help - have the chance of an allotment and not a clue!

angelavdavis

As mentioned, we only got our half plot in June last year. Ours has never been fully cultivated apparently - a couple of beds had been planted but were chock full of weeds when we took it over and the whole plot had simply been strimmed and left. It took us three weeks to find the carpet hidden under the undergrowth!

It looks like this now, so its not impossible to bring it back into full use quite quickly (OH and I spend a day every week at the most at the plot, although this is likely to increase in April/May):

http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/angelavdavis/Allotment%20spring%202011/

We budget £1 per day for our plot, got the greenhouse free through a local ad where we dismantled and transported it ourselves. As you can see, we can't afford raised beds yet - I would rather spend our money on the fruit trees and plants. I invested in a huge roll of weed suppressant when I first took it over for about £30 and set up two lasagne beds to get planting as quickly as possible as I was keen to get something out of the plot even though it was June.

stumpycat

As others have said - try posting on Freecycle/Freegle. I've just been giving out carrier bags of Jerusalem artichoke tubers - I planted 6 from a veg box a couple of years ago and ended up with hundreds... there's probably loads of folk out there with extra plants/ seedlings who would love to give them away rather than just waste them.
Good luck!

skintbint_2

angela - loved the piccies!

stumpy- have replied to a post on Freecycle and to pick up seeds on Friday/saturday, do you have one of the lotties up gardiner street or city road? (used to love walking up past the city road ones when i worked in Lochee and stayed up the Blackie). am only 20 miles up the coast from you!

Ras - will find out about the dung, hopefully he will be transporting "organics" to the local mart soon.

LilacPixie

pop me a PM about that craft fayre.. mini pixies doing well, littlest one 9 weeks old now I didn't know you had worked in Lochee, I thought you had always stayed up the coast in smokieland

RAS

skintbint wrote: »

Ras - will find out about the dung, hopefully he will be transporting "organics" to the local mart soon.

Read here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1016869

It was suspended for a while but has been allowed back on the market.

skintbint_2

thanks Ras, had a read through just have to be careful or will just have to get down the beach at low tide for seaweed and get myself a compost bin!
skint x

angelavdavis

skintbint wrote: »

...get myself a compost bin!
skint x

It's worth getting hold of old pallets for compost bins - cheap (free) and a good size too. Lots of people get building work done this time of year so ask on freecycle and you might get lucky.