Help with allotment planning please

harib0uk

Hello everyone,

I got my first allotment plot back in March and after lots of clearing I was able to get some veg in, along with the existing strawberries/Autumn raspberries/rhubarb already there.

The layout of the fruits is a bit hap hazard and one end of the plot has a mature apple tree covering a lot of ground space. I'd like some advice on where best to situate the permanent fruits and what to plant in the overhang area of the apple tree. The plot is 4 meters x 19 meters and I'm planning to have the beds running across the 4 meter so each bed will be 4m x ?m

Here's what it currently looks like from this years "just get something in the ground" planting. The light grey shows approximately the over hang of the apple tree.


I'm looking to keep the rhubarb where it is but remove a few crowns as it's very crowded, and next to the rhubarb plant either 3 blueberry bushes or 2 gooseberry bushes that I have in the back garden (possibly a 3rd more established gooseberry from a fellow plot holder). Either way I need to decide where to put what doesn't go into the bit next to the rhubarb.. If that's a suitable plan? when is the best time to dig up the gooseberry bushes and re plant? The blueberries are in pots so should be fine just removing pots and planting into prepared ground.

I want to move the Autumn raspberries so they go a cross the plot rather than down and add in a row of Summer raspberries that I currently have in the back garden. Again when is the best time to do this? Would the raspberries be ok under the Apple tree?

I'd like to make 3 strawberry beds across the plot with 1st 2nd 3rd year plants. 1st year bed using the current runners and 2nd/3rd beds using last years plants. Again when is the best time to do this? Would strawberries be ok under the Apple tree?

I also have a small loganberry cane in a pot waiting to be put into the ground. Under the apple tree?

Any advice on what would be the best way to arrange these permanent features would be most appreciated.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any advice offered.

Edit: to give a visual image of the plot (click for bigger images):




The tree area although now there is a shed and compost crate, but you can see the little persons patch at the back.

Lotus-eater

Give the little person a patch in a good place, not in a place where you wouldn't grow anything. If nothing will grow there, how will they get interested in it?
I wouldn't put anything under the apple tree, just use it as you are, as an extra bit for shed and compost bins, you can also stick a bench there to have a rest on.

Generally beds are made 1.2m wide, as most people can reach halfway across that without stretching, so you don't have to step on your beds.

harib0uk

Give the little person a patch in a good place, not in a place where you wouldn't grow anything. If nothing will grow there, how will they get interested in it?[/QUOTE]

He actually did really well, and had the biggest potatoes, we had 4 jacket size and lots of smaller ones off the one seed potato he put in. His Creepy Crawley flowers bloomed, and he got a few good size onions too. So I think that corner is pretty good.. there's not really any roots there, maybe running deeper but nothing when digging over. It also gets full sun too.

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I wouldn't put anything under the apple tree, just use it as you are, as an extra bit for shed and compost bins, you can also stick a bench there to have a rest on.

Yes I was thinking along those lines of having a little area to sit out.

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Generally beds are made 1.2m wide, as most people can reach halfway across that without stretching, so you don't have to step on your beds.

Ahh I didn't know that, currently there are no beds as such and no path ways so I'll keep that in mind when planning.

Any ideas on where to put the fruit bushes that will be permanent fixtures?

Lotus-eater

harib0uk wrote: »

Any ideas on where to put the fruit bushes that will be permanent fixtures?

If it were me, I would make beds for them going the same direction as the rest of the beds and plant them in a single row, easy to get to.
But really where-ever you can, or where-ever they fit in.

irishwexford

When we took on the allotment next to our original one last year we decided to have all the fruit bushes at the end of plot near fence as we will have to net them to stop birds eating the fruit so its handy to have them all in one place. Strawberries we are doing as you, putting new runners in one bed so we have the three year plan. These also have to be netted though. We also have a a bed for rhurbarb and Im surprised how big these are growing so glad they have a nice big area to spread. I make up a two year plan for rotation and have to make sure my OH keeps to this as he will plant things in every available space. Next year I intend to plant flowers at the end of each bed to attract bees and to brighten the place up a bit. We have families with young children on our site and they have their own little plots with their names on them. What a good idea this is. Best of luck. At the moment we have enough winter veggies growing to last us till spring and still have salad leaves and lettuces to pick.

markandkate

First of all blueberries will only gro in an ericaceous compost so they will not grow in ordinary soil. You will need to think of growing them in pots.

I would put all the fruit together so that it is easier to cover from the birds. WE have got a fruit area in our garden and we have used plastic membrane round the trees and bushes so that we can get access to them easily for picling pruning etc but also to keep the weeds down. This area is now very low maintenance.

Next try and think of when vegetables will be ready, its a real pain having some parsnips in the middle of a patch of land that you want to dig over. Also it is a real nuisance walking across mud in the winter to dig up a couple of leeks so try to plant that stuff by a path or maybe even raised beds.

You can put aside a small area for salad veg and encorage the children to look after that.

I love butternut squash and pumpkin partly becaus they spread out and cover a lot of ground so no weeding. Once picked they will last into the new year if stored properly too. I try to grow things that are expensive to buy so then I can think of all the money that I have saved

harib0uk

markandkate wrote: »

First of all blueberries will only gro in an ericaceous compost so they will not grow in ordinary soil. You will need to think of growing them in pots.

Yes I know they need an acidic soil, but can this not be mixed up for them when planting? or does it not work like that? (the neighbours have newly planted some in the front garden which they are hoping will become a hedge) They were not much more than sticks when I first got them two years ago and so far I have not had any fruit from them. They are currently in black Flower buckets, one per bucket:



They are a bit bushier now with leaves etc.. is it best to just put them into bigger pots and leave them at home instead? When should I expect to get fruit from them?

markandkate wrote: »

I would put all the fruit together so that it is easier to cover from the birds. WE have got a fruit area in our garden and we have used plastic membrane round the trees and bushes so that we can get access to them easily for picling pruning etc but also to keep the weeds down. This area is now very low maintenance.

Next try and think of when vegetables will be ready, its a real pain having some parsnips in the middle of a patch of land that you want to dig over. Also it is a real nuisance walking across mud in the winter to dig up a couple of leeks so try to plant that stuff by a path or maybe even raised beds.

Due to the "just get something in the ground" planting this has become an issue... I had originally considered putting all the fruits down the end near the tree, but having the leeks/carrots/parsnips that end means that area wont be clear over winter... once they are all up I assume it will be too late to move everything.

I'm now thinking that it would be better/easier to put them at the other end but am a little worried about shade from the summer raspberries affecting other crops.