New to allotmenting

kerrirobberts

I'm about to take over a half plot (5 poles) of an allotment tomorrow (saturday 1st October). I have no idea what to do or how to do it. I know that I need to dig the plot and have a spade and fork which my OH is going to help with.

Does anyone have any advice for a newbie?

I've been reading about raised beds, do these always require extra soil to be brought in and wooden sides, or is it better to do mounds? Or just plain strips without any raising?

I've grabbed 6 cardboard computer monitor boxes from work as I understand I need something to keep the weeds at bay over winter.

I would also like to be planting blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. Any hints and tips about when would be the best time to do so?

All advice is appreciated, many thanks.
Kerri

tim_n

To be honest, this heatwave aside weeds don't grow over the winter due to the cold temps affecting germination. I would concentrate on clearing the area.

I would recommend first stripping back the weeds and mowing any grass to bring it back to manageable status.

Next identify any plants on the site you might want to keep - this is the very last opportunity to do this as things like rhubarb will start to die back about now and you won't know they're under the surface.

Dig a trial hole - even if you're not likely to dig over the plot and use raised beds instead - squeeze the soil, see if you can make it into a snake. If you can, it's likely to be highly clay in which case you'll need to dig in soil improver. Keep an eye on the lay of the land. If it's on a slope, does any part stay perminantly damp? Ask surrounding plot holders if any area is prone to flooding or poor drainage. It'll help them to get to know you too and they'll know you're at least a bit serious about gardening. You might even get some plants offered, though that's more likely in the spring.

If it's lovely and crumbly, you need not worry so much.

I have made raised beds without importing too much material - and what I did was free. Start by digging the area where your raised beds will be - loosening of compacted soil will make up much of the volume and provide oxygen for plant roots/worms etc which improves the health. You'll also be able to get out the more persistant weeds.

Next put your raised beds into place, then dig out the paths effectively raising your beds higher, but also giving you more material.

Dig in some manure - you can use free fresh stuff from horse stables as it'll rot down over the winter.

If you decide to do the digging method, it's pretty much free though I'd still dig in manure etc.

either way, plan for paths, never make a raised bed or normal bed wider than twice the length of your arms unless you're intending to move around the place on a plank between veg rows.

If you're on a busy plot ask around, plenty of people probably have spare runners & fruit canes as they're clearing up for the autumn. Put them in, if they grow they grow.

I did raised beds recently on my blog www.waark.com and these are bigger than I've built before. They're easier to maintain because of my back. I've made sure the rows between them are 90cm apart which is the length of my legs and feet (size 14) when kneeling. My wife can only reach into the middle of the raised beds comfortably though I can reach about 2-3rds accross. Raised beds cut down what you can achieve in a small area - but I have plenty of space, nothing gets kicked over.

Most people on plots tend to keep things down on the floor because it's cheaper. My raised beds probably cost me £500 in total. Not worth it if you've only spent £8 a year on a 5 rod plot.

Most of all, get at it soon because in a month or two, it'll be frozen solid and you'll have trouble digging it. Digging when wet/frozen is not only more difficult, it will destroy the soil structure because you'll be compressing it!

Hope that's food for thought!

foxgloves

There is so much to learn if you are completely new to growing your own food. Why don't you visit the library & borrow a selecting of books on growing your own? It's free to join & to borrow books & always worth getting as much knowledge as you can to avoid making costly mistakes (in terms of both your time & money). You might find that you come across a book which is even worth buying. I bought Geoff Hamilton's organic gardening book years ago & it's still our 'bible' for all fruit & veg growing queries & advice. I think a lot of people who get disillusioned with growing food have often made the mistake of trying to grow too many different things as complete beginners. It might be worth you choosing a few things you really enjoy eating that are expensive to buy in the shops & concentrate initially on getting a really good crop from those. And save anything you think might come in useful. Old window frames make good coldframes, plant labels are easily cut up from old marge & icecream containers, small toiletry bottles make good cane toppers, the plastic trays that meat comes in at supermarkets are good seed-trays, yoghurt pots are useful as pots for seedlings, the large size plastic drinks bottles can be cut into cloches, biscuit tins good for storing seeds, old tyres can be stacked up for planting potatoes in, & start making compost like mad, so you'll have some ready for next year. There's no end to what can be re-used. Oh, & bubblewrap of course for insulating seedlings if the weather takes a cold turn, & old net curtains save on buying horticultural fleece. Garden Centres are full of stuff to make you part with your money....some of them necessary, many of them just as easily sourced from things you'd normally throw away. Have fun! Growing veg is addictive & brilliant exercise.

kerrirobberts

Thank you both

tim_n: I watched your timelapse video the other day it looked like a long days slog. I'm looking forward to doing some hardwork that doesn't involve a desk and pc.

foxgloves: I've got lots of bubblewrap saved from buying gifts from handmade sellers so that's a great idea. I hadn't thought about yoghurt pots, I'll have to save them from now on.

I had an idea of using wood chipping for the paths to stop them being too muddy, I've been told my allotment gets it for free but I've also been reading about a plant you can use as manure. Would you advise seeding this across my beds?

I think I am going to go for 4ft wide beds and use a double digging method but also dig paths to add extra soil to the beds to raise them. I've booked a weeks holiday from work towards the end of October, hopefully before the frost sets in, so I can finish off any digging I haven't managed over the next few weekends.

I'm really quite excited about having an allotment, although my work colleagues think I'm barking and have asked whether I'm 45 or 25 (actual age). But I have made my Grandad very pleased that I want to take up gardening and he's going to buy me some tools and give me some manure.

foxgloves

Well, I'm nearer to the first age you mention, but even when I lived in a garden-less flat back when I was about 22 or so, I still had a row of growbags outside the front window with tomatoes, a pepper, plus a baytree & pots of herbs. I also weeded out a strange big communal tub outside the flats & planted it with loads of flowers to cheer the place up.....the local drug dealer lived in the flat upstairs & I filled this big concrete tub so full with flowers that his customers could no longer sit in it while they queued up to see him! Double result! I'm sure you'll love having an allotment. Best of luck with all your plans.

Patchwork_Quilt

My advice is to have a wander around the other plots and look innocent. That way you'll get lots of advice about what grows well locally. People are often very generous when it comes to cuttings, too, and half packets of seeds. It means that you get to try things out for free. Personally, I would cut the holes for the raised beds but just bank up the earth inside them without putting wood around them because this is expensive and you might find that you want the whole thing setting out differently once you have been there for a while.

We find that the old fashioned stuff grows well on our allotment - especially potatoes. We plant runner beans, onion sets, cabbages, parsnips, beetroot, chard and so on. It's all easy stuff, although not very exotic.

Lastly, I would put some strawberry runners in now. There's nothing like a home-grown strawberry. Make sure it's in a bed that you can net against blackbirds.

Lotus-eater

kerrirobberts wrote: »

I'm really quite excited about having an allotment, although my work colleagues think I'm barking and have asked whether I'm 45 or 25 (actual age). But I have made my Grandad very pleased that I want to take up gardening and he's going to buy me some tools and give me some manure.

Having an allotment is very trendy now so you can tell them all that.

Depending on the weeds you have, I would be inclined to stick a load (really a lot) of manure on the beds you want to have next year and cover them all with cardboard.

Next year, peel back what's left of the cardboard (compost it) and you should have beds with no weeds and just a quick fork over needed. This is also the time to put whatever you want as path material down.

What I would dig very well, is a raspberry bed, make an underground barrier to prevent weeds getting into the bed and stick some canes in now. As said above, a wander round the allotment and introducing yourself at this time, will probably get you some free canes to plant.

Otherwise get some from somewhere online, unless you have a very good nursery near you.
I would advise you getting 2 types, one summer and one autumn. That should give you fruit right through the season.

kerrirobberts

Thank you everyone for your pearls of wisdom, I'll try to take them all on board. My OH dug in 3 raised beds for me yesterday each 2m long and 4ft wide. Unfortunately the soil is full of clay so we could only single dig. But I bought some compost from the potting shed on the allotment and filled them with 100ltr each. My plot isn't too badly overgrown and just has some patches of couch grass. Although I have been finding buried carrot and parsnip which has gone bad. I spent today with a hand fork weeding a good 6ft x 4ft bed ready for digging next weekend. Any worms went onto one of the composted beds and buried under the soil.

I'm only going to have the three wooden raised beds I think, and leave the rest as without wood to save some pennies. Does anyone know any good websites for the raspberry canes?

I do have a problem patch of jerusalem artichokes though and I've read it could take years to see the back of them.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice, I'll be sure to come back to double check when I'm lost and confused with it all again

Sambucus_Nigra

Before you spend any more money; do a little research. Clay is good [it holds nutrients and water] and filling with shop bought compost is a false economy; much better to spend your money on good quality seeds, a cold frame and use the compost for your seedlings. You could have just dug over your beds, turned the clods upside down, raked them to a fine tilth and planted onions sets and garlic straight in them; and saved your cash.

You need to start thinking like an allotmenteer rather than getting your wallet out. People will have rasps growing here there and everywhere, and I'm sure some would swap you digging them out for some jerusalem fartichokes; you don't need sides on raised beds, just do as LE says and cover with cardboard, if it hasn't rotted down next year, plant through it.

The only other thing I'd say is if you said 'that sounds like a long day's slog' I'd think you were having laugh - sure it's hard work but it's good work and no matter how many veg patches I've prepped, and I've prepped quite a few in all weathers - I'd never have described it as a long day's slog.

My advice on top of LE's is to work your plot for one year without making permanent plans, or paths, and that way you can see how the plot works, how the sun rises and sets, the wet bits, the dry bits and plan your more permanent beds accordingly, and build those next winter. Just rake the soil up like this :
______/\

---

/\______ with the ______ for the paths and the

---

for the soil level that you will grow in and the /\ to denote the edges of beds; and do that for a year's growing.

kerrirobberts

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

The only other thing I'd say is if you said 'that sounds like a long day's slog' I'd think you were having laugh - sure it's hard work but it's good work and no matter how many veg patches I've prepped, and I've prepped quite a few in all weathers - I'd never have described it as a long day's slog.

My advice on top of LE's is to work your plot for one year without making permanent plans, or paths, and that way you can see how the plot works, how the sun rises and sets, the wet bits, the dry bits and plan your more permanent beds accordingly, and build those next winter. Just rake the soil up like this :
______/\

---

/\______ with the ______ for the paths and the

---

for the soil level that you will grow in and the /\ to denote the edges of beds; and do that for a year's growing.

I don't mind a bit of hard work, and I wouldn't have called it a slog. I really enjoyed myself and wish I'd decided to get myself an allotment a few months ago when the evenings were lighter.

I will take onboard the advice about turning the clods and not buying anymore compost. I've already covered one strip of the plot with cardboard from work, just need to source some more.

Thank you for the tip on how to rake the soil, I'll make sure to do that next weekend. Now I've got a little bit of an idea of how to do things I should get more done next time.

I think I have a lot to learn :T

Sambucus_Nigra

when you grow your own you are always learning.

Best way to break down clay clods in the short term, dig it and stomp all over it. Then rake it, get all the big bits to the surface then bash it with the rake held vertically. then rake and bash a few more times and it should be good to plant up quite quickly.

Unless it is horrendously wet or dry; it needs to be dryish but not solid and with enough moisture to break up. If it is solid or sticky, cover with cardboard and come back in a week.