Just taken on my first Allotment... What next?

[PeaPodius]

Hello, I'm a newbie. I've never done any gardening in my life. I was so incredibly lucky to get a plot on birthday in September. It was an intended present that had been nievely arranged months before but at the time my partner was told it would be at least a year to wait. So I received an alternative present. Unbelievably, on the day of my birthday we get a call to say a plot has been allocated to us. We were both speechless! The timing!

So a few weeks later, here I am. I have watched nearly every Gardeners' World episode available On Demand and have a small library of books and bookmarked websites. I love it dearly.

So this is my plan. If someone could please tell me if this sounds correct or not then great! I also have a couple of questions about crops.

1) I took on an overgrown allotment. I have cleared a lot. It's a half plot with around 5 young trees (apple, pear and plum) although nobody knows if they produced anything for the last owner. My plan is to now lay well rotted manure down on the cleared plot and place black sheeting over the top. Does this sound right? And how long should I leave the sheeting on?

2) With the above in mind regarding the manure, I am planning to grow potatoes and someone told me to be careful. Will my plan to grow potatoes be affected if I'm laying manure down to help clear the weeds presently, or does that only apply when you're sowing the potatoes?

3) I've been told red skinned potatoes are easier to grow - is this true?

4) Has anyone tried Joan J Raspberries? Are they good? I overheard a couple of plot owners raving about them.

5) What are the best strawberries for flavour and yield?

6) I'm hoping to find midi plum tomato seeds. I'd like to find a sweet variety. Can anyone recommend?

7) Is there a particular type of carrot that's more resilient when it comes to carrot fly?

Sorry for so many questions. Thanks and I look forward to the replies

[sparrow100]

Congrats on the plot - I love mine too. Well done on clearing too - that's hard work.

1) Young trees might not be old enough to produce fruit yet - my 3 year old apple produced nothing this year. And I bought a 2 year-old quince before finding out they don't fruit until they are at least 5. I'd leave the sheeting on & well pegged down till you want to plant something in it. The sheet will stop weeds growing and will warm the soil in spring. It might benefit from turning over again when you uncover in case you've created a slug haven. The birds will pick up some of them for you.

2) Depends on how much manure is down and how well-rotted it is. It might cause a bit of scab on the potatoes but that's just cosmetic. I wouldn't worry about it myself.

3) Never heard that one!

5) I'd get a selection of varieties so you can try them yourself. They will reproduce quickly so you don't have to buy many. Flavour is so subjective. I got honeyoye after reading rave reviews, and while they are early, I don't like the taste. You might also be able to get some runners from plot neighbours. I give away about 100 runners each year - I've got 2 5mx1m beds and have crammed them full.

6) I think Sunbeam are F1 so any seeds you sow won't come true from supermarket ones and I can't see them for sale online. Someone else might come along with other suggestions, but I like the flavour of black cherry, 100s&1000s, sungold and sweet million. You can save seed of the first 2.

7) Resistafly is supposed to be. I grow mine in tubs 7.5m up on my balcony. If I were to grow them on the plot I would cover them with fine net rather than gambling on whether my local fly is partial to that variety or not.

Hope that helps a bit - my fingers are tired now. Be warned, ask 3 gardeners a question and you'll get at least 4 opinions! In the end I often just go by trial and error.

[PeaPodius]

Thanks very much for the info That's true regarding the trees. I never thought. I think the plum tree is the biggest, but I guess that doesn't mean it's older enough to start producing furit. The other plot holders have been very kind so far so I am sure they'll be happy to assist my search for strawberries. The fine net is a also great idea. I will try that.Thanks again.

[Waney]

Jealous much I wanted to apply for a plot but was told 5-8 years haha I will have a house with a garden by then, plans sound great and look forward to seeing some progress pics [emoji106]


Sent from my Iphone 7s

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine. Grats on your new lottie. If you like watching gardening programmes try beechgrove gardens (it is based in Scotland) I think it is a bit more down to earth and more trial and error than G.W. Now is a good time to plan your lottie and get it up and ready

1. I suggest don't worry about the trees they are not going anywhere and you will soon find out next year if they are fruiting.Manure- great however it is a good idea not to put manure where you intend to grow root veg. As for black sheets how do you intend on using it i.e weed suppressant - then pull back in spring to plant, weed suppressant and plant crops through etc ?

2. Manure effect on root veg is supposedly make them fork (even with best practice this can still happen) not sure what it is meant to do for spuds. I am sure someone will say. It depends how fussy you are about pretty veg.

3.This is a new one on me. Try a red and a white as a trial and find out.

4. I haven't tried those particular raspberries, but all rasps tend to be good when you grow your own. Be brave interrupt them ask if they grow them and if you can have some fruit to try or cuttings to swap buy etc. Gardeners and allotmenteers are usually a generous bunch. The worst they are likely to do is say no and what have you lost.

5. Strawbs is a personal thing. I would say start of with an old fav. cambridge fav. Again approach other allotmenteers and see what varieties they grow/ what they are like. If you ask around now I have no doubt some people will happily give you runners to plant and try.

N.B 4+5 flavour and yield can be affected by more than just variety - light, heat, soil, feed, water, general care.

6. I can not think of just one. Once you have been on here a month and done 50 posts you might like to look at the virtual seed swap. And as in the last 2 comments try people on other plots I know it seems scroungy but if you explain you are completely new to it and after ideas and help. Toms are coming to an end so you need to be quick.

7. Lots of seed companies advertise they do resilient carrots how well they work I do not know. Other things you can try is raise them off the floor by 50cm (apparently they don't fly very high), companion planting such as onions and marigolds, use of fleece / micromesh. Then try not to disturb soil to much.

No need to say sorry. Not much of a forum if no one asks questions. I hope this helps and looking forward to seeing pics of your plot (hint,hint) Good luck!

[Scarlet]

1. I wouldn't bother with the plastic sheeting. Lay card down over all your plot and cover with your rotted manure. When you go to plant the card will have rotted. If you still have weeds underneath, plant through the card.

2. Same as Sparrow, I wouldn't worry too much either!

3. Personally I think that's rubbish. My favourite is pink fir apple, I've never had any trouble growing them. Though you do need to be aware of blight.

4. Raspberries - everyone has their favourites. Mine is Autumn fruiting variety Autumn Bliss.

5. I can't remember what mine are called!

6. There are loads of favourite tomato threads on here. Grab a coffee and have a read.
One to start you off : http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ear_81191.html

7. Carrots - grow the variety you fancy and cover with enviromesh. Don't bother taking a chance.

8. We are a nosey lot on here, it would be good to see some photos of your plot.

Good luck!

[sparrow100]

8. We are a nosey lot on here, it would be good to see some photos of your plot.

Good luck!

If you don't post pictures, it didn't happen..

[PeaPodius]

Haha thanks all! Very helpful I will be sure to post pictures of my progress.

[Martin H]

Welcome to the vine and congratulations on your new plot!

So many questions ... you've had lots of great answers already so I'll just pick a couple...

4. I like Joan J raspberry, I planted it in winter 2012/3 and had lovely crop of large, sweet berries in both 2013 and this year. This year I also left a few canes on and had some berries in the summer as well as the main autumn crop.

7. I tried Resistafly F1 once, didn't think much of the flavour and got some carrot fly damage anyway. I'd grow normal varieties and keep them covered for the entire season.

Like Norfolk says, Beechgrove is the pick of the gardening programmes (sorry Monty).

Good luck, have fun, keep notes, learn from mistakes!

[Greenleaves]

Firstly welcome to the vine, I cant really add to advice already given, except enjoy your allotment

[marcofez]

Firstly welcome to the vine, I cant really add to advice already given, except enjoy your allotment

Likewise. Also take a look at this, might give you a few tips https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPq...D66ebkhDfDvHcw

[Aqualigia]

Don't sow carrots or parsnips on freshly manured ground they don't like it. Don't sow carrots too early make sure soil is warm, cover with enviro mesh once sown. Use blue water pipe cut into hoops to support it, buy at plumbing merchants. When weeding or lifting carrots remove carrot foliage from area, carrot fly can smell it from a long way off! Water after weeding as this dampens down the smell.

Joan j are nice better than autumn bliss I think.

Never heard of red potatoes being easier to grow than other types. I grow some first earlies, had a good crop with rocket this year, a few second earlies and some main crop to store. I usually grow some Sarpo Mira as they are blight resistant, but some say they don't have a very good flavour, although I've not found that. I grew sweet million tomatoes this year in greenhouse and had a wonderful crop. Watch out for blight on outdoor tomatoes as well as on potatoes, most affected are main crop. I grow outdoor toms at home as blight can devastate crops on an allotment site.

Good luck with your plot, trial and error to start with.

Keep on top of the weeds if nothing else!

[KevinM67]

Welcome PP

I can't really add to what the other members have posted in the way of crop advice.

However, for me my plot is a place that offers many things - mainly (and I don't want to come across "too deep" here) an intrinsic happiness.

I can socialise there if I want, I can be on my own if I want - and I can forget about the "outside world" at all times.

There are successes, failures, challenges, but always new things to learn and things to look forward to.

I'd rather be at my plot than out socialising in a pub nowadays - if someone had said this to me a few years back, I would have thought they were barking mad.

Enjoy