More vouchers up for grabs

[jeannine]

Hi all,

If you’re a regular reader of GYO, you may have noticed we’re putting together a quarterly newsletter, that will go out exclusively to subscribers and have extra competitions, tips, reader offers and recipes etc.

We'll be including a page of tips from subscribers, and encourage people to either post them on the Grapevine, or send them in to me by post (to the addressin ther front of the mag) if they don’t have access to a computer.

Again, the lovely people at Thompson & Morgan have kindly offered vouchers for the writers of the tips we publish. You can spend them on seeds, potatos, fruit etc.

For the first one, your advice would be very helpful!

I’m sure we've all seen people get an eagerly-awaited allotment plot, start off in a flurry of enthusiasm but then disappear never to return. I wondered if people could please share their ideas for beginners on how to make the most of their allotments?

What are the key things people can do at the outset that make the difference between really enjoying the allotment (or home veg plot) and making it a brilliant part of their lives, or seeing it as a chore and giving up?

Please share your ideas, advice, successes and failures. It could make a world of difference to a whole load of new gardeners who are eager to start but don’t quite know where to begin!

thanks in advance!!!!

[shirlthegirl43]

I don't have an allotment and don't know if I could actually cope with one with my stupid health problem. However, from reading the advice on the Vine, I would say the most important thing for new plot holders to remember is that they don't need to conquer it all in one go. It would seem that the best way to go is to chop down any tall overgrowth and then cover the bulk of the area and tackle digging etc. one bed at a time. Getting one bed dug, prepared and planted then gives something to watch growing while the clearing of the next bit is tackled. That is pretty much the philosophy I am using in clearing and conquering the semi-jungle that is my garden and I now have two useable veg beds and an asparagus bed. Hoping to get another veg bed under control this summer.

[snake the squadie]

i love freebies. i normalim just wait for the mag to come into the shops but might subscribe now if there is gonna be free stuff

[lainey lou]

I would agree with Shirley. I think the "little and often" approach is the way to go.

Make a plan before starting, it'll evolve but it's a starting point. See if you can get friends or family to give you a hand to get you started, and take loads of photos so you can record your progress and see how well you've done!

[milliebecks]

Don't assume you have to have long rows of 'hundreds' of the same thing.
Plant little and often and lots of different things. In time you'll work out what you like best, what grows well on your plot and how much you need to plant. And you'll avoid the huge glut that puts you off something for years!

[Flummery]

I don't have a lottie either - though I'm on a waiting list! I have de-grassed a large area of my large back garden though, and have what I consider an 'en-suite' allotment. As has been said - I did it gradually. If you injure or seriously tire yourself you won't want to go back for more. Set a small but achievable target - say 1 or 2 rows per session of clearing and in my case, as I was reclaiming grassland - double digging.

Best tip to keep your enthusaism up though, is list your very favourite fruit and vegetables and grow them first. I love new potatoes, shallots and french beans - they are still a large part of my produce. Looking forward to something you really love rather than lettuce because it grows fast and you don't actually hate it will get you going back to see how it's doing and then you'll spot more little jobs.

Also, tackling things in the nick of time rather than when the job has got out of control will really cut down on hard work for its own sake.

Good luck to all new growers.

[Seahorse]

I'd agree 'little by little' is probably the number one tip.

Something I've really enjoyed is getting to know other plot holders. Almost everyone is happy to stop and chat if you give them a cheery 'hello' and ask about what they're growing. I've gleaned no end of advice and information about the pros and cons of our specific site from nattering to my 'neighbours', including lots of things it would have talken me at least a season to discover for myself and probably longer! It's also lovely to take a break when something starts feeling like hard going and wander off for a bit of social time!

[moggssue]

Having just taken on my allotment a few weeks ago, I totally agree with the 'little at a time' philosophy. I've cleared two areas for raised beds so I know I can get on with growing something this year, and will hopefully clear another one or two before the spring growing season really kicks in. Also, I've taken 'before' photos so I can look back if I do get despondant, and see how much progress I've made and that it really is worthwhile in the long run!

[SarzWix]

KEEP IT COVERED!!

That's my top tip, there's nothing more discouraging than clearing & weeding a patch then coming back to it all overgrown again, so, if you're not planting anything in the bed you've cleared, cover it with thick cardboard & a thick layer of compost/manure before you start on the next patch.
If you're not getting it cleared as fast as you'd like, plant some things through a thick mulch & weed suppressing fabric, after roughly digging/loosening the soil - lots of veg are happy to grow like this as long as you keep them fed - last year I grew sweetcorn, courgettes & potatoes like this, and had a reasonable crop which was very encouraging!

And obviously...; Join the Grapevine! Reading about other people who have met the same problems and conquered them can be very inspirational, compared to reading a book which only dedicates a couple of paragraphs to overgrown plots, and makes you think you can sort it all in a weekend...

[piskieinboots]

Ditto the little and often. If there are rabbit problems on the new plot get the fencing in place first.

I am clearing as I go, although there isn't much to clear on my plot - I have dug my runner bean trench and left it exposed for a week, I am now going to drop in the 'good stuff' before filling in.

[snake the squadie]

seahorse i am glad your plot holders are friendly mine are the grumpiest old fashoned bunch of people i know. there is only one who i speak that is ok.

[HeyWayne]

Not often I get the chance to impart advice being the neophyte I am, but here's my two penneth anyway.

Little and often - without doubt the best advice to start with, but speaking from personal experience I'd have to say that to just "get doing". There is so much advice out there it is difficult to know where to start, and more importantly when to stop.

You can end up feeling like an A-level student sitting their final exams with a headfull of information and an empty plot. Get something growing in the ground, anything, and your enthusiasm will hopefully grow as it does.

Find a way to record things as you go, be it a blog, a notebook or a series of photos in a scrap book, but you'll pick up a hell of a lot of advice and information along the way and no doubt need to refer back to it at some stage. Every day is a school day.

Have fun and don't give up.

[Birdie Wife]

Grow veg that gives you big returns for your effort first and are easy and reliable, like potatoes, peas, beans, onions for sets, courgettes and radishes. Things like cut-and-come-again salad crops are good too, because they are fairly easy to grow and expensive in the shops (but beware of slugs!). Black- and redcurrant bushes are also a good bet as they don't take up much space but give you a bumper harvest of vit-C loaded berries (if you get there before the birds). You'll get the encouragement from watching things grow quickly and it'll give you the confidence to start to grow things that need extra attention or need longer time in the ground.

One of the best things you can do is to ask your fellow plot holders for ideas on what works best in your area, what pests and diseases may be lurking and what to avoid - this saves you lots of time in the longrun and helps you to avoid mistakes that you might not realise you've made until it's too late! Connecting with your community will reap benefits in ways you may never have considered

[kernowyon]

plan, plan and plan again. nothing worse than planting a row of rasps, fruit bushes etc then deciding once they have begun to establish that they are in the worng place. Asparagus beds are also v.tricky to move, trust me i know

[valmarg]

I don't have an allotment, but agree with the little and often for the garden..

Another tip I would give is 'don't be sidetracked'. Decide what you are going to do, and do that job really well, rather than several jobs only part done.

Note what other jobs need doing and and allocate time to do them later.

valmarg