Advice on my new allotment please................

[nobodysfool]

I have just finished clearing my allotment which was left in a terrible state by the previous "owners", lots of broken glass,wood and general rubbish.
I want to have raised beds so have got plenty of scaffolding planks to make these from.
I can get plenty of well rotted horse manure (brothers girlfriend has a a horse).
Would i be better off buying top soil for the beds or a mixture of the existing soil (lots of clay) and top soil and manure.
I don't mind how long it takes to get the right/best conditions for growing and i don't mind if i miss most of the growing season whilst i'm getting it all tip top as i intend to do this properly from the start.
Is there anything you have done on your allotment that would advise me to do or things that you wished you would have done at the planing stage?
Any advice would be great.
Thank you.

remember that while you are planning the weeds are plotting - don't turn your back, they will be upon you in minutes!

i would do a mix of what's there + your fab manure + some topsoil if you need it.

Looking after the soil is important but soil isn't static, it needs a bit of action to really improve so do some growing now. not least it will generate stuff for the compost heap so you can start making compost for next year

i would also plant something nice and reliable that I like eating IMMEDIATELY. potatoes are good in teh first year as they seem to work the soil nicely and make lots of vegitation which does help with the weeds (although the crop can be a bit varialbe). Beans and peas help improve the soil as well as giving a crop. grow sweet peas too, lovely. courgettes and pumpkins are magic they grow huge really qickly and corgettes give you lots of material for your compost heap! Flowers are nice because you can pick them and take them home with you - cosmos, etc.

if you are going to grow asparagus or strawberries or anything permanent get it in asap so you are one year closer to a crop.

i would make sure I had a really good compost area

Jealous!

All great points thanks.
I have got some chitted (is that the right word) spuds from a friend of a friend who has a massive allotment.A mixture of earlies and lates.Will the ealies still be ok going in in a few weeks time or have i missed the best time (heard it's St.Paddys day).

It isn't too late to plant the earlies yet - we haven't planted ours yet!

Great thanks.Was begining to wonder if i had missed the boat for them.

Anything you wished you had done differently?

Congratulations on your allotment Nobodysfool. I maintain that the only thing more addictive than MN is veg growing!

I've been growing veg for about 4 years and am only this year feeling as though i know a bit about what i'm doing. There are definitly things i wish i'd done differently.

I have two three really top tips for you. (Apart from feed the soil, which your already focused on)

1. Plant your perennial fruit/veg now. Blueberries, Rhubarb, Asparagus, Artichokes, Rasberries, Gooseberries, Blackcurrents, Redcurrents. Get them in now, and not only will you harvest this year, but next year you'll hardly have to think about them and YEAH! up they come again. While your busy learning from last years mistakes, they will just get on with it!

1. Sow, Sow, Sow....sounds pretty basic but just get the seeds into soil, whether in the ground or in little biodegradable pots, March/April is peak sowing time, You've then got several more weeks to plan final positions etc. You've very little to loose doing everything in little biodegradable pots (except potatoes!) generally a packet of seeds has loads more than you can use before they go out of date. Put them in now, and if you make mistakes, you can always re-sow.

1. Don't get too hung up on the sort of detailed advise that you hear. Add lime, don't add lime, must sow before March, cover with fleece etc., you'll get to know the tricks you need to know over time. It's a bit like motherhood, go with your instincts, be aware of guidelines etc, but don't stress too much over them.

I've rambled sorry.

Good luck, the soil is warming up next week, it's a great time to start!!

Fantastic advice wishiwasawalton.
I'm very excited about getting going.