What to do with an overgrown allotment, esp. the time of year?

[LadyOfWaffle]

I got an allotment a few months ago, have been taking the odd hour here and there to cut it all back etc. but I really haven't a clue what to do with it, and best times of year for doing what. All I know is I have to dig everything (weeds) up and turn over the soil (??), can you do that any time of year? When can you start to plant? Do you test the soil? I am a total novice so any advice would be great, thankyou!

Well I'm no expert either, but yes, you can dig to your heart's content at this time of year, as far as I know. I think I'd try and get some old carpet or some means of covering the soil I've dug to suppress the weeds. That way, the soil should be ok by the time you come to plant it.
Planting starts in spring, but depends on what you want to grow. Do you have anywhere indoors to start seedlings off? Maybe someone here can suggest a good book.
How exciting though. May you and your allotment be very happy together

lol, thankyou . I will keep digging then and we have tons of carpet soon as we are replacing all ours, so will get a big bit for the allotment. I guess I can start seedlings off in the house somewhere. I'll pop to the library one day and have a look, so far down on the list though at the moment!

you took on an allotment and you haven't a clue what to do with it????? you are NUTS!!!

i am so jealous there is a 5 year waiting list for my local allotments and I am not sure one would be enough for me!

If it is overgrown and you don't have lots of time to throw at it the best thing to do is hack down everything and then cover it up BEFORE digging it - but ideally do NOT use carpet. Wool carpet rots down and weeds grow on top of/through it'; plastic carpet falls to bits; both have loads of nasty stuff on them that you do not want to be eating. Get some weed suppressant (Mypex) and cover as much as you can. this will help kill the weeds that try to grow under it.

If you do dig some over then you have to pick out all the weedy roots. Weeds are like laundry, you get rid of one lot and they just come back again, so don't dig over more than you can acutally use at once. If you do, cover it up again to exclude weeds. You won't be planting much before March so don't overdo it now!

Grow what you like eating. do not grow what you don't like eating. See previous allotment thread for excellent advice (via Sarah Raven) of what's worth growing.

Ask other allotment holders what grows well on your site.

this is a great blog here

Potatoes are good first year crops because they smother the weeds a bit; ditto courgettes.

Oh God, I could go on for ever. I am so

You sound like me!

We got an allotment in the autumn and the brambles and nettles were taller than my DH plus when we clearing it all there appeared to have been earthworks or similiar.

We've hacked it all back. we have concentrated on one end and dug that over and constructed one bed so far. After we dug it we covered it in some breathable sheeting stuff they sold at the shop on the allotment (well in the shed with the honesty box - shop is over egging it I think!)

I am planning on onions and potatos first but the potatos need something doing to them first according to my books.

Also, and this is a stupid question but books say "plant in Spring" or "early Spring" but when it that?!

traditionally...

• potatoes are 'chitted' which means you put them somewhere warm and sunny and let little sprouts start to grow before you plant them. HOWEVER frankly this is a nicety, it's not really necessary
• potatoes are planted out on St Patrick's Day which is 17th March. Again, God will not strike you down if you don't get them in on the day - it just makes it easier to remember when. You can plant them earlier, but the green shoots will die if they get frost on them. However, this won't kill the potatoes unless it is a very hard frost.

when 'spring' is depends on where you live, but I live in the south and take it to be March-ish.

Thank you so much
So I don't have to have a heap of pots in the spare room.
I am down south too so will make a note that spring starts in march and pos go in on St P day.

Simple when someone tells you how!