60 sq metres allotment - ideas/pointers?

Mojisola

gettingready wrote: »

Facing where? It is an open space so does it matter? If so.. How?

For example - if you want to put in a row of raspberries or grow runner beans, it would be best to position them where they won't shade all the other crops you want to grow.

RAS

gettingready wrote: »

Ok

If you were standing with your back to the wall, where is the sun at midday?

If it is immedaitely in front of you or over to your left, then the wal faces south to west. Put tender crops near this or train fruit there and they will benefit from the aspect and the extra heat from the wall.

If the sun is behind, you the wall and whatever is growing above it will shade one thid of the plot much of the year and mean that growing stuff is harder near the wall. Great for stopping lettuce and spinach getting over cooked in summer but difficult to warm up or use for 6 months of the year.

gettingready

Thanks, seen it once and at 7am for just few min before going to work so.....

Will try the sunt bit and thanks for directions...

Would love some raspberries, strawberries and possibly red or white currants....

Another one of the 3 I have seen this morning was kind of in the middle with no wall/shade anywhere near by - have I picked wrong because of that wall at the back?



I actually liked the well ,,, hnmnmmm

Shows you what a lemon I am

cyclonebri1

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

one of the things you see in Germany, but not in The UK, is the allotment laid out as a proper garden. With a Summer house at one end, a lawn, flower beds, and shubs and only about 1/3 taken up by produce. Even swings or trampleen for the kids.

That was my dream, but hey.

This fascinated me back in the 70's/early 80's.

I happened to have to travel to Germany on business.
Please just read that as I do not like travelling, nothing more.

There is one over riding view I still have, the allotments, if that is what they where

Inspite of what the powers that be would have us believe, the prosperous Germans have a low take up of private housing, hence the scenario that the garden attachement to the flaT OR APPARTMENT IS VERY VERY POPULAR. (scuse the caps sticking)

RAS

gettingready wrote: »

Thanks, seen it once and at 7am for just few min before going to work so.....

Will try the sunt bit and thanks for directions...

Would love some raspberries, strawberries and possibly red or white currants....

Another one of the 3 I have seen this morning was kind of in the middle with no wall/shade anywhere near by - have I picked wrong because of that wall at the back?



I actually liked the well ,,, hnmnmmm

Shows you what a lemon I am

Depends which way the wall faces; I can tell you now that having a plot near the middle of the site means that I am exposed to the wind from west, east and north. Sheltered from the south which means that on the rare occasion the wind blows from there I am OK:D.

It is not unknown for me to work on the sheltered end in a vest and add a TShirt, shirt, and then a fleece as a I walk towards the other end. Have seen onions blown to 30 degrees from the horizontal in June storms.
.

warehouse

I got my own allotment in March this year. It was quite overgrown but I still managed to dig it all over by end of April and clear all the cr*p, added a bit of soil improver and then spent all spring and summer experimenting with different types of crop, most of which grew fantastically well.

In October I had a load of well rotted manure delivered by a local farm which I'm digging in and I'm now well prepared for my first full season next year. Your first year will be clearing, digging, experimenting, designing, redesigning, and then improving the soil for the following year.

I absolutely love the peace and tranquility I get working away up there. I have a full on family and working life yet even on the worst weeks can manage a few hours up at t'allotment. You will love it.

ukmaggie45

If that grass on your plot is couch grass, do NOT rotivate it - that would chop all the roots into little bits, each one of which will grow and spread! :eek: It has thick whiite roots, and they have a tendancy to break as well (especially the pointy end bits!).

We got our half plot last spring, and we're still digging out the couch and bindweed. Some stuff we've grown has done OK, some is a complete failure. Kale is doing good at the mo, but cabbages were ravaged by slugs. We missed the courgettes as on holiday, but had a number of marrows! Loads of beans, but missed the runners as on hols, but we've podded them and cooked them up with onions and tinned tomatoes (was too late sowing the toms this year) and frozen ready to add to stews over the winter.

I think some lotties have rules about how much percentage of land you can use for veggies and other edibles like fruit bushes and trees, and how much for flowers or other ornamental plants. Of course some flowers (eg nasturtiums) are edible too, so they'd be OK to grow I imagine.

Good luck with it all! I've found it's quite addictive, digging out the couch and weeds. Must look strange, as have to dig from a chair as I can't stand for any length of time. OH does most of the planting, but I tend to do the seed growing. Can't wait to get those seeds going in spring next year!

Oh, it isn't too late to plant garlic - it needs frost to split the bulbs.

Living_proof

I am really excited for you, gettingready. And a little envious too, but I am too old now to take on such a huge task. I do however have a new garden and plan a good veg plot even though it is north-facing. I'm going to buy a greenhouse and hopefully manage to swap well grown seedlings to local allotmenteers for a few bits of their surplus produce which I will freeze or dry for later use. My needs are few and I would have to grow little to make a difference. I wish you all the very best with your new venture and hope to see regular progress reports on here later.

aidrenegade

Decisions decisions! I was 4th in line to choose a plot Sunday. Actually apart from 1 they are all half plots, currently £40 a year. Other 3 chose their plots pretty fast. No problem, leaves me with a choice of 5 half plots to choose from before 6th Dec. I've been told 'no problem' for having a go at building a bermed solar greenhouse, it would be the first one there. Also plots are only £1 for the first year to encourage use as they need a bit of work. There are quite a few taps dotted around the plots too.

2 next to each other have brambles, pampas grass and some small trees on and are square. Seems like a lot of work but also have some established grapes and a poor excuse for a little green house. Something is better than nothing though while I get started.

One is lying there covered in cardboard, I'm assuming to kill the weeds, but lies on a path through the allotments. I want one off to the side a bit, not quite such an obvious target.

2 other plots are also next to each other but slope down hill a bit to the north east and are a bit narrower but a bit longer.

Points I'm contemplating:
Dimensions of plots. 2 are about 7y x 10y (they slope downhill to the NE), the other 2 (really overgrown) ones are about 10y x 10y so slightly larger.

Although better maintained, should I avoid the plots on a slope and go for one on the upper flatter area?

Should I go for 2 (half) plots next to each other? £2 for the first year seems like a good deal! Bearing in mind the cost of housing around here £40 annually per half plot seems reasonable.

A squarer plot would possibly be better for the bermed greenhouse project? How much of this project can I womble? I'm thinking quite a bit of it actually and already have an idea on how to glaze it on the cheap but will need to make some phone calls.

It is the best time of year to make a start. Been told I can burn the brambles etc, spreading the ashes around the plot is also good for the soil I think (re overgrown plots).

Related books already in my little library include 'The New Self Sufficient Gardener' by John Seymour (plus his 'Complete Book Of Self Sufficiency') and 'Survival Gardening' by Edward Hyams. Anyone know a good book about bermed solar greenhouses? I've only looked at websites / pics so far.

My main question is which pair of (half) plots to go for? Need to let then know by 6th dec latest. I'm leaning towards the 2 square ones despite the extra work thats going to be involved. All ideas welcome!

RAS

Go for aspect if you have a choice; if the plots face north-east then give them a miss if the others are better located.

A 15 degree slope to the south is reckoned to be equivalant to moving your plot 50 miles south.