New Allotment!!!! What to do this year?

GreenFly_2

Steve,
I would cut down the mustard in the autumn and leave as a top dressing for the worms to pull down into the soil. For the winter tares cut down on the first signs of flowering in the spring.

Please let us know how you get on

Good Luck
GF

s4lvatore

just a quick one on green manure as I was considering it this year. I thought you just turned it over after 6-8 weeks. How would you cut it down?

angelavdavis

s4lvatore wrote: »

just a quick one on green manure as I was considering it this year. I thought you just turned it over after 6-8 weeks. How would you cut it down?

Congrats on getting your lottie.

I got mine at the start of June and have just ticked over with courgettes, beetroots, fruit bushes and trees, cabbages and strawberries as the soil was dust dry when we took it over (we built two lasagne beds to start us off with the strawbs and veggies)! I already gardened for many years in my garden but was restricted by tree roots.

Just turn over the green manure - that will be fine.

Good tips from Serena, if all is clear as it sounds from your description, if you want to plant in the next couple of weeks you can still plant:

Kale
Spring Cabbage
Turnips
Swede
Chinese greens (bok choi)
Rocket
Lettuce (might need to cover with fleece if it gets colder at night)

Soon you can plant garlic, onion setts and broad beans.

GreenFly_2

s4lvatore wrote: »

just a quick one on green manure as I was considering it this year. I thought you just turned it over after 6-8 weeks. How would you cut it down?

You cut or strim the top growth off and then either dig into the soil or leave as a top dressing for the worms to do the work. It all depends on how soon you want to plant on that part of your plot

steve5181

GF thanks for that i will follow your advice

[Deleted User]

I ordered azada tools yesterday as my allotment is SO HARD to clear. I have already bent 2 b and q tools so am changing the way I tackle the bone hard clay and its weedy, couch grass/bindweed covering. The more I read about the azadas, the more I believe that they will save me time and backache. I`ll just make sure that I swing between my legs and wear my sturdy boots as they look pretty lethal. I have to clear a biggish patch for the fruit next and I couldn`t face it all on my hands and knees so have glyphosated and will set to with an azada in a couple of days

I uncovered my brassica patch today because the company have sent the plants out and thank goodness it has stayed pretty well ok, just needing a bit of hoeing and I made 12" paths out of doubled weed fabric and black pegs that I got from gardening naturally. My 4 beds are now 6` x 4` with a path all around. So I am ready to plant 28 plants in a day or so. I am going to sprinkle organic chicken manure pellets before I plant

Just the onions next and that will be the planting done for this year

I have decided that I am going to glyphosate more patches as at 63, this is one heavy-going allotment for me. I am being very careful though and will only do it once on every bit where it is needed

I have bent another tool today, a lawn edging tool. Doh, I cannot find good strong tools these days

This is the link for azada
http://www.get-digging.co.uk/tools.htm

[Deleted User]

by the way, I am planning on paper first and plan 4 rotations with a fixed bed for fruit and one for flowers

GreenFly_2

kittie wrote: »

I ordered azada tools yesterday as my allotment is SO HARD to clear. I have already bent 2 b and q tools so am changing the way I tackle the bone hard clay and its weedy, couch grass/bindweed covering. The more I read about the azadas, the more I believe that they will save me time and backache. I`ll just make sure that I swing between my legs and wear my sturdy boots as they look pretty lethal. I have to clear a biggish patch for the fruit next and I couldn`t face it all on my hands and knees so have glyphosated and will set to with an azada in a couple of days

I uncovered my brassica patch today because the company have sent the plants out and thank goodness it has stayed pretty well ok, just needing a bit of hoeing and I made 12" paths out of doubled weed fabric and black pegs that I got from gardening naturally. My 4 beds are now 6` x 4` with a path all around. So I am ready to plant 28 plants in a day or so. I am going to sprinkle organic chicken manure pellets before I plant

Just the onions next and that will be the planting done for this year

I have decided that I am going to glyphosate more patches as at 63, this is one heavy-going allotment for me. I am being very careful though and will only do it once on every bit where it is needed

I have bent another tool today, a lawn edging tool. Doh, I cannot find good strong tools these days

This is the link for azada
http://www.get-digging.co.uk/tools.htm

I was intrigued when I heard you were using an azada which I had never heard of before, but looking at the picture it looks like an old fashioned matlock.

On the tools front I am using my dads tools which have now served two generations without trouble. You just can't get the quality you used to get. The balance on the tools is superb and the weight pretty much does the digging for you. I would always recommend solid engineering spades and forks with steel shafts (not wood).

A sharpen once a year with a little engine oil and they are back to as new

You can sometimes find them for sale online on ebay and I would say without a doubt will outlast any b&q tool.

Good Luck on the digging
GF

Coveredinbees!!!!

I'm in a pretty similar position except it's not an allotment but my garden is finally cleared and ready for planting something. I thought I had to wait until spring to plan anything but apparently not. TBH I'm a completely useless with gardening my limit is cutting the grass and growing lupins as they are easy. The area I have cleared was under carpet and rubble but had lots of weeds including bindweed and nettles which I seem to have pretty much cleared and I'm weed killing what ever pops up. I was thinking of putting down some of the green manure stuff (I heard about it on gardeners world ) the planting spuds in the spring but I might try growing some stuff now on one part and Green Manuring the rest.

scotsaver

Great news on the new Allotment, I've only had mine since December and I remember how excited I was - I wanted to tell the world.:o

Don't feel experienced enough to offer any advice as I'm so new to it all but just wanted to say congrats, good luck and to let you know that Wilkinsons are selling Seed packets at 75% off. I picked up loads the other day.:D