Advice for an allotment beginner

[VintedoreBay]

I've waited 10 years for a plot and I've now got one 🥰 I'm so excited.

But

I've got no idea where to begin and I've only ever grown a few veg in the veg trug in my tiny concreted yard garden.

Any advice welcome!

Now the fun begins!

You’ll soon get to know other allotment folks.
They will be full of good advice.
Walk around & see what they’re growing because that will be a good guide to what the soil’s like; acid, clay, sandy etc.
Watch all the gardening tv programs & visit local open gardens under the National Gardens Scheme/for local charities.

You’ll soon make friends and will reap the bounties.
Meanwhile if your plot is currently overgrown & neglected, get it Rotavated so you can make a fresh start.

Good luck. It’ll be hard work but so much fun!

Have a nosy around other plots to see what grows well
Speak to the regulars and see what pests you are dealing with
Have a look at the soil and work out what it is
Have a look at the condition of the soil - will it need much improving
Figure out which way it points and how the sun will fall
Is it flat or on a slope - you might get soggy areas
Does it have anything on it that you want to keep
Make a list of everything you want to grow
Draw out a plan and figure out how much room you have - divide into beds and start thinking about crop rotation
Make compost bins out of pallets or a designated area
Do you have any clearence to do
Have you started any seedlings at home?

Plant fruit trees this year as they take a while to produce. Morrisons has good prices.

now is also a good time to pick up strawberry plants v cheaply & raspberry canes too - they might give a crop this year but will definitely do so next year

I don’t have an allotment (parents did) but garden at home and focus on what us expensive to buy: soft fruit & salad/other greens

Gardening can get really expensive so try to plan, save seeds, exchange seedlings etc

also rotate your crops & if it is too much to plant up your full area this year then do green manure on some and plant it for winter veg later

There is time still to grow a lot from seed in June - depending on what you like to eat

On most plots you need to get permission to plant fruit trees, but they are a great low-effort option if allowed.

Unless there are toilets on your plot, my top tip is to build a shed and have a bucket inside for when you need a wee. It means you can take a packed lunch or a some chocolate biscuits and a flask of tea and spend hours and hours enjoying your allotment. Get a comfy chair in the shed so you can wait out the odd rainy spell and then get back to work.

If there are boot fairs or plant auctions in your area, they are a great source of veg plants and fruit bushes for around half the price you would pay in a garden centre.

Get a good book like Joy Larcom's Grow Your Own Veg to keep in the shed. It details all the best planting times and planting spaces, so it's an exceptionally handy reference guide. You can pick copies up on eBay for two or three pounds.

Have fun!

Also you don't just have to grow fruit and veg. Next spring you can plant sunflowers, sweet peas, cornflowers, nigella and all sorts of blooms to attract pollinators to your plot. You'll have bunches of blooms to take home or to swap with your allotment neighbours for some of their crops.

The best advice I was given was not to try and do it all at once but to clear one bed and plant something out now, I got my allotment around this time of year too. You can still get plug plants of courgettes, beans and the like in the garden centre. If you see something growing it gives you the incentive to go back and look after it otherwise it can be a bit daunting to begin with.

Black plastic and plenty of it to smother any weeds

https://www.diy.com/departments/capital-valley-plastics-ltd-black-250-micron-damp-proof-membrane-l-15m-w-4m/5060405961004_BQ.prd

Read Charles Dowding in no dig gardening

Dont be in too much of a hurry, clear and plant - say a third/half this year and the rest next year - hence the black plastic.

You can usually buy 'compost' from the local tip to improve the soil

The Hessayon Veg Book is by far the most useful,

https://www.wob.com/en-gb/books/d-g-hessayon/vegetable-and-herb-expert/9780903505468?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwjeuyBhBuEiwAJ3vuoS-HPSeTJuwH0A6IP3z3P_vsTJduU4BMcqLkP1AmyDSAhl5ICvxuohoC_0EQAvD_BwE#GOR001237279

There is also a Fruit Expert book

Choose things which are either

1. Expensive - eg Raspberry's
2. Better grown fresh eg lettuce
3. Not easy to buy Swiss Chard, Rhubarb (both dead easy to grow)
4. That you like
5. Grow easily

Stuff that needs storing - Maincrop Potato's etc can be a pain if you dont have suitable storage

Some sort of plan helps, what where when etc

Above all Enjoy!

So helpful! I'm a little bit nervous excited ☺️

Hello VintedoreBay,

What is the current condition of your new allotment? Is it weed free and ready to go or is it like many find it overgrown? Let us know and we can advise you further.

Happy allotment gardening
TheSustainableGardener

Hello again VintedoreBay,

I highly recommend either of the following books 📚

Happy allotment gardening
TheSustainableGardener

🧐

🧐

@thesustainablegardener thanks for the book suggestions. I'll take a look!

It's currently in a very overgrown state. It was long term let (probably about 20+ years) and the tenant deceased about 2 year ago.

It has 3 green houses and 3 sheds, one of which is kitted out like a little bedsit. I'm pretty sure there is a makeshift corrugated latrine/composting loo shed type thing there hiding right at the backs too.

One of the green houses appears repairable. There's broken glass everywhere.

Lots of blackberries and a couple of fruit trees. I suspect there is fennel growing amongst the weeds from the fringe poking up. There is a load of scrap!

Hire a Brush Cutter, Husquvana are very good and get some sort of visor with it

A Bill Hook or similar might be handy

Cut the stuff back & cover with the black plastic

You may have to accept that you wont grow much this year

Can we have some photo's and where are you?

have a bucket inside for when you need a wee. I f you put a layer of soil in the bottom, it won’t smell. You can add it to the allotment (save no2s for home)