Brand New Allotment - How to begin?

[Amandaod]

Hello everyone! I've had my allotment for about 2 weeks now. I've cleaned out my shed, cleaned out the rubbish etc, and getting a strimmer this weekend to cut the grass around the edging... basically done everything around the plots, because I have no idea where to start!

I've planted some things into the ground, but I'm doubtful they'll grow as I haven't really done anything to prepare it. I know I'm probably late in the season to be starting out, but can anyone give me advice? Should I be covered the full thing in manure for a while? Or is just getting stuck in okay? I honestly have no idea what I'm doing, so very basic step by step advice would be great I did rake / weed some of the ground, but we have just had a week of rain so it seems quite thick and sticky at the moment.

Here's a photo;

[Jay-ell]

Hello and welcome Amanda.

Plots looking good but put the tools down and back away from the mud. Whilst it's drying out you can think about what you like to eat, what your budget is and anything specific you've always wanted to grow.

Lots can be planted out now or sown on the windowsill and remember that you don't have to plant up the entire plot straight away. Sowing a little of something every couple of weeks means that it won't all be ready at once.

What type of soil do you have, thick amd srocky sounds like clay. Adding compost would help develop it if you have any but you don't have to pile loads of horse muck .

[Nicos]

Nice plot!

Yeh- step away from the mud- it'll compact if you tread on it!

Most growers here only put compost onto their ground every 2-3 years and get great crops!- so I wouldn't panic about sorting that out at the moment

Get some spuds in if you can find any discounted ones ( salad varieties will reach maturity quicker)- forget the manure this year.

If you can afford it, buy some young plants from garden centres- such as cabbage, young lettuce etc - just to get a feeling that it's coming on.
sow some seeds direct when it's less claggy ( or the seeds will rot)- radish, carrots, beetroot and cover with fleece to speed them up.
Maybe a few strawberries and some fruit bushes in one designated area?
Just watch out for frost.

You're still on the right side of the growing season to catch up as you are quite far North so your last frost date will be a while of yet?

[Hartland]

Hi Amanda, from another allotment tyro: we've had ours three and a half weeks, so we're not much ahead of you!

I see from your blog that you've had potatoes, onions and sprouts growing in different plots: I think it's worth noting down exactly where these beds were, so that you don't grow the same thing in the same beds, which can cause all sorts of nasties. There's bound to be some useful advice of crop rotation on this site (which I haven't finished exploring yet!), but in the meantime, this is some useful advice from the RHS: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=124

One of our early tasks was to draw up a rough plan of our plot and note down what had been growing where: one copy of the plan is pinned up in our shed and added to as we plant new things, another is kept carefully so that we can refer to it in future years.

I've been visiting our local garden centre, and last week picked up 12 perfectly healthy runner bean plants for one pound twentyfive: it's well worth keeping an eye out for these sort of bargains.

And I've turned into an expert scrounger. Our local pub has vegetables delivered in those thin wooden crates: we now have a stack of about 12, one of which is being used as a shed tidy for seeds, basic first aid materials, gardening gloves etc: the rest will be used either as planters or to make bed markers. An old wooden stepladder already on our plot is too rickety to use for its original purpose, but is now leaned up against one fence - the intention is to grow hanging plants down it. An adjoining plotholder was throwing away a wooden obelisk, which needed repair - I scrounged that as well!

One thing that struck me early on - there was an awful lot of broken glass in some of the beds, and a lot of rusty metal. Make sure your tetanus shot is up-to-date!

[Jay-ell]

Amanda have you had the chance to chat with other allotment holders yet? They may not only know what's been grown where but may also have spare trays of stuff they've sown too much of. They may also know of some plant sales where you can get plants cheaper than garden centers (be careful of the type of plant sale though - I almost bought a JCB once)

[Mushaville]

I never considered getting an allotment until I saw you post and blog (have left you some comments by the way!) but then I thoguht why not, it would give me more space to grow and I love a good project sooo I enquired about one today and they have some spare!!
Can't wait to keep up with your blog and see how your doing xx

[noviceveggrower]

Hi and welcome to the vine Cant really add to what everyone else has said, good advice as per usual by everyone

[ndever]

Hello! I've had mine for a month now, exciting! Looks like you are going great guns. Talk to other plot holders definitely, already got quite a bit in mine thanks to their generosity and leftovers! I have just been clearing and digging a bit at a time, planting stuff as and when. also very full windowsills! I'm starting everything at hhome and transplanting. Seeds for fifty pence for small amount from more veg, so I have been playing and is filling up quickly!

[jonny the plant pot]

I got mine last October and read a few books and befriended a few of the other plot holders.
now I'm giving them my surplus plants.it's amazing what you learn of folk.
enjoy yourself.

[Sarico]

I had my plot for 3weeks and I only put a membrane down for now lol. Quite good machinery in that shed you found. If they work you could sell them and you may make few penny for a greenhouse. One ad vice I can give you is better cover the plot with cardboard or news paper. Bare soil is like a feast for new weeds to grow.

[WendyC]

Obviously The Vine is a great source of information, but can I recommend The Allotment Book by Andi Clevely. Has a useful monthly planner. Trying to post a link but iPad not playing!

[ESBkevin]

With all that clean bear earth it would be a shame to get it covered in weeds. Weeds rob the soil of nutrients and prevent your crops being nice and hearty.

See if you can find a source for cardboard, brown unprinted boxes are ideal. Open them up and lay them double on an area you don't expect to plant up for a while (weeks/months/next year). Lay whatever free compost or horsemuck you can on this cardboard a couple of inches thick. Then just leave it.

After weeks or even months there might be a few weeds grow on top but not many and you can hoe or pull them. In the meantime the worms will have had a field day pulling that muck down into the ground and cultivating it.

When the time comes to plant you just make a hole in the surface/cardboard and plant through it. Simples.

It means you can concentrate early efforts on cultivation elsewhere and still be getting ready for later. Look up 'no dig' gardening for more information.

HTH