New allotment. What have I done

[blackheartsgirl]

Ahh What have I done, panicking slightly about new allotment.

Ive been on the list for quite a while for one, now ive got it and ive had the keys.

its not too overgrown, its got a shed which is full of crap, it’s really not that bad, there’s some overgrown beds and a nice raspberry patch.

but here’s the clinch. I’m now financially in a worse place than what I was a few years back, I’m really hovering just above the breadline and I can’t afford bags of compost or fancy raised beds.

luckily I have loads of garden equipment like forks and spades, trowels, a hoe, a wheel barrow, rake, pots. I have fence paint left over which will do for the shed. I’m absolutely rubbish with power drills or making things but I do have some garden edging rolls that might make a bed.

im doing this entirely by myself, I am a lone parent to 4 dc, the youngest are teens who don’t want to help and I also work part time. I’m peri meno and I get tired quite quickly and overwhelmed (ADHD 😆)

am I crazy for even thinking I can do this. I went down there earlier and I loved it, it’s such a beautiful place but oh my goodness I felt anxious about it all

Agree with getting that black membrane up, I’d then do the new potato suggestion in that bit so you have something on the go pretty quickly.
Do you know anyone with a cordless strimmer you could borrow?

Facebook marketplace is brilliant, often free compost bins there if not pallets that will make a compost bin. I got a table and chairs I’m taking down my allotment as important to have somewhere to sit and appreciate your hard work. See if you have a local plant swap group, people give away strawberries and raspberries and there is a seed library in one of our local libraries.

You have got time this year but I would focus on things that don’t need much tlc for this year. Pumpkins, borlotti beans, rainbow chard, perpetual spinach, leeks. Outdoor cumbers such as Marketmore are pretty easy and I put in some meteor peas recently which germinated really quickly. Pumpkins cover a lot of space so dig an area to put a couple in, cover ground around with cardboard weighed down with something and let them grow over it.

Do a little bit at a time and take loads of pictures as you go.

Congratulations. I’m about 4-5 months ahead of you it has changed my whole life and my mental health. We got our plot in October.

Firstly keep a photo journey, DH spent the first 4 weeks thinking we had done the wrong thing. It was hard work. But you can’t see progress until to look back.

We both went on a Grow Your Own Course at the weekend and although we had learnt a lot. We learnt so much. winds come from the SW look at your plot, shade etc and plan first

1. don’t dig the soil - only if you absolutely have to - this came from the expert (and she knew her stuff on our course) bind weed or something. Strim everything - we got a cordless strimmer off Amazon £25 and it saved our life. Dont dig. Strim. Then cover in cardboard (not sellotape and withas little print at possible) and cover the ground. Layer of manure. Local Horseriding place will be happy to give it to for free or well rotted manure is £50 for a truck load. then layer up bit of straw, then compost etc you are only growing in the top 15 cm.
2. think of it as a 3 year project. Bin all the crap. Strim it down and put cardboard down and black waterproof sheet with rocks and do a section at a time,
3. Dont buy a polytunnel or a greenhouse - any wind and it will be gone. You can make your own far cheaper and much more stable
4. Get inspiration from FB allotment groups and instagram but don’t buy expensive stuff
5. With number 4 in mind - local builders yard you can get wood pallets for making compost bins and raised beds for free. Borrow a cordless screwdriver to put them together etc
6. the best thing to do is buy good quality seed and then grow from your own crops. Eg buy good sweetcorn and save and dry the kernels and then use them next year. This is the best way to get a strong crop, try not to use garden centre we got recommended some website by our course tutor pm me if you like but ask your local allotment society if anyone has any going spare
7. dont buy expensive cages we use plastic industrial pipe and bamboo canes (long) and then throwing netting or plastic over them
8. commit to 4 hours a week no matter how bad the weather and think long term this is a 3 year project
9. we harvested our own rhubarb last week - it’s magical and we have frozen it, garlic, potatoes and onions are all quick wins
10. take baby steps but it has completely changed my mental health (I’m ND) and my husband.

Feel free to PM and I strongly advise joining some FB allotment groups. The gardening section on here is good. There is a fab thread - tell us what you have done in the garden today 2026 on here - come and join

From bitter experience please don't rotavate all of it at one go - you'll not keep up with the weeding and planting and it will feel overwhelming!

Clear a few small patches at first and keep it manageable. Your allotment neighbours may well have spare seedlings and plants to offer you, and look out on local social media for other freebies.

Enjoy yourself but don't go mad at the beginning 🌱

Dig it over, and plant what you want, the crops may not be as good as they might be if it was all properly manured but it will all be practically free. Next year think about it more. And enjoy the raspberries if you can keep the birds off them! My best tip for a great easy crop I would plant French climbing beans, they crop forever and come early compared to runner beans .

Oh this is all amazing thank you all for your replies
I’m planning on going back down there tomorrow to make a start, I will remove all the black plastic, I did lift a corner earlier and there were ants everywhere! What can I do about those, I hate them as i react badly to their bites .
theres also loads of bricks too which will come in handy.

i did notice there is a water butt and a compost dalek but no lid, I will see if I can source some pallets. I did notice one behind the shed and I have one in my garden so that’s a bonus! I will ask around for cardboard, brown is better isn’t it I think.

I am relieved that I don’t need raised beds. That will save me a bit

the council run site does have free compost and wood chip although unfortunately I’ve just missed the last lot, it lasted a day according to the allotment officer 😆.

im definitely going to take people’s advice and tips and start by clearing the shed and getting one bed cleared, I have to be seen to be doing something within a month but he did say that he doesn’t expect the whole plot cleared, just signs that I’m working on it. They are pretty strict here

Don’t remove the black tarp leave it for the moment it suppresses the weeds and you want those creepily crawlers they keep the soil healthy. Shed and clear the crap first and strimmer. Join the national allotment society ours is £5 a year!! Don’t throw black tarp it is so useful over the winter x

Thank you, this is great! I never thought to just strim it all and then cover it (I do have a cordless strimmer ), and I will take loads of photos.

my mental health has taken a battering over the last 5 years and I really hope having this place will help

My partner got his plot in 2024, after a three year wait- it was neglected, full of weeds , parts choked with couch grass. We have worked hard on it, clearing it area by area, growing what we know we'll eat, making many mistakes eg over producing courgettes and tomatoes.
Most of our plot neighbours and near neighbours have been fantastic, lending tools, giving up their spare seedlings, and in our first year when we were clearing more than growing, giving up their spare produce. Loads of advice and friendly commiserations when we've had failures. One chap has sort of adopted us, and has given us loads of help, looking after the plot and watering etc when we've been on holiday. I call him my allotment god-father.
The plot directly next to us is very neglected, the guy who has it digs a small area once a year (coincidentally just before annual inspection 😉) and I'd like to take it over if he ever gives it up.
When my partner applied for an allotment I was very sceptical, and warned him about how much work it will entail, and when we took over our plot I honestly thought it would be a two-month fad that he'd get sick of and give up, but I've enjoyed the hard work so much, and love the peace, community and learning about gardening so much, that I've put my name down for my own plot! , ( I'm number 60 on the waiting list so will probably be too old to take it on when I get there eek.)
Dont push yourself for perfection, only do as much as you enjoy each visit, and try to establish a little and often approach, as consistency is more valuable than intense bursts of activity that knock you out.
There are some great allotment diaries to follow on Youtube as well, which show the joy and the occasional disappointments that gardening brings.
Good luck 🌳🌻🌱

@Liquoricethyme will do! I’ve had to buy a new clasp and padlock for the shed as the previous plot holder left the shed locked.

going down there tomorrow hopefully, I aim to get most of the shed cleared, and I will have to fit some poly thene to replace the missing window

I took my plot on a few years ago, and it was in a similar condition. I was also skint, and newly divorced.

I just took a spade and fork to it, slowly dug it over, dug the weeds out, and planted as I went.

Apart from seeds, my only investments were pelted chicken manure, netting for cabbages etc, some fleece for early crops, and some bamboo canes.

I stick to traditional stuff, like potatoes, onions, beans, carrots, peas, courgettes etc. No additional compost, I just have a couple of old fashioned compost heaps which work fine, and I have never used cardboard or black plastic.

It is definitely possible to do it on the cheap.

I’m really enjoying watching Emma’s allotment diaries on YouTube. She shows what can be done with some rubbish tools at the start and is very funny, well worth a watch.

Start a cardboard farm. Cover your plot. Dont dig it all over, its pointless

Buy bales of straw or hay, pile soil on top, water it in, wait then grow things in that. When it all rots and falls apart you have wonderful soil.
Also, ive had success just bopping seeds into pure clay before. It was all I could dig because of a neck injury, one little seed hole.

Look up green manure to cover your plots with when theyre bare, its a life saver.

She is fab!!

OP I’m sure these are others but these are all good groups

1 - you have to dig out bindweed/you also have to be careful of glyphosate in horse poo. No dig is no good if you have loads of perennial weeds, sorry.
6 - you cannot save your own corn seed unless you isolate, hand pollinate and reisolate over 100 plants. You can save from peas, tomatoes and beans - all good for a beginner but corn - no.

The rest of it, absolutely. Maybe the above got lost in translation.

I did say you have you dig out things like bindweed (?)! However the research say leave as many roots in the ground as you can. Eg after harvesting lettuce cut off at ground level and leave. Leave the roots in.

and you absolutely can grow corn from the kernel after you have harvested and dried them Google it @Shedmistress (!) I must admit I haven’t tried it as we don’t grow sweetcorn at our allotment as we have a badger and he likes corn(!) I have googled it and google says Yes!!

Even tomatoes and cucumbers just need a little work - shake the seeds in water in a jam jar loads of times and bake in oven.

We are newbies so I stand corrected if I’m talking rubbish but I have been 100% told to grow sweetcorn from the kernel.

My first year I did a no dig bed with potatoes, no dig is great if you have lots of manure and compost available. And not much else.

grow stuff you like to eat, our allotment allowed fruit bushes so we had a lot of blackcurrant, raspberries and gooseberries. They are low maintenance.

fresh peas are delicious but quite high maintenance as you need to keep picking, french beans are more forgiving.

I had one for 10 years that I’ve just given up. Honestly it was amazing for my health and sanity. But it just got too much once I moved to a house with a garden. I still miss the fresh new potatoes though.

It’s at least a 10 year waiting list near us - well done for getting one! People have been growing vegetables etc for longer than raised beds have been around! I’m sure the potatoes or whatever can slum it directly in the ground 😀

Oh op you’re going to love this once you’ve gotten over the fear!

Ive had one coming up a year and it’s doing wonders for my peri/adhd brain.

Youve had lots of advice, which is great but don’t get overwhelmed. Go down there with a cuppa today and sit and look for a while.

One job at a time😬

prioritise tidying and planning for now. Strim and cover. Pop a post on local Facebook, people might have bits going spare.

we found people in the site were very welcoming and gave us spare seedlings as they knew we were getting started😊

if there’s any bare soil, fork it to loosen the top and buy a packet of peas which can go in now. Easy to grow, will need something to climb up.

supermarket spuds that have rooted can go in now too, they loosen up the soil nicely once they have been harvested. Plant in a trench and then cover up the leaves as they appear.

I’ve picked up some spuds so I will chuck those in asap. Good idea on taking a cuppa, I’ve got a flask I’ll take down there, already a chair in the shed so I’ve got somewhere to sit. I’m going to clean out the shed today I think. It’s still got the previous occupants vibe in it, it’s very messy and there’s an ashtray and I’m sure there’s a portable toilet in the corner 😱 not looking forward to getting rid of that
im going to patch the shed up, there’s a few cracks and holes, stick some flooring down and paint inside and out, nice bright colour and make it mine

pps posters have mentioned Emma’s allotment Diary on YouTube. I watch her too. Shes brilliant. Bloody Fox!

I am trying sweetcorn from Real Seeds (run by someone who was on MN back in the day) and will be seed saving to see what happens.

https://realseeds.co.uk/sweetcorn.html

Am trying no dig on my potatoes as was left the contents of a compost bin so put down cardboard and spread compost and manure on top as some on site. New potatoes found in fridge have been out and chatting so will whack them in soon and will be earthing up with grass clippings, leaves and seaweed . I ran out of steam digging so this was a quick solution for this bed as had everything around.

That is the beauty of allotments, use what you can find and anything goes and you can do a lot for free or very little money. I have made a pond from a liner I had around as was going to have one in garden but a friend got free liner on FB for hers.

Logs and wood were around on plot. I swapped unwanted plants from home for pond plants, friends have kindly given me pond plants, bulbs and plants for edge plus hessian sacks which have gone over part of edge of pond and made pots for marginals. Treated myself to a dwarf water lily and a purple iris so spent an unnecessary £23 , the bug house came with plot. It is going through a green phase currently but will hopefully settle and I have been given more plants to go in.

Pallets are really handy. Had a missing bit of fence so I made a gate from one which was £2.59 as needed one hinge and a latch. Rest of gap filled in with a couple of wood posts I found and some bits of trellis which I broke down and reused. One of my beds is edged with the end of a bed that was left on the plot so chopped that in half and it made 2 ends and pallet wood did the other 2 ends.

Take your time, have faith that you can do it and don’t let it stress you out, it is supposed to be fun and Rome wasn’t built in a day. An hour here and another there and it all adds up. Take tea with you, tea drinking is an important part of it.

Just seen your post, Emma and the fox cracks me up 😀 Good idea to get the shed sorted. I am a sad individual and have crocheted flowers to decorate mine. My DC are older now and only one at home but when they were in their teens I loved my previous allotment as I could hide there with a cuppa and get some peace away from home.

Sounds like there are a few of us with newish allotments, got mine in November. Shall we start an allotment thread for this growing season?

For those worrying about waiting lists, I was told that the one for my field was 20 years. We got our first plot 6 months later. People go on the list then change their minds or move away.

Dont try to do it all in one go. Little and often. We have frequently seen people go hell for leather across a bank holiday weekend then not come back for a few weeks and find they have it all to do again. They soon get disheartened.

Do read the rules and check what you are allowed to do/grow/keep.

Mine is an allotment and smallholding society so we are allowed to grow pretty much anything including trees and flowers. We are even allowed to keep livestock. But I know other societies are more restrictive.

Enjoy it. Our allotment gives us a huge amount of pleasure. I wouldnt say it is an economy but is a hobby which largely pays for itself.

This. Charles Dowding is brilliant. He has lots of videos on his YouTube channel, and in fact he's just got a new book out called Growing Together or something similar.

You are almost certainly not going to get that whole plot sorted in a season, so don't even worry about that.

Im sure you will have help and advice from your neighbours, who will be delighted to see the plot being managed again - even by a beginner.

Allotment owner here. The whole point is that you do these plots on a shoestring. There should be a group chat so ask to be added to any farmer manure drops in September ( usually £20 ish for a tractor bucket ) which you spread and leave for the winter. Get a compost going - industrial units have pallets they’re usually happy for you to take for free and finally think about water collection via guttering on your shed into water butts or an ivc if you have any near you ( watch they’ve not been used for chemicals.) use this first season to tidy , plot your plots ( :-) ) and get you water and compost heaps growing. If you’re desperate for some produce this first season to give you motivation look at cut and come again kale, spinach , beet root, radish and see what’s already there. If the soil is hard potatoes break it up but you always turn up spuds where they’ve been planted for years to come.

comfrey makes organic tomato feed for absolutely nothing.

enjoy the fresh air and camaraderie

Would love a thread! I can stop boring people in real life then😂