New to allotments

[Kaz210707]

Hello all,

My hubby and I are keen gardeners, ranging from flowers to all sorts of fruit and veg.
We have today become owners of our first allotment plot (roughly 21ft x 11ft), but now we're not really sure how to start it off. It's currently covered so I don't think weeds will be an issue. We were planning on going over tomorrow to try and start digging over and clearing out the site.
I think we'll need to lay some paths, what would you recommend as best for that? Stone pathways or wood. Also what would be the best way to try and decide what to grow and how to segment up the plot.

Any ideas for activities for 2 of my son's while we are over there. They want to start planting straight away!

Thanks in advance
Karen

[Bigmallly]

Hello Mr & Mrs Kaz, welcome to the Jungle. Just about to have me dinner but will be back later as I could write a book on what to do........................hopefully someone else will write a few pages for me................

[Martin H]

Hi and welcome!

I would use something moveable for paths, in case you change your mind on the layout. Chippings are good if you've a free supply.

I suggest growing what you like to eat...

... if it includes potatoes, grab a bag of seed potatoes from your nearest outlet and get them planting those. That should wear the boys out nicely.

More, and contradictory, advice will be along from the others in a minute...

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine.

In regards to paths I think it is whatever can be scrounged/ cheapest option. Grass, wood chippings or slabs. I wouldn't worry about anything too permanent in your first year.

I would say grab a pen and paper and get some idea what you would like to grow and how you can best fit it in.

We love pics on here and can help give ideas.

Good luck

[cariann88]

Hello and welcome

[lolie]

Try to get a feel for the plot. If you can spend a whole day there, you'll be able to see how the sun moves throughout the day.

Look around for evidence of water pooling and wind damage. If you know how sun, water and wind affects different parts of the plot you'll have a better idea of how to plan things.

Whether the long side of your plot runs North/South or East/West will also affect how you plan trellising. Are you planting things which will benefit from being shaded by taller crops or which need as much sun as they can get?

Can you find out from neighbours about any problems the plot has had over the last couple of years, especially disease but also insects which breed in soil?

Maybe get the boys to plant some things to attract pollinators.

[Gillykat]

Hello and welcome to The Vine

After a lifetime (40+ years) of growing only flowers I got my first allotment in February last year and so fully understand how daunting it can seem at first

I put a few potatoes in that the previous tenant had left in the shed (and this year I've got some very cheaply from W!lko) and also grew peas, sweetcorn and French beans which I bought in strips from Homebase as I didn't know if I'd like them. These were such a delicious success that I'm growing them from seed this year! I also had six Gardener's Delight tomatoes in the polytunnel and got so much invaluable advice from everyone on here. Radish are very easy and quick to grow and harvest so the boys might enjoy helping with those. Sunflowers are always fun to grow and as far as I'm concerned you can NEVER have too many French Marigolds (Tagetes) on the plot! They bring in the beneficial insects to pollinate your crops and look fantastic! Oh, and they're as cheap as chips to buy in seed form (try ebay).
Echo some of the advice already given.....don't worry too much in your first year about making permanent paths as you're bound to change it as you find what routes across the plot work best for you. I've given out plot a whole change-around since last February so will see how my new ideas work out this summer before I put down proper paths.
Oh, and only grow stuff you like to eat too I grew loads of radish, discovered I didn't like them in any form whatsoever and gave them to my workmate who loves them!

Main thing though......HAVE FUN!

[Bex2012]

Welcome to The Vine!
I would say get as much as you can for free. If you have a decent freecycle group near your, or a couple of decent community/village FB pages, see if anyone has any gardening stuff they are happy for you take off their hands. I asked if anyone had any unwanted paving slabs on my local village page, and had two offers, totalling around 100 slabs (we gave some away to neighbouring plot holders) - ok I wouldnt have them in my garden, but they are perfectly adequate for the allotment. Also let it be known that you are looking for stuff. Ive just been offered a brand new compost bin by someone doing a house clearance.
I would also say salvage what you can from the plot. I wasnt that lucky, all I was left was left-over crops, couch grass and buried bamboo canes!
Another thing is not get too carried away buying stuff. I dread to think what I have spent so far. However as a keen gardener, things like tools I have bought a duplicate of, purely for the plot - I dont want to lug stuff back and forth.

[Kaz210707]

We seem to be quite lucky as we have a communal shed with lots of communal tools and supplies. We have a 20 ft polytunnel to put up to be used by all plot holders.

We have quite a lot of the main supplies at home for our garden so hopefully it won't cost us too much. Main thing will be all the plants or seeds and a formal path.

We also have a compost bin and water butt to take over as they don't fit anywhere in our new, smaller garden.

It's a south facing plot which gets a lot of sun.

Am looking forward to spending some time over there tomorrow.

[Bigmallly]

How old are your boys Kaz? Mark a bed out, make a load of holes with a bulb planter & let the boys practice their putting with the tatties...........................Oh sorry, was it only serious suggestions you was looking for? No good asking me then...............

[veggiechicken]

Hi kaz and welcome.
Can you confirm the measurements of your plot are 21ft x 11ft? Or 21 metres by 11m? If the former you don[t want to give up too much space to paths!

[Kaz210707]

Yes the measurements are in feet. It's not a council allotment it's a dozen or so plots on the RAF camp we live on. We have the option of more plots but thought we'd start with 1.

My boys are 8 and 5 and love gardening. Been looking at bird scarers and plant tags for them to make as well.

[Kaz210707]

Boys are 8 and 5 and love gardening. Going to convice he 14 year old that digging the allotment over will build his muscles.