new allotment!

[veggieboy]

Hello all,

After 4 years on the waiting list, I have at last been given a brand new half size (7m x 7m) plot, Care of Ditton parish council.

Weather permitting I'll be picking up the keys sometime in March.

I hope to have a raised bed system.


Where do I start?

[Bigmallly]

Congratulations vb & welcome to the vine. When you say brand new, has it already been turned over? or is it just brand new to you?

You may want to look at the allotment section of the vine where there is masses of info & pics on how grapes have managed their plots.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Start at the ground and work up mate . Enjoy your plot and post a few pics for us letting us see how you get on

[veggiechicken]

Welcome veggieboy! A good place to start would be by having a wander around this forum! There's lots of advice on here about allotments, raised beds and growing all manner of things. Have a search and enjoy yourself.

[SarrissUK]

Hi and welcome to the forums! You've come at a good time - it's absolutely heaving with activity this time of year, in anticipation of the outdoor growing season coming up
You might want to pop your location in your profile so people can help more easily with any queries you may have
Enjoy the veg growing!

[veggieboy]

Hello,

I'ts a brand new set of 12 half size plots, right nest door to exsisting ones.

Pics to follow soon!

[Bigmallly]

Pics would be good vb, is it deffo 7mx7m cos my half plot is 10mx10m. If you are wanting to put raised beds on, measure the plot, decide how you want to lay your beds (no more than 4 foot wide as you need to reach the center). Include any paths into your plan. When I got my half plot,I put a thread somewhere on here which totally did my head in. Will try and find it for you, it may or may not help.

[Bigmallly]

Here you go:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...eds_59810.html

[ladylottie]

Here you go:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...eds_59810.html

I just looked at that link BM - and it's done my head in too Now I know why I don't do raised beds - I use scaffolding boards as paths instead so I can move them around as needed.

[Bigmallly]

I just looked at that link BM - and it's done my head in too Now I know why I don't do raised beds - I use scaffolding boards as paths instead so I can move them around as needed.

I'm glad it did your head in as well, would have hated to be on my own..............I must say though, it was worth every minute.

[Kaiya]

7x7m is a 1/4 plot (almost a 1/5). Mine is 6x9m, so only slightly bigger in area (would have been a proper 1/4 at 7x9m but the neighbour nicked 1m when we were moving in ).

http://www.growveg.com/ - I found this pretty helpful to play with plans (so much I now subscribe lol). It has 30 days no strings trial so you can try out some ideas.

I tried out wider beds (about 2m, ~7') and it's obviously too wide - I'm redoing it now to have 1.1m wide beds. It feels narrow on the plan but it's all about being comfortable reaching into the bed and not having to step on it! I practiced reaching into some 1.2m (4') imaginary beds and found that uncomfortable for my back, so went for 1.1m (3'8). Conversely though my paths are only 40cm (1'4) wide as I'm fine crouching in weird yoga positions in that much space and the plot's too small to need wheelbarrowing there.

Bigmallly's post is very informative re: pointing South etc! I have no edges on my 'raised'/mounded beds - no homes for slugs, no need to buy/find wood, the opportunity to continue to be fickle and change my mind regularly

[veggieboy]

Raised beds.

Rang a few lacal scaffolding firms (Maidstone area) to see if they had any dead or dying ones for sale. prices range from £2 - £4!

Bargin!

[Florence Fennel]

That is quite a bargain VB, good luck with your allotment. Whereabouts are you? I'm not familiar with Ditton.

[veggieboy]

Inbetween West Malling and Maidstone.

me20 6by - Google Maps

Fingers crossed the link works!

You can see the existng allotments, the new ones have been added to the south side.

[Two_Sheds]

Rang a few lacal scaffolding firms (Maidstone area) to see if they had any dead or dying ones for sale. prices range from £2 - £4!

It's a good way to dispose of cracked ones. We got a trailer load for £100 ... a quid each board