Newbie allotmenteer

Ash_Pole

After being on the waiting list for a few years I'm getting my first allotment this month. I know nothing - literally nothing - about what to do and I'm quite apprehensive.

To get me started, can anyone recommend a good allotment handbook or beginners guide?

Farway

Book mark the Royal Horticultural Society web site for a go to look up

 In these lock down days browsing charity shops is not an option unfortunately so it will be buying new or  flea bay

This current thread has tips to help and just ask of course.

As a newbie it is too easy to get carried away with "rules" but a lot of growing is is like many things, knowing when to ignore rules

Commercial growers do need to be picky, but you will be growing for pleasure & hobby, not bread & butter living

Do you know what your plot s like?

Weed covered mess or nicely laid out & cultivated plot?

Probably the former at a guess so the advice about not jumping in and thinking it all has to be done by spring applies

silverwhistle

I've had my allotment just a year and am also early on in the learning process. Amongst a number of books I have a Dorling Kindersley 'Allotment Handbook' with handy photographs, also 'Grow Your Own Vegetables' by Joy Larkcom which is more of a reference type book. Remember there are loads of Youtube videos out there and I particularly like Charles Dowding with his no dig techniques. I also have his 'Vegetable Garden Diary' where you can make your own notes and observations: for example I wrote in the last frost date for my area beforehand and then the actual last frost date a lot later... :-)

Ash_Pole

Farway said:

Do you know what your plot s like? 

Weed covered mess or nicely laid out & cultivated plot?

Probably the former at a guess so the advice about not jumping in and thinking it all has to be done by spring applies

Weed covered mess I'm afraid. At least, I think they're weeds, I don't really know. 

DiggerUK

Ash_Pole, first tool you need is a fork. Get one that is long handled as it helps if your not bending. Don't be tempted to buy something light and skimpy, you will find no advantage over a heavier, sturdy tool, the reason being you have to expend more energy turning the soil if there is 'no meat in the tool'. Don't get a flat pronged fork either, that's for lifting potatoes and root crops.
Job 1, learn how to dig thoroughly......no I'm not taking the mick..._

Mumof2girls£

Ash_Pole said:

After being on the waiting list for a few years I'm getting my first allotment this month. I know nothing - literally nothing - about what to do and I'm quite apprehensive.

To get me started, can anyone recommend a good allotment handbook or beginners guide?

Allotment Month by Month by Alan Buckingham. I picked mine up last month for £5 in the sales from the works 

Mumof2girls£

I took on an allotment at the beginning of august and became a member of a really good Facebook group called Allotment online, lots of tips and advice. 

RAS

Ash_Pole said:

Farway said:

Do you know what your plot s like? 

Weed covered mess or nicely laid out & cultivated plot?

Probably the former at a guess so the advice about not jumping in and thinking it all has to be done by spring applies

Weed covered mess I'm afraid. At least, I think they're weeds, I don't really know. 

A lot of useful plants look like weeds at this time of year.🤔

Ask around the site to see who is respected and ask that person to take a look round for you. One of mine was waist high in weeds but there were rhubarb and strawberry plants, whilst the bindweed completely hid fruit bushes, raspberries and a pile of well rotted manure.

An experienced plotter will find any perennials for you and can then take you on a socially distanced trip round your plot. Label them at the time and then draw yourself a sketch map ASAP. 

If you find rhubarb and any sort of old bucket, cover one or two buds now and you'll get an early reward of pink stems that cost a fortune in the shops, for a minute's attention.

Mee

I'm a newbie too and second the advice given here.

A few things I've learned in the few months I've had my plot is

1. Plan, plan and plan.

1a. Little and often

2. You may receive conflicting advice from plot owners so always check print/online sources.

3. You don't have to accept seeds/ plants given to you, or plant them. If you do, research the plant if you're unfamiliar with it. I accepted  lemon balm and now realise after planting it in my herb bed it's invasive, so will pot up shortly.

4. Find out what wildlife visit the allotment. I discovered it was muntjac and badgers attacking some of my beds. As a townie or just ignorant, I had never come across muntjac.

5. Discover where your local skips or building sites are - they're a gold mine for all sorts of stuff, bricks, wood, glass, cables. And save those plastic bottles for cloche and water saving

6. If you get to know some of the established tenants you'll find not only will they share their knowledge, but they may help in other ways.

7. Seek out tenants/friends from other countries/cultures - I'm constantly impressed by a Han Chinese gentleman's approach to growing your own.

8. I've found the following books useful for different aspects of growing your own:

Leendertz, L. The half-hour allotment. RHS

Buckingham, A. Allotment month by month. DK. bought for £5 The Works

Richards, H. Veg in one bed: how to grow an abundance of food in one bed, month by month. DK. Excellent photos and money saving advice.

Clevely, A. The allotment book: a practical guidance  to creating  and enjoying your perfect plot. Collins. Just very practical...

Cunningham, S. Ecological gardening. Crowood Presa. useful tables and good chapter on composting.

9. Recommend checking out Alys Fowler's Guardian Weekend column, Yemm in the Saturday Daily Telegraph supplement.

10. RHS  Twitter surgery/question time and Mr. PlantGeek's newsletter/Instagram posts. Also countless Instagram and Facebook pages...

11. Local radio garden shows - a chance to hear from the experts and ask questions, and of course there is BBC Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time podcast and lots of others.

12. Second the use of YouTube vids - there are some excellent ones around.

Just remembered these

Seed catalogues: use them

the DT Brown seed catalogue has useful seed and growing logs/charts and advice for newbies and experienced bods.

Keep a record of the seeds you own, and keep a growing journal. I'm keeping  a photo log of progress made or not.