Allotment for someone with no strength or stamina

[Ieatmarmite]

I had an allotment for many many years. Sadly, after major surgery, I had to give it up. But I miss it, especially because I only have a small yard at home.

I've been thinking of restarting but know that I can't manage any very physical or heavy work.

I imagine that any plot I rent will be one of the neglected ones & will need a lot of physically tough prep work. Suggestions on how to deal with this will be very much appreciated. I know raised beds would be one way of working, but I think I wouldn't be able to make these on my own.

Could you pay someone to do the first bit? The weeding and digging over? As for raised beds...again, pay someone and if this isn't manageable, only grow things which are minimal work. What would you like to grow in an ideal world?

I did wonder about paying someone; there are a few people in the area where I live who advertise gardening services. Maybe one of them would be interested.

On my list of things to grow are peas,; french, runner and broad beans; purple sprouting. In the past I've been self-sufficient in things like onions, potatoes etc but now I think I'll stick to the things that are more expensive to buy in shops, especially if I grow them organically.

Do you have a community allotment nearby? My daughter's allotment association keeps one large space as a shared allotment, for people who can't manage a whole one. Each person has their own area or raised bed to tend. And as the allotment association is super friendly, I'm pretty sure that people will help out if someone has health issues that mean that they can't always come out to tend to their planting.

Also a couple of my friends share an allotment. It works really well, as each party can go on holiday knowing that the other will look after their half.

No dig beds. Lots of info online
Essentially cover ground with cardboard initially and then build up layers to grow in
You can usually get manure etc delivered to an allotment.
You can then either strim between beds or use cardboard to keep weeds etc down to form a pathway.

@saraclara I never thought of a community allotment; that would be something worth finding out about.

@Bebabelouba

No dig beds. Lots of info online Essentially cover ground with cardboard initially and then build up layers to grow in You can usually get manure etc delivered to an allotment. You can then either strim between beds or use cardboard to keep weeds etc down to form a pathway.

My daughter has a no-dig allotment! It was a new bit of land that hadn't been cultivated at all, so they went no-dig and it's worked really well. Her fellow allotment holders have watched the initiative with interest and been very impressed.

I do no dig too. Cardboard / newspaper and then woodchip or bark on top are my paths. Much easier then having to mow, as that is a massive effort that doesn't feel very allotmenty.

I did dig my beds over first, and weeded thoroughly but I've not dug them since. I just pile what made compost, old spent potting compost etc that I can get on top of the beds. If I was starting again, I'd probably NOT dig at all and invest in raised beds, or a trailer load of compost to just pile on top of cardboard on the beds, a la Charles Dowding!

My allotment is no dig with raised beds, as long as I can get the beds thoroughly covered in manure before the winter it’s fairly easy in the spring. I’ve got a few beds covered with weed membrane lying fallow.I’ve used green manure as well before now which is easier on the back than carrying manure in wheelbarrow. Also mushroom compost is much lighter to carry than manure, I get a bulk delivery to the allotment.

I pay a man to cut the hedge. And strim the grass.

My daughter got her totally uncultivated allotment in April, and by summer it was full of produce and flowers. With no digging whatsoever. The no dig method is pretty magical. Charles Dowding is her guru!

There is lots of info about container gardening online - you can used all sorts of containers if you aren't too fussy about look and can drill a hole in the bottom (or get someone else to do this bit for you). I do a lot in big pots (if I find these cheap enough) and also use an old plastic duck pond, a kids paddling pool, a variety of plastic tubs from goods I've bought and potato growing bags. I have everything from a small apple tree to strawberries/raspberries/blackberries, carrots, potatoes, Radishes, spinach and chard in containers. The only veg I've failed to get to grow in a container is a pumpkin.