sealing external walls which is a liquid based cover that when sprayed onto timber or brick it prevents the rain from soaking in it just runs off. i will find out what its called and let ya know its supposed to be really good stuff