New(bie) Allotment - Where to start?

Imperi

Hello I went to view an allotment plot yesterday and pick up the keys for the site later, I've wanted one for a good long while but only recently applied - and was expecting to sit on the waiting list for ages (its been ~3 weeks!) so I'm a little unprepared! The plot is newly created extention to the field, its a decent size 50sq yard (6mx6m), so its all freshly dug and turned over, filled with top soil (not great quality I'm told), and seems to only need some tree roots picking out and a few larger stones - but the bigger stuff has already been taken out.

I'm not expecting to get much out of it this year, maybe potatoes (anything else you could suggest?), mostly I think I need to prepare for next year by improving soil quality and devising a layout and plan - I'd like also to get raised bit in for my toddler to dig around in fairly quickly. I've worked on an allotment before, but it was established so I've never had to consider any of the basics so if anyone has some pointers & tips for starting from scratch I'd really appreciate it.

If it helps - the site has water easily accessible to each plot, access to shared storage on site, and has a frequent manure delivery.

Thanks in advance

squeeks

I've taken on an allotment this year as well. But needed a bit of clearing first.

General advice is plant things you will eat or use, think veg, fruit, flowers, small trees and some grasses.

Generally potatoes are great, they can cover huge areas and produce abundant amounts of potatoes. But you do have to do a lot of lifting to get them out of the ground, and they are really cheap to buy. So personally I am avoiding them.

Various fruits, such as strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries and red currents can be good. Fruit trees can also work, like pear, apple and plum, but you may need to keep them small.

Any veg you like such as kale, swiss chard, runner beans, cauliflower, asparagus, rhubarb, aubergine, pumpkins, tomatoes, etc... (yes tomatoes etc.. are technically fruit, but meh...)

Some flowers can be eaten as well, like nasturtiums.

There are also many, many herbs.

It is now a little late for this year, but you can also plant things like willow, if you are into weaving or other similar craft.

I guess I am saying it doesn't have to be all rows of lettuce and potatoes.

Wander around a garden centre or browse a seed catalogue or two.

Anything you buy regularly have a go at growing.

splodger_seedswapper

best advice i can give you - is to be mindful of a proper crop rotaion (generally accepted as a three year cycle) so try to visualise if not separate your plot into three sections - so if growing spuds this year - plant no more than a third of your plot with them

if you are going to plant "permanent" plants (fruit, rhubarb, herbs asparagus etc) consider how these can be planted without interfering with access to the other beds also making sure that they do not over shadow the beds

i'd be tempted to plant a few perm' plants at the north end of plot - would also consider a compost heap at that end

first thing i'd do though - is take a chair or bench down there - so you can have a sit down in between diggings etc and admire your efforts :beer:

get tools in the shed area - plus watering can / hosepipe on plot
you'll probably need canes / bean poles / pea sticks etc - plus netting of some sort - maybe even cloches, sticks for row markers etc etc - so start collecting those sort of things

the growing season is really only just starting - so you could in theory grow juast about anything on the plot - even with poor soil (which you will not improve in just a single year) use a liquid feed or something to keep plants happy whilst soil is being improved

lastly - even though you say water is easy to access - it might also be worth putting a water butt on site if you have the space

Gillybags

Hi, I have 3 allotment plots (30 pole in total) started from scratch 5 years ago. Dont expect too much in your first season- ant produce will be a bonus.
If the soil has been fallow for years there will be some nutient in there - so things will grow.
As others say - only grow stuff you like to eat- a good book is the allotment diary - I picked one up on ebay for a £1.- it has been my bible.
A good web site ? try www allotment org uk
We spend almost every weekend at the plot - we have a caming stove - so we can have a brew -or several ( and bacon butties )

Good luck -

Imperi

Thanks for the advice. I've made a list of all the fruit and veg we eat regularly, and have started reading thru on what can be planted with what, and in which type of soil (my toddler eats a lot of blueberries, they need more acidic soil apparently?), and went last night to measure up and get an idea of how to divide - taking into account the crop rotation I thought maybe dividing into 9 rough squares (its a 6mx6m square plot), with 3 being permanent fixtures and the others in a rotation.

Met 3 of my co-allotment'ers in the 90 mins I was there and got some useful local advice too

floss2

splodger_seedswapper wrote: »

.....would also consider a compost heap at that end....

...lastly - even though you say water is easy to access - it might also be worth putting a water butt on site if you have the space

I would regard a compost heap or at least one "dalek" as essential.

If you put a shed and/or greenhouse up, put up guttering with a water butt at the end of the run. Free rain water is very handy!

I would also suggest laying a few flags in the sunniest corner, so you can sit & rest and take five minutes to "plan". My patio area faces west, so I can watch the sunset while I take off my wellies at the end of the day

Make sure you have a good lock on your shed too.

Have you thought about raspberries, blackcurrants & gooseberries? And rhubarb?

Imperi

I'm not allowed to put up a shed - though a small Keter/plastic storage by each plot is allowed - or a glass greenhouse. Theres a nice paved area around the border, so plenty of space to sit - will have to store a couple of folding chairs up there for now

Raspberries I love, and rhubarb, I wasnt keen on gooseberries the first (and only) time I tried them as a kid, maybe they taste better when picked fresh from your own garden!

Yorkie1

I'd wait a year before putting in any permanent planting. That gives you time to learn about the plot, its drainage, etc, first.

You can get spuds in now, along with onions. Also peas.

Not sure whereabouts you are in the UK but most other stuff shouldn't be planted outdoors until after the risk of frost has passed - frequently about the start of June.

So don't start things like tomatoes, courgettes, beans etc off (anything that says half hardy annual on the seed packet) until perhaps late April on windowsills.

floss2

Imperi wrote: »

I'm not allowed to put up a shed - though a small Keter/plastic storage by each plot is allowed - or a glass greenhouse. Theres a nice paved area around the border, so plenty of space to sit - will have to store a couple of folding chairs up there for now

Raspberries I love, and rhubarb, I wasnt keen on gooseberries the first (and only) time I tried them as a kid, maybe they taste better when picked fresh from your own garden!

Are you allowed a small poly tunnel?

Fresh fruit makes the most wonderful jam if it lasts long enough to get into the preserving pan!

gazzak_2

I got mine at the beginning of March and I love it. I've had to dig the whole thing over so you've got a head start on me there, but on the plus side I got to see exactly the state of my soil, and how many worms there are!

My best advice would be to take a look around other plots on the allotment, you'll get some great ideas and layouts. Start growing some seeds to plant out, I have tomatoes, peppers, turnips, peas, sweet peas, sunflowers, parsnips etc growing indoors right now, (got my seeds from real seeds online). You can buy ready to plant strawberries on ebay which I've already got in the ground, (marshmello variety). I intend to also grow sweetcorn, watermellon, pumpkin, cucumbers, onions and lettuce, again all from seed but it's still a bit early to plant most of them. I also have a dwarf cherry tree on order to give us some decent fruit crops in future years, and want to get plum or apricot as well.

I've made a compost bin from wooden pallets as I hate the darlek type things, and already it's getting all my weeds and fruit waste from home. You might also want to look up ways to control pests, apparently this is going to be an ongoing war.

I've already purchased a spade, fork, hoe, rake, mini kettle and gas cooker. Luckily my plot included a dilapidated shed that I've tried to breath some life into, but it's a shame you can't have one. Definitely get some storage though.

You might be surprised at what you can grow this year, but in my mind the main job this year is to get perfect growing soil for next year, so I'll be throwing lots of manure about in late autumn.

Have fun.