Penellype's Allotment

[4Shoes]

I got 3 x Big Black Dust Bins and Lids from freecycle and harvest the water from my greenhouse. Also some polycarbonate that I'll build a bright covered area with - lean too - so will wet water off that too.

Thinking of putting blackberry bushes next to them so that any overflow can keep them well watered in the summer. Suspect any fruit bush / plant will benefit.

[Penellype]

You're like a caged lion, Pene, pacing up and down the bars, unable to get in, rather than out!.
Or as I've been, with a parcel that you can't open until a certain date, sniffing it, shaking it, feeling it, but unable to open it and see what's really inside. Hope it contains all you wish for - and more.

Sounds about right. I keep looking at the forecast for next week (far too far ahead to tell in reality), just to make sure its not going to rain/snow/freeze and stop me from getting on with things straight away!

[veggiechicken]

Is it a locked site? Just wondered whether you could ask someone on site to let you have a look at the plot as you have been offered it? You could say you wanted a look before committing yourself.

[Penellype]

Is it a locked site? Just wondered whether you could ask someone on site to let you have a look at the plot as you have been offered it? You could say you wanted a look before committing yourself.

Yes, there is a padlock on the gate. I would ask, but so far I've not seen anyone else on the site. This particular gate leads to a group of 5 or 6 allotments that are in a straight line along the main road, so I'd need one of those plot holders to be there in order to be let in.

[Gillykat]

Only got two words to say on the subject......


GRAB IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting my allotment was THE best thing I've ever done

[KevinM67]

I think you know your answer Pen - so I won't give you my thoughts. (take it !!!!!)

I'm curious about which direction it faces, with those Leylandii at the back ?
Although I know you are quite used to growing in shade.

From the pics it does look that there would be minimal work required to get it into shape though (nudge, nudge).

[veggiechicken]

Does anyone here seriously think that Pen needs a nudge
All she needs is the key to the gate Can't wait !

[Penellype]

I think you know your answer Pen - so I won't give you my thoughts. (take it !!!!!)

I'm curious about which direction it faces, with those Leylandii at the back ?
Although I know you are quite used to growing in shade.

From the pics it does look that there would be minimal work required to get it into shape though (nudge, nudge).

The leylandii are on the south and west sides - one of the reasons why it took me so long to get photos was that I would have been taking them facing straight into low sun, so I had to wait for a cloudy day.

The road end half of the plot will get plenty of sunshine in summer but at this time of year the sun gets to the top of the roadside hedge at mid day. As you say I am used to growing things in shade so I don't expect that to be a big problem.

[KevinM67]

It'll be interesting when the sun starts to get higher as the year progresses to see how much of the plot gets light.

I've mentioned on here before that my biggest adjustment this year was moving from a wide open allotment that had total sunshine, to a small back garden with high walls and neighbour's trees to contend with.

It makes you think about things more when planning ahead, but - the shade has now enabled me to grow things like spinach, lettuce, brassicas, etc. more successfully with less bolting.

I'm really looking forward to how you progress with the plot.

[Penellype]

Penellype, it looks fantastic! The water is maybe an issue. Is there a standpipe anywhere on the site? Are you able to collect water off the shed roof?

I'm sure you'll be able to find plenty of things to plant. Stuff that takes up a surprising amount of room - onions, garlic and root veg - would be good.

Cucurbits take up a huge amount of room too. So now you'll have lots of space to experiment in.

Hope you have lots of fun. Your friend might want to take over her patch at some point, though it's quite a nice arrangement for her and for you at the moment.

Best of luck and a very happy 2018.

Sorry, I missed this post earlier.

There isn't any sort of stand pipe or anything. The shed is very small - it is probably 4ft by 6ft, and being right nest to the trees it might not get much water on its roof. I'm hoping I can get away with not doing much watering by mulching and so on, but I will have to see how it copes. Otherwise water carriers in the back of the car seems the best solution for now.

[Penellype]

I'm finding the planning for this surprisingly difficult. All of my recent gardening has been based around fitting as much as possible into small spaces - even at my friend's I have to be careful not to get carried away. I'm also not particularly used to growing things in the soil, and some things I have tried at my friends have been a disaster, particularly carrots and potatoes (which I now grow in buckets there).

I'm used to going out and buying things that I need to solve problems, like raised beds, tools and supports etc, but since this is an experiment which I may find I can't cope with, I don't want to spend too much money on it to start with. So I think of things I would like to do or have, and then look them up and I'm horrified at the cost. Some of the things I think I will need are:

Tools - minimum a digging fork, trowel and hand fork (I have a spare pair of secateurs and a hoe).
A lawn mower, either battery operated or manual (is manual going to cut through uneven long grass?), as I am hopeless with petrol machinery.
A wheelbarrow (I don't have one at home) or more likely a wheeled caddy (but will it be big enough?) for bringing things from home and also moving stuff around the plot.
Something to contain a compost heap (2 plastic bins are not going to be enough, especially if I import a load of horse manure).
Supports for peas and beans and probably tomatoes.
I'll also need things like buckets for weeding (I may have the odd broken one at the stables), but at least I have a roll of weed suppressant I got as a BOGOF a while back and quite a bit of cardboard.

There are plenty of other things I gaze at wistfully at but really can't justify at the moment, like raised beds (£68 for 2 1mx2m beds is the cheapest I have found, and buying the wood and other bits doesn't seem much cheaper by the time you've paid for delivery) or a fruit cage (extortionate if of any size). The lack of water on the plot at least puts me off researching greenhouses, which is probably just as well!

[Jungle Jane]

You could make more beds where the grass is for berries or leaves if it's in the shade & put some chippings or straw or something that doesn't need cutting for a narrow path?

[Penellype]

I could, but my experience at my friend's is that paths need weeding, and grass clippings make good compost. I've also got to think of the transition time between when I get the allotment and when I've had time to dig it all. I can't just go in and clear the lot on day 1!

Yes, some of the grassy area near the hedge looks good for fruit, but it will need to be meticulously cleared of perennial weeds first.

I reckon it will take me most of the winter (allowing for adverse weather) to clear the inside of the mesh tunnel and the recently dug area to the side of it. I'll have at least some time when grass is growing when I need to cut the grass path, the grassy area near the hedge, what looks like grass near the road side and probably the scrubby area to the right of the photos. I can reduce that somewhat with cardboard and weed suppressant, but I'm happy to accept that there will be mowing to do for at least a year and probably much longer.

[1Bee]

I did a comedy double take when I saw this thread? "What? Really? YAAAAAAY!" PENELLYPE! I am so excited and pleased for you!

Unless we get really dry spells, I very rarely water on our plot, even things which you've noted as needing a lot of water like potatoes. But then, I do garden in Cumbria.... If I do have to water, I swear at a rate of approximately 4 bu**ers per gallon... I don't have a hose or water butt... How far would you have to carry containers from your car to your plot?

Perhaps the success criteria for things grown in pots, where every bit of yield counts, are slightly different when you have more space and can afford to lose some of the crop....? I can't imagine wanting to grow potatoes in pots when I have plenty of space for them, but I know lots of people do.

I am drooling at your mesh tunnel. Do you like sprouts?

Oooh I can't wait to see what you do. You're going to have a ball.

[Penellype]

I am drooling at the mesh tunnel too. I hope it is strong enough to support some snow (we haven't had any snow of any depth since 2010) - there is an amber warning for upto 6 inches of the stuff tomorrow here in York