Just got an allotment (Merged)

hpsaucey

i am secretary of our allotments and we found it was a good idea to become members of the NSALG AT A COST OF 1.75 Each [10 minimum] and that entitles you to get catalogues from KING & co which is really cheap compared to the shops and you get more seeds per pkt because theyre for allotments.but if you go online to kings they are dearer because their website is for everyone but if you give your membership number you get a huge discount if anyone one wants to know pls reply to this thread and i will give details.

ruffmeister

hi there found a great blog site http://www.lottieblogs.co.uk check it out updated and really handy

Honeydog

Sorry for yet another lottie question but I've been waiting for months and have finally been told that I've got one! Yay! I get to see it next Saturday.So I don't exactly know what state it is in. I know you greenfingered folk are a knowledgable bunch though so I know I'll get some good advice.

Realistically though - what should I spend the next few months doing? I'm not naive enough to think that I can start planting straight away without digging or preparing the soil.

Should I be aiming for winter veg?

Is it too late to put potatoes in?

I've had an offer of the loan of a cultivator which is great so should that be my first job?

Many thanks,

HD

COOLTRIKERCHICK

the first thing you should do is go the chemist a buy a very large quantity of ralgex and radox bubble bath.....for all those aches and pains you will have ....lol....

seriously..... congrats on the allotment.....we had our last year.... in may.... and to be honest we have lost a years worth of growing as everything went pear shaped with family illness etc so could not get over there....

we have started knuckling down to clearing it and growing some stuff.....

i would say hold fire until you actually see it.....as it might not be over grown etc.... or on the other hand it could be a total wilderness.....

as with the cultivator... hold fire with that too again.. and ask the other allotment holders what the soil is like is there any weeds that the cultivator will only make worse...etc we have something called horse tail and everytime a peice brakes its another plant :eek:

last year i was totally against spraying... weed killer etc... and was only digging out the weeds etc.... but to be honest we have had to spray....we did try polythene but the plot is soooooooo big i could not afford to do it all....

the plot that we could hasnt been properly used for years... people started found out how hard ot was to clear and then left.....

even though it might be a bit late for potatoes....once the weeds die back.. we will be planting most of the plot with potatoes.... not necessary for a good big crop, but to break up the soil... ready for next year.....

Honeydog

Thanks Trikerchick.

I'm kind of looking forward to the hard work in a funny kind of way. That kind of tired feels good I reckon and unlike going to a gym the work actually has 2 results at the end of it - delicious food/fitter body.

Cheers for the point about the cultivator and weeds.

Fletch01

i got my allotment last december, and it was overgrown and untouched for 18 months. the only thing growing apart from the weeds was rhubarb, but boy is it tasty. prepare one bed, no more than 4 feet wide and as long as you like. ask the other allotmenteers if you don't know what horsetail is. dig that out carefully then remove as many other weeds as you can. frame the bed with wood or something then you dont walk on it. then PLANT SOMETHING.. ANYTHING. beans / peas / salads are good to go now. once you have somthing growing that should give you the impetus to carry on. remember it isn't a race, allotments are for your lifetime and will repay you over and over

Honeydog

Thanks Fletch - that's a good idea especially about the bed not being too wide.

hardpressed

There's a brilliant site Allotment and Vegetable growing, they have a great forum, everybody's very helpful, what they don't know about allotments and veggies isn't worth knowing.

ruffmeister

do it a bit at a time, take it easy, and mainly enjoy it, and remember to take lots of photo's

we have created a getting started guide here if you want to take a look for assistance.

getting started

and welcome

troubrs

I got my allotment & a month later got pregnant! So I popped in some strawberries on the small part I had cleared & covered the rest over with black material. The following year all the weeds had died & it was really easy to dig!

if you do have some clear earth, it's not too late to buy some brassical plants & put them in & it's never to late to grow lettuce from seed.