Allotment help!!

[VanessaShanessaJenkins]

I assumed there wound be a waiting list for the allotments behind my house- turns out there isn't and for less than £20 a year I am now the proud tenant of one.

Wise mumsnetters where on earth do I start?
I've started reading as much as I can but do you have any good dos and don'ts for starting off?
What can I do at this time of year to get everything ready for the next growing season? (As I assume not much can be grown now with winter round the corner).

All tips for a newbie welcome

Find out what kind of soil you have. Dig in appropriate manure/soil improver.

What condition is the allotment in? Does it have a shed. Water source or water butt?

Is there any shadow?

Is it bib enough for a fruit tree. A bit later in the autumn (As it is so dry still) would be a good time to plant one.

Are you going to grow flowers btw? We have one bed which is just all flowers and around now is a good time to plant bulbs.

There's plenty you can set away across winter. There's still a lot of summer left due to the warm weather this year. Are you doing beds, non dig beds? Chat to other plot holders next to you to see what they find works.

Thanks for all the advice. Assumed I'd just grow stuff we eat (salad veg, raspberries etc). It's 78 sq m. It's in good condition in that it doesn't have any overgrowth on, just compacted mud which I'll start digging up and turning over asap.
Never thought about flowers but now that it's mentioned I buy them from the supermarket for the house so that's not a bad idea.
No shed but it's so close to the house I plan on taking the wheelbarrow round with tools and back each visit. Water point isn't too far away and a hose and composter have been left on the plot.

ours is close to the house (5 mins walk) you would be surprised how annoying it is trying to figure out everything you need to tae then carting it round!
we do no dig, it's working for us

Look on gumtree for cheap tools if u need them. You'll need more than one composter to rotate the cycle. An outdoor lockable box is ideal for tool storage vs traipsing backwards and forwards, or if it's a fenced off site you could just pop tarpaulin over the top. Regarding flowers I'd look at companion flowers to draw the pests from your crops - there's a lovely plot holder thread on here with lots of helpful tips! We've had our lotty for shy of 4mths this year and we've done quite a bit plus managed a few bumper crops. Definitely all trial & error to see what takes on your soil content.

Ooo thanks I'll pop over to the thread. I didn't even realise flowers to draw away pests was possible. I've so much to learn!

I've just taken on a new allotment after leaving my old one after 11 years, you can see it at www.youtube.com/seanjamescameron

Cut everything down to the ground and either start digging and removing the weeds or try the no-dig method where you lay cardboard over the area and add either 6in of woodchips or compost on top.

Check out Facebook groups for gardeners - no-dig, which? Mag, allotment life, allotment growers, allotment cooks, radio4 gardeners q time are all full of nice people and good advice