Just got an allotment need some basic advice please

[Londongirl888]

I am delighted to have an allotment 

It is overgrown with grass up to my eyeballs is it easier to cut down and then dig or just dig as is?

Can I just plant things or do I have to add something to the soil, if so what?

Set a little veg patch at home just seems are slow to grow for example tomatoe plants are slow whereas the ones I have in pots are doing well.

Would love some pointers to get me going or sites you recommend

Thanks so much 

To start with get yourself to Lidl and get the allotment book there which is £5. It retails for about £18 on Amazon

Will come back to thread later to add as pushed for time at the min

Thanks Scooting. Great start will look for it today.

Cut the grass before digging it out, if nothing else it'll mean easier digging.
With a plot that neglected you might be best starting out with making raised beds.
Dig out 1m by 2m rectangles with a wheelbarrow width gap in between rectangles.
Turn over the turf you dug out and put it upside down in the same place.
Make raised beds at least 1ft deep to fit the rectangles and fill them with topsoil, that should be enough to stop the grass from the turf growing through.
Perhaps this season start with 2-4 raised beds, filled with catch crops like radishes, beetroot, lettuce, late peas etc.

Thanks Inmysparetime. They seem to have sectioned off the beds so will get one done at a time. Will try and get topsoil assume from a nursery. Can't wait to get started.

Garden centres, Homebase, even supermarkets sell multipurpose peat-free compost. You'll need way more than you ever thought possible though, and it's really heavy.
Perhaps talk to the allotment people, there's usually a compost heap on the allotment you can use to get started.

Fab will speak to them. Ok will ensure it's peat free

My advice would be to have a look at some allotment YouTube videos. Then think about how you'd like to do your beds and use that as a plan. If digging I would strongly urge you to get thick membrane stuff and cover as much as possible and only uncover it when you're ready to dig. Soak the ground the day before you will be digging.

Get as many roots up as possible when digging as rescues weed regrowth.

Do 1m² sections at a time then get something in the ground you've dug so you can see it growing while you carry on digging (great for motivation). If you crack on now there is lots you can plant in June.

See if you allotment provides wood bark and manure. If so the bark is great for paths and mulch, the manure great for digging in the beds you get ready

*Reduces weed growth

If doing no dig then there are guides online (I'm not familiar with it but it seems quite simple)

I really recommend the half hour allotment book. Also the www.allotment-garden.org/ has brilliant advice for taking over an overgrown allotment. Start on a small section and strim (hire or buy) the rest and then cover it.

Raised beds can be put straight on to strimmed grass but only if you have enough depth of grass cuttings, manure, compost, mulch generally to stop the grass going through. Put big cardboard down too.

There are things you can sow now, go on any seed site and research seeds to sow now. Also you’ll be able to overwinter onions and buy brassicas plants to overwinter...it’s an expensive way to do it but it means you have something growing over winter to keep your interest.

Don’t forget to sow some flowers like pot marigold(calendula). Quick and cheerful.

Biggest tip is unless you have an army of helpers do a little bit at a time and keep the rest strimmed or strimmed and covered.

And definitely’no dig’.

I agree with the people saying no dig - look at Charles Dowding on Youtube, he is the no-dig guru.

Where to start:
i) Buy half-hour allotment book by Lia Leendertz.
ii) Strim everything to the ground but take note of any old tree/bush stumps and brambles and dock plants - dig the roots out. I personally don't even attempt to dig out bindweed as would end up in Australia, I just remove it from the top section of my growing area.
iii) Any areas where you're not ready to work, cover with black plastic or weed membrane cloth (double it up as it is not completely light obstructing).
iv) If you want raised beds with edges, go on ebay and buy pallet collars.
v) Put cardboard on strimmed ground, wet it, and top with compost, or topsoil then compost, depending on how much you have.
vi) Plant into compost so the roots can find their way into the earth below.

If you plant some dwarf French beans into toilet roll tubes filled with compost they will germinate and be ready to plant out in a couple of weeks. See youtube for guidance. Also quick to germinate and quick to crop - lettuce, rocket, chard. I'm finding it too hot for spinach at the moment, mine has all gone to seed.

We are novice allotmenters but observations;

We have a combination of dig and no dig beds
The first year I added some extra manure etc to the dig bed and did all of the digging over when I had more time (And things weren’t growing so fast) in winter
No dig ones I’ve found expensive to fill
Strimming and cover will help.
Do a bit at a time
Have low expectations for this year
Allotments are meant for the longer term, we are enjoying fruit bushes and trees, asparagus bed-stuff which takes up more space or requires a couple of years to establish.
Look at your light and soil.
It’s trial and error...

Ah yes, growing fruit si a really good idea. My allotment is huge and half of it is given over to plum and apple trees, asparagus, fruit bushes and strawberries and raspberries. They still take time to look after but not in the same way as the annual veg.

Plan a bit. So if you get a bed dug and then fill with manure and cover it'll be perfect come spring time for potato planting.

You need to work out your soil too. Mine is very clay - so I got a job lot of spent mushroom compost delivered and put that all over the beds which surpressed the weeds and improved the soil.

Also don't throw away what you strim off or any grass or turf you cut out - start a compost heap. If you get a lot of stuff together in a pile (or make a compost heap from pallets) then it'll heat up and be rotted down by springtime.

Thanks so much everyone for your great tips. Couldn't get the Lidl allotment book friends looking out for that

Some of the beds when I looked yesterday has membrane but the grass had grown through and over it.

Hiring a strimmer for sat and a friend is helping. Plus yes we have woodchip available so will work on paths.
Once it is cleared a bit and I can see what I have will help found some red currant bushes and a small crab apple tree.

There is a fair amount of junk to clear but I am lucky as it has a decent shed and decking.

I think little and often will work for me

Will check out the websites and book recommendations



Another advocate of no dig here, get on YouTube and watch Charles Dowding's videos, it will truly save you so much time and your back!!!

I was reading your thread and thinking how nice...
And guess what - today I got a call - I have an allotment! I am so excited.

I went and had a look at lunchtime - it has 3 fruit trees (small ones)- cherry , apple and something else. And a couple of raspberry bushes.

The person (Manager??) said they would get it strimmed over the weekend and we will be good to go.

So I am now following your thread with interest...

Fantastic I am so pleased for you. I know I can't wait to get going. When you see the well established ones it can be intimidating but you have to start somewhere. Good luck with yours. 🤗