Allotment - which plot and what to do first

Orange_King

I'm hoping to get an allotment in the next 3 - 4 months if all goes to plan with a part time work application.

I have been over to see the plots and there are both pre-owened and greenfield sites available so I'm wondering which would be the best option.

I won't know what has been growing there before probably in the case of the pre owned site but some have ready to use raised beds etc.

I'm in no mad rush as I see this as a long term project so the green site does hold appeal even if it meant additional prep time. Where would i start though in getting a layout and what is there to consider?

What are your thoughts and can I ask if £250 a year is a decent price for an 18 x 6 site (metres) - sounds fine to me.

Kantankrus_Mare

£250 a year? :eek:

Mine is £88 a year and one of the more expensive allotments in the country. A lot of people pay less than £20 a year which makes me very jealous.

Orange_King

The site is a private run one rather than a council facility. And each plot has its own water supply. There are precious few of them about our area.

surrey_jim

Orange_King wrote: »

I'm hoping to get an allotment in the next 3 - 4 months if all goes to plan with a part time work application.

I have been over to see the plots and there are both pre-owened and greenfield sites available so I'm wondering which would be the best option.

I won't know what has been growing there before probably in the case of the pre owned site but some have ready to use raised beds etc.

I'm in no mad rush as I see this as a long term project so the green site does hold appeal even if it meant additional prep time. Where would i start though in getting a layout and what is there to consider?

What are your thoughts and can I ask if £250 a year is a decent price for an 18 x 6 site (metres) - sounds fine to me.

That is an outrageous price. Brighton its £35.70 per year for a 125 square metre plot. Checking on Google a 108M2 plot in Northern Ireland is £295 :eek:

Brighton :http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/leisure-and-libraries/parks-and-green-spaces/allotments
N. Ireland http://www.ardsallotments.com/faq.asp

Rummer

That does seem like an awful lot of money for the year, especially when you factor in the cost of equipment and preparation. Does that include registration fees etc or is that just the standard annual cost?

However if you are comfortable with the cost then you need to think about which plot is best for you. Do you have the time and energy as well as finances to set up a greenfield plot? What benefits does the existing plot have for example established trees, fruit bushes, sheds etc? The existing plot may allow you to get produce earlier.

How exciting!

warehouse

I have a full size plot of about 110sq meters. It costs me £30 per year.

My main things to look out for would be a close water supply, (you have your own so no probs), close to entrance, a greenhouse or shed already there, established fruit trees or bushes, good quality soil that has been regularly manured and no weeds!

Last one is never going to happen!

wellused

You can buy a lot of vegetables for £250 especially when you add on plants/seeds, compost, equipment, netting/fleece, and not forgetting hard work. Having said that I realise that it's not all about making a profit or even breaking even but there is no way that I would find it financially viable to pay £250 for rent. I have a 10 pole plot which I think is about 240sq metres on a council run site, we have water on site, there is a site shop with discounted seeds, bamboo canes, fertiliser, netting etc and the rent is £15 per year with my over 60's discount. I feel really fortunate not to have to pay extortionate prices for what is in effect a bare piece of weedy ground which without my hard work is what it would actually be. If I had to chose between an existing site and a greenfield site then I would chose the plot which had actually been dug over in the past as a new site could have any number of surprises waiting to be unearthed.

Orange_King

All being well Rummer will have the afternoons free if I get my part time work application approved.

Ards Allotments is the place I have been to but they said I can get it for 18 months for the price of 1 year if i take it on from 1 July.

It is secured on private farm land which is preferable to another location which is about half the price.

Can't believe the rates that you are all getting for a year! What a bargain.

Rummer

Well for 18 months that works out at roughly £13/ month and for veggies alone that sounds expensive however when you think of the cost of a gym membership and socialising costs it works out as quite a reasonable amount

If you are taking it on in July I would seriously consider taking on the existing plot as you can grow seedlings at home and transplant them in July for some crops this year. However I can see the appeal of starting a plot from scratch and making it exactly what you want. It really depends how good the existing plot is and what work it needs.

Feel free to come and join us on the daydreamers thread

Sally_A

As rummer says, compared to a gym membership it is a good deal. As with a gym, you will need commitment but on the bright side you have no muscle bound uber fit peeps making judgement on you; just the old timers laughing at your carrots.


My home is in a high council band tax - purely because of the land, I'm probably paying £500 more per year in council tax than someone in a similar house with minimal land.


As for what to grow to get good return:-
What do you like to eat?
What is quite pricey in the shops?
What can you easily freeze?


Runner/French beans, courgettes, tomatoes (if you have a greenhouse - so much the better); sweetcorn, purple sprouting broccoli, garlic, squashes - go for butternuts or good tasters - not gimmicky Halloween varieties, leeks, mangetout, onion and shallot sets (not on acidic soil though).


Potatoes taste great freshly dug, but they do take up quite a bit of space for the return you get, as do carrots and parsnips that can be quite temperamental and are relatively cheap in the shops.


Herbs are good, you get a lot of seed in a packet, and many can be frozen, rosemary is very simple, as is sage & mint. More delicate herbs such as basil and coriander are better off in pots or undercover.

Orange_King

Thanks folks,

I do intend to grow produce in the longer term once I have the time to do that. Have grown various things at home in the past (courgettes, spuds, carrots, parsnips, peas, beans, sweetcorn, beetroot etc) but have been limited with the space available. More lately I have been devoting the raised beds to growing plants and bulbs which I have been selling on.

I would want a few beds for the additional plants I have in pots as a starting point and then hopefully really getting going next year with fruit and veg once I'm happy with the layout etc.

PS - whats a gym??