Is it expensive to keep an allotment and grow your own?

[OoohAyyye]

I went to see a plot the other day. It's very overgrown but has a couple of decent compost bins.

So once it is tidied how much am I looking at spending?

We wouldn't build a shed until we know we can keep up with the demands of keeping an allotments and growing your own.

It's probably obvious but I am a complete beginner!

I would like to grow some fruit, veg, picking plants etc. but after looking at others there are wigwams, greenhouses and polytunnels!

No idea where to start... help?!

I think its how long is a piece of string - some people seem good at getting ltos of free seedlings and recycling.

We had to buy spade, fork, trowels, canes, string and pay £35 a year in rent - we also buy seeds and some seedling

we got some free scaffold boards to build some beds and some free manure do dig into the ground and some free bark chippings and got a free greenhouse as someone on the plot didn't want theirs anymore - we just had to move it.

It took a lot more effort to clear the plot that expected and a lot of time and effort getting is set up, but it ticks over now.

I had an allotment for a while and I never did have a shed. You could have a big lockable box, I just chucked stuff under a tarpaulin.

I got some books on allotment keeping second hand off Amazon. One Hour Allotment springs to mind. One book (might have been that one, I'll check later and come back if I remember) talked through which crops to plant to save money. E.g. don't plant stuff you don't eat much of. Soft fruit is expensive so growing your own saves money. Potatoes are pretty easy to grown and keep for a while so you will probably eat your crop, but potatoes aren't terribly expensive in the shops. It bears weighing up the options.

Growing from seed is dirt cheap compared to e.g. buying little tomato plants but it is way more time consuming. The most amazing allotments tended to be those with retired keepers.

To a certain extent I thought of it as an outdoor gym and very good for the soul. When life is stressful there's a lot to be said for digging and weeding and getting your own food out of the ground.

I'll look for that book and come back.

Allotments are usually very cheap to rent, just an annual payment AFAICR.
There may be a bit of intital outlay on tools, hoses or buckets etc but you might be able to buy second hand from the allotment society, or borrow. The society might also sell or swap surplus seeds as well as bamboo canes, potting compost and pots cheaper than garden centres.
Places like WIlko also sell garden stuff cheaper than garden centres, unless you've got a very good one near you.
Once you've got the allotment I'm sure you'll find plenty of other allotment holders willing to help with advice and possibly lend tools etc, donate surplus seed and so on. Leave the wigwams and so on for now - grow dwarf beans until you get the hang of things.
So go for it! There is nothing, absolutely nothing, as good as home-grown veg. (have a surfeit of gorgeous tomatoes, courgettes and runner beans as we speak)

I’d agree with growing stuff that is expensive to buy; we’ve had a wonderful crop of strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and blackberries this year. The onions and runner beans not so much... Don’t underestimate the time needed for tasks such as watering, particularly after this long hot summer. Do you have water on...er.... tap? Other plot holders are usually happy to advise and share expertise, and maybe share extra seedlings, glut of courgettes or whatever. You will need a spade, fork, rake, hoe and watering can/s or hose.
Our allotment costs us £10 p.a. (with a discount for being old ...) but £15 for younger plot holders.

You can get stuff like second hand greenhouses, sheds and poly tunnels from Ebay for cheap. My greenhouse was £50 plus a few replacement panes of glass and the cost of hiring a van to fetch it.

I only spend about forty pounds a year. Agree with lockable box instead of shed ( but don't bother locking it). It's a lot of work but brilliant fun.

Half hour allotment book it was. I have amassed a fair collection of gardening books and that was a favourite, it has a section on what to grow that looks at what is good value.

Thanks for the replies! Very excited to get started now!

And thank you KingLooieCatz for recommending that book, sounds ideal!

An allotment can be as expensive as you want it to be. In the past I've sent lots of money but on my new allotment which I took on this year I'm planning on spending very little. You can follow my journey at www.youtube.com/seanjamescameron