Woohoo! Been offered an allotment!

illusio

My local garden centre has gone some baby plants (caulis, leeks) and some things have a really quick turnaround time, such as radishes which should be about 6 weeks from sowing to harvest, so there will be plenty. And plenty of time to get the plot ready for your winter /next year's planting. If you've got a sunny 'edge' you could put some raspberry canes in - if they're autumn fruiters you might get a few this year, or else next summer's crop. Just make sure they're not too close to other beds as they're pervasive little bleeders.
Good luck with it all, stock up on the radox for all the aching evenings while you're knocking it into shape.

elliep_2

I'm sure you'll have seen your plot now and will know what the facilities are but maybe sharing my experience will help. When I got my new lottie (mid march) I immediately asked my mum for tools for my birthday (late may) and she offered to give them to me early so I could use them straight away. When I thought about it properly though, my site has a communal shed where there is a supply of communal tools that are available for anyone's use. That means there is no desperate need for me to get my own digging tools.

I'll now be getting a small trowel and hand fork as well as a trug and some other things for my birthday and if I'd just rushed in I'd have got duplicates of the big tools that I have access to and I'd still be struggling for the small tools.

Lesson is, get things as you need them and don't rush out to get what you think you'll need before you need it.

Megansmum

I am in Derby and there is no waiting list here... i phoned the council and the woman listed the allotments near me where there were empty plots. I chose a small informal one although there was a prize winning one nearer to home. I like that everyone is so friendly and willing to offer helpful advice. I even had the "chairman" spray all the weeds and brambles for free to make it easier for me to dig over - although i still need the radox, ibruprofen and plasters for my blistered hands!

Each week we dig a little square over and i get in there with my hand fork to break down the clumps. Then i compost it and plant straight away (i know you should wait a fortnight...but i'm too impatient). Things are growing a treat....Brussels, potatoes, spring onions, 2 blueberry bushes and a pear tree so far.:D It's my first year and i am totally addicted !!!!:j

butterfly72

Thanks for all the good lucks! Well, the allotment isn't near the loos at all. Its in the middle of the site and is a huge plot. It has a shed and compost bin. Its really over grown and very grassy with bits of old carpet and broken patio slabs all over. There is a gooseberry bush, some rubarb, a small sad apple tree, 6 small rasberry bushes and one lonely spring onion!!! Its really exciting!! We have made a plan and are going to do bit by bit.

I've taken photos.. I'm just struggling to work out how to get them posted onto here. Which is the best site to use?

thanks

plainchoc

I got my allotment a few months ago, i was on the waiting list for 2 yrs. I got a bit carried away with all the digging and damaged my back. That was 3 wks ago. Before my injury i planted potatoes, onions, radishes, sunflowers and marigolds. I feeling better now, and ill be going to my allotment tomorrow. But will be taking it a lot slower now. And i may hire a rotavator to help clear the weeds.

angelavdavis

butterfly72 wrote: »

Thanks for all the good lucks! Well, the allotment isn't near the loos at all. Its in the middle of the site and is a huge plot. It has a shed and compost bin. Its really over grown and very grassy with bits of old carpet and broken patio slabs all over. There is a gooseberry bush, some rubarb, a small sad apple tree, 6 small rasberry bushes and one lonely spring onion!!! Its really exciting!! We have made a plan and are going to do bit by bit.

I've taken photos.. I'm just struggling to work out how to get them posted onto here. Which is the best site to use?

thanks

Your new plot sounds great, sadly I am also on a waiting list. The recent upsurge has meant that people in our area have been pestering the council more about the waiting lists so, fingers crossed, there might be some movement.

Ref taking photos, I use photobucket.com to store mine and copy the links that it creates into posts on here - dead easy.