Any new allotment holders, how's it going?

poppysarah

kayjay1809 wrote: »

We've been down to look at it and it's beautiful, like a big garden, rather than an allotment, with a few raised beds, an overgrown pond and a very large shed. There's an apple tree, raspberries and strawberries. All for £40 a year!! But we're complete newbies, my dad used to grow all our veg and fruit when I was small, but I've never been greenfingered and my hubby certainly isn't.

Accept it. It sounds heavenly!

You will learn very quickly - but make sure you put time in to be there regularly.

AnGee

Good luck to you with your new allotments

I got my rather overgrown and neglected half plot in early May. I love it! It's all pretty much clear now. I cleared the first half and put in a few things - potatoes first, which didn't do too badly. They got blight, but I got a few new potatoes. You could see the potatoes going down as you walked through the site.

I also put in some sweetcorn, which isn't doing too badly when you consider how late it went in. I've grown dwarf and runner beans, which have produced a few. Courgettes and cucumbers have done well. I was given some lettuce, leek and cabbage plants by other allotment holders. Lettuce was great! I was a bit worried about the cabbage, as I didn't want to be fussing with cages and netting this first year for 6 cabbage plants, but they seem to be doing ok - I pick/wash off the caterpillars when I find them. The leeks are ok - still alive!

I put in kale, chard and parsnip seeds. The kale all got eaten (by slugs presumably), I have 2 parsnips (hurray!) but the chard seem to be growing ok. I have no idea what you do with chard, will have to look it up, haha!

I put a gooseberry bush in the other day and will put a rhubarb plant in which is struggling in my garden at home.

I love spending time on my allotment! It's so peaceful up there. The other allotment holders are friendly and helpful. I could do with a shed, but don't know if I'll bother. If I still enjoy it as much in a year or so I'll ask to be given a full plot when one becomes available.

kayjay1809

poppysarah - the agreement came through today and we're going to accept it. Worse case scenario is we find we don't have the necessary greenfingers and we give it up again. But our son is dead keen (he's 12) so it could be something he gets into. Unfortunately it is near the river and it does flood from time to time, but I'm guessing the other allotmenteers can give me advice on what survives a flood and what doesn't. On the plus side the flooding makes it fertile and there's a fabulous view out to the river.

AnGee - sounds like you've had a really good first year. How much time would you say you devote to it? Slugs in our own garden are a real problem, we have everything we've tried to grow munched away. But going down to the allotments other people seem to have lettuce growing which isn't being eaten, I'm hoping its site near the river means plenty of frogs to do pest control!

forgotmyname

Flooding is not nice, Brings all sorts of nasties with it.

But as long as you get a bit of sun after all that dies away and the ground is as fertile as you could wish. One plot flooded last year, As soon as the water started dropping one guy put pumpkins in there. WOW.
Huge monsters.

NinjaB

Got mine in March. It was neglected but at least they had mown it down. I have learned so much from being a total newbie and got great crops on some things like my mums beans saved for 30 years running but only 4 runner beans from some White Lady thompson and morgan ones. Tomatoes got diseased but had 30 plants so it balanced out. My problem is knowing when to plant things. I am in France and for example my prized swede planted according to packet in March havent swollen at all and look like carrots. The french arent familiar with them so noone can give advice but they are so expensive they are one of the things along with parsnips I was desperate would work. The swede are still there in the garden, i cant decide if I should just keep them in or give up

Best thing I have done in a long time. I feel fitter and my legs are shaping up with the walk there and back and I kept a little bit of grass and my daughter loves it there

Good luck

Datchet

we got ours in December 11, but it had not been maintained for 7+ years. so we have had to rabbit-proof and clear. The weeds are horrendous! despite a complete weed-out, spray ( yes, I know...) and rotorvation, they still grew back shoulder height. We managed food potatoes, Borlotti, Runner & spectacular Broad beans. Baby turnips were great. Rhubarb, Gooseberry etc ( pre-existing) all great. Pumpkins are struggling. Forget the Sweetcorn this year... same for beet and Parsnip; all overcome by weeds and bad light.
Will over-winter some Leeks and maybe onion sets.