After 3 years wait been offered and allotment!!

Megansmum

Hi,

I agree with all the previous advice.

I got my lottie last year and although i had BIG plans that I wanted done yesterday, having to face reality i dug a little patch and grew a few onions, sweetcorn and potatoes( just to feel i'd got something out of it in year one!).

As my time is limited for the next couple of years I have made a long term plan (not easy cos i REALLY wanted the whole area growing mountains!) I placed ads on freecycle asking for old carpets and covered as much of the plot as possible - anything to save my back in the following years!:o

This year i plan on edging my plot with tyres - both as a boundary line and to use to grow in. I also want to get old pallets and make a few compost bins. I'm not so obsessed about growing on it this year - i have years and years ahead for that!:)

So - rambling over.......my main bit of advice would be .....don't try to run before you can walk, be realistic,plan,plan,plan......and above all else - don't even TRY to hide the big cheesy grin each time you chant in your head.. .:D"i've got an allotment!!":D

Good luck hun

LilacPixie

Awww ta. I am thinking of having a wander up tomorrow if its dry to try have a look and see what sort of state it is actually in. Not signed anything or paid fees yet because its not ready for occupation yet. Forcast is snow so I may give it a miss.

This year I do hope to get something out of it food wise but of course that all depends on when they deem it ready for occupation. They say they are 4-6 weeks behind due to bad weather and had hoped to have people in for mid feb so I am thinking Easter type time.

Sally_A

Good Luck! It can seem daunting at first, but you will be excused for the first year of just digging beds to size for the crops you want to plant.

Runner beans can be started in pots at home, and planted out after first frosts - and you get a lot of beans for your money, similar with french beans, courgettes, squashes - and whole host of other things.

I'm unsure what your climate is like up there.

Now is a good time to start looking for cheap greenhouses and sheds (2nd hand/freecycle) before the other new plot holders get the same idea. Similarly with the OK nod of the local farmer, start collecting bean sticks (hazel is good, and will last for 3 years plus), the top of the hazel whips will be stragglier, don't discard them, they are good for peas and mangetout. PLEASE don't strip a hazel of all it's branches though, think of it as "free coppicing :cool:" take the ones that are threatening to tangle with the main shape/frame of the tree, and I'd say no more than 3 from each. You will wear out your first tools starting with a new plot, so I'd go for cheap initially, such as Homebase, who give a 5 year guarantee and when you are up and running, buy more expensive spades and forks that will make life easier for you.

So much to look forward to and a blank canvas - I'm excited for you

I could go on and on - please feel free to Message me, and I can give you some good links to get you started.

Poppycat1

I got my allotment last year. I share it with my parents, they have more time than me.

A few bits of advice. Get a book from the library, find the best spot for your compost bin/heap etc. We planted lots of potatoes, supposed to improve soil I believe.

Are you allowed to keep livestock there? My allotment is a long walk away so I keep chickens in my garden. But if you live nearby (need to get them up in the morning and put them to bed at dusk) they are very good at improving the soil. They clear the weeds, poop which improves the soil and lots of lovely eggs.

Piggybanker

Hi LilacPixie

Did you go to look at your allotment? I have subscribed to your thread because I had a call yesterday morning to say I can have an allotment. I'm going to see it next Sat.

I put a 'wanted please' on Freecycle for some tools, and a man has already offered me some, and I've bought a magazine while I wait to get to the library for books.

I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on, and benefitting from some of the same advice myself.

Regards
Piggy

danielley

Hi LilacPixie

I am so envious of you getting your allotment! I am way down on my list apparently

I wish you every success and would love it if you post your progress here so I can swot up ready for when I get mine.

I was reading Nyk's blog earlier and she had a link on there to a free soil testing http://vitalearth.tv/soiladvice.php ; it might be useful if you dont know what you've got (I know I wouldn't have a clue!)

Good luck with your journey and enjoy every second!:j

x

angeltreats

I'm so jealous! I can't even get on the waiting list for our local council's allotments. I have to keep ringing "every so often" to see if they've opened the list again.

Megansmum

I don't know if this is relevant for everyone on here, but it certainly works in the Derby area...

I phoned my council and they said there was a waiting list, but the woman advised me to phone the individuals that were in charge of the allotment sites in the areas i was interested in.

I phoned two and one had 3 plots going spare!!! I went and viewed the 3, picked my favourite and paid there and then for my first year - i didn't even have to go on any waiting list!!

It's worth phoning whoever is in charge of your local site - sometimes it can be months before the council even know about a spare plot - the chairperson will gladly give it you if you were keen enough to go to them direct!!

I hope that helps some people - apologies if it offends anyone who considers it "queue jumping", i'm just offering advice from my own experience!

Monkeysee_monkeydo

If you just go down and visit an allotment, sometimes you can find someone who doesn't use their full plot. Officially the site near us was full, however there were a few shared plots and a few redundant ones that people just hadn't got round to giving up. The plot I inherited was never given up and had just run to weeds for a couple of years. The head of the allotment said I could have it if the chap didn't return his calls.
I never spoke to anyone at the council and I don't think the head of the allotment had many dealings with them either to be honest.
hmmmm
waiting lists!!

Oldangrumpy

Congratulations on your new plot. My site has had some turn over this year with 12 plots to allocate (we self manage).
The best advice I can give is work little and often. Decide what you want to clear first but vary the activity, don't dig for hours or you will end up hating it and with a bad back!
Scrounge what you can, wood and netting to make covers to keep the birds off. Look for a second hand shed if you're allowed one etc.
Do they have a seed swop? We put any surplus seeds in the toilet block for people to help themselves. Gardeners are usually generous people.

Use the local library for books, some you will find useful, others look pretty but tell you nothing!

Remember to read your rule book, it can save aggravation.
Last but not least, enjoy it:)