Overgrown wasteland of allotment - worth it?!

Simba_25

Great thread!

I have today taken on an allotment with my mum.... the bloke i spoke to has told me it needs some hard work on it! But im not sure what kind of a state it is in, im going to see it tomorrow. The bloke is picking me up from my house to take me!!!! I was more then impressed lol Will no doubt be posting when i get back as i am a cmplete novice too!

Will def keep an eye on this thread tho, some fab advice!

showtunesgirl

Personally speaking, I have always enjoyed the sight of children at our allotment and it is positively encouraged at our allotment site. There are quite a few permaculture and allotment open days and activities for children where we are. I think I like it so much as it encourages children to really know what good quality veg looks like as opposed to a lot of the overpackaged stuff that you get in the supermarket.

If we can get kids at a young age interested in growing their own veg and doing healthy things like gardening, I'm all for them making a bit of noise at our allotment!

Biddyrolo

Best of luck with the new 'lottie, you'll love it. Check out what grows on your site and what doesn't, f'rinstance carrots won't grow on ours, someone told me they'd had only one crop in 25 years :eek: .
You will probably find that people will be very helpful, especially as you are taking on an overgrown plot.

rach2403

Now off to meet the man!

Oh why is it raining!

Will report in on my return!

Rachel

bha.fatboy

I love that people down our allotment bring their kids. It kind of freshens up the day. Yes they can be loud and run around but most of them really take an interest in what you are doing and you see the delight on their face when they grow something. Your 4 year old will love it if you let him / her grow something ( I would suggest cress at home first as it only takeas a matter of days for it to grow ) It will also encourage them to eat more veg
I hope you have had fun down the allotment and speaking of books on one of your earlier posts my Mum turned up last night with grow your own veg by Carol Klein and it is fantastic. She got it off the book club people so if you have one visit your place of work I would get it off them as it cost £4 rrp £17.99

RAS

Hi

Just got back from my plot and one of the other pllotholders was hothousing his daughter. She is nearly 3 months and was tucked up in the greenhouse with her mum.

Our chair has three small kids, who have been coming since they were in the pushchair. Another lad wins prizes at the Show, and is now taking his GCSEs.

You need to teach the kids to keep to paths when they are not on your plot, other wise they will be fine. Make them a small sandpit (old tyre?) with a lid, give them a bucket of water and some beakers, make a basic seesaw, buy them little spades and give them a square metre to dig. One plot has a swing in a tall apple tree although the kids have moved on.

Four was the age when I first started "helping", although it was another year before I could help set out the line and make a seed drill with a stick. They great thing about involvig the kids is that they will want to eat stuff because they grew it. Just teach them to ask before eating (my sister got an awful stomach upset eating unripe fruit).

This year, help them sow something that comes up fast. Personally, I recommend peas, because they grow quickly and can be eaten out of hand. Runner and broad beans are bigger but the flavour is not as child friendly. germinate them first (following any recipe for sprouting seeds, but plant when the radicle is a cm long) and they will be up the next time you visit the plot.

The other lovelies for kids are squashes and pumpkins, they grow mega fast and look amazing.

Jayar

C'mon then Rachel, what happened? Can't wait for the next instalment :j

rach2403

Hi,

Sorry for not getting back on sooner - yesterday was my birthday (hence the 2403 - imaginative aren't I?!!) and have spent all day at the allotment - yeah!!!!!!!

Met the man and his wife (Bob and Mary!) they were lovely and I've had a huge stroke of luck. They have had a double plot for the last 6 years but now want to downsize due to time/age. We are going to have a section of their plot as well which means we have an absolutely huge area full of potential but the added benefit of about 6 big beds which were used just last year so only had surface weeds!!!!! We cleared 3 of them today and they are ready to be planted.

I rang the lady to let her know the plan and she really didn't seem to care which I guess is a good thing! The area is huge though so think we'll get the existing bit sorted first so we can actually get some things growing - the next decision is what?!! The beds are about 3m x 2m each and there's 5/6 of them, anyone got any ideas? Honestly it's like having a field!

There's a "secret" garden bit as well which is full of raspberry canes and brambles which the children loved playing hide and seek in today. It's almost as though there's the established allotments with their greenhouses etc over one side and then the other side of the entrance gate is just ours and Bob and Marys! We've even got a secret gate!

Bob and Mary said everything they'd tried has grown except peas as it's rather open. The soil in my mind seems really good, they said they've never fed the soil or added manure or anything - guess that's good? It feels quite nice, easy to dig and apparently quite fine unlike the solid clay I have at home!

So really my next question is where to start? What shall I grow?! Also how long to my potatoes need to chit for?

So so excited - huge possibilities but perhaps a touch overwhelming so any advice would be fab as always!

Rachel

rach2403

Oh, also we have no water near our bit (as we are out on a limb) so I was after leaving a water butt or big barrel or something up there to collect water? Does anyone know where i can get one cheaply as proper water butts seem really expensive!

Also I love the idea RAS about the tyre sandpit but where do you get old tyres?!

Thank you!

heather38

you don't need to chit potatoes (the're's arguements for and against it), they traditionally get planted after easter, it's meant to be bad luck to plant them any earlier.
as for tyres i got mine from kwik-fit for free, they have to pay to dispose of them so i'm sure they'll be happy to give them to you.
start with salad stuff as it's quick to grow and can go in a sheltered place in containers, and it really feels like your doing something!!
also find out what they have grown where as you should rotate your crops and not plant things in the same areas ever year to avoid diseases in the soil, like potato blight.
oh and you should feed the soil as crop leach the soil of nutrients and they need replacing.
good luck!!