redcharlie43 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hello everyone, I have at last got myself an allotment and am feeling slightly daunted. It's not the size of it. I know i Will be able to fill it but its in a real state. The previous owner hadn't done anything on it for a year and neither had the owner before that. (Not their faults as they were both very ill!). I have a shed of sorts which is just about water tight. If you ignore the gaping hole on one side and the fact the glass in the window has lost all its putty. There are lots of old bits of rotting wood and according to my allotment neighbour, a dog grave There is also a fetid water tank, mounds of rotting wood and a compost heap which seems to have created its own eco culture! I have started to clear it and got rid (please don't hate me ) of lots of overgrown fruit bushes. The soil is great under the weeds and I think a couple of days of serious work will clear it with a big bonfire at the end. However do I resist the urge to start planting right now and get the site cleared and infrastructure such as raised beds and friut cages (as well as new edging fencing) up or just plunge in and get a bit of the earth dug up and ready for planting? I would really appreciate your advice and experience. At least I will have some fab compost from my lovely hens. I have just ordered a fab compost bin and am very excited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Congratulations, how exciting! I'd be inclined to do a bit of both - if clearing it and getting the structural bits set up is going to take quite a while (it sounds like it) then there's a risk that you'll run out of time to plant things. Could you clear one end and put a couple of beds in to start off some early stuff, and then do the rest of the clearance through the year, so you can at least get on with growing a few things? Potatoes are very good for clearing up rough ground, you could just bung in a few rows without a raised bed, at least that area will be clearer and then you can go back and finish it off later. Also, as you work on it, you might make different decisions about where to put things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggasperated Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 It's quite a difficult one - all the garden books advise getting all the infrastructure put in first, but unless you are incredibly organised you could find, as Olly said, that you could change your mind about where is best for things. You also risk losing a whole years vegetable planting as most things will want to be on the go pretty soon, and you need to decide if you want to do that. A good compromise would be Ollys idea of planting potatoes and then taking it from there. Well done for getting the allotment, it will be well worth all the hard work . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 we got our virgin allotment last year, but as it was the edge of a field there was a lot of digging and clearing to do, and a rabbit proof fence to put up. Unfortunately i got ill last year and it went to pot. So this year i am starting again. There are 4 beds in ours, so I have decided to prep and plant one at a time, to give me an incentive to do the next one by seeing thing growing in the first. THe only things i have up there is a water butt. Although I think a bench is the next important thing for me! In time maybe a shed, but its really easy to shove things in the back of the car and drive down, its not in walking distance. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 you do need to get a crop out of the plot as a reward for your hard work otherwise you will get dishartened by all the work with nothing to so for it. for this season I'd tell a new plot holder on our site to just get the basics do dig a small area and get a crop planted in it as and when the weather is right and don't try to get it all done in one go a couple of hours a day over 2 or 3 weekends is a loy better than 6 or 7 hours on one Saturday on a plot that hasn't been worked properly for 2 or 3 years I know I've been there 6 years down the road I've still got more top soil in the bank than on my plot the last 2 plot holder that had my plot before me had the idea that it was easier to scalp the plot to remove the weeds than to dig them up and shake the soil off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 We had the same when we had our allotment last year. We started a bed at a time, once we had a bed ready, we planted. A wise old allotmenteer told us which beds to start first, and we followed his tips. We have a very very stony plot, but by listening to his advise we even managed some parsnips last year It's taken nearly a year, but we now have about 80% of our plot in a workable state (we had prob about 40% for growing last year), but eating what we did grow motivated us to keep working on the plot. The last 20% is going to be hard work as the ground is very uneven, but we will get there We now have a greenhouse and a shed too So, I agree with others, do a bit, then plant, as this will motivate you to keep going. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcharlie43 Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Thanks everyone for the advice. I appreciate it. I think I will clear a bit of ground and plant some potatoes. I have started to clear the plot from the shed down. I have dug out all the compost and removed lots of carpet which has weeds growing through it! Unfortunately it appears the whole plot is infested with bindweed so it will have to be hand dug which will be slow going. But still looking forward to the challange and once I have renewed the boundry fencing next week and replaced the compost bin, I will start to dig a bed for potatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I sympathise with you - we have a plot which is infested with bindweed and we're still hand weeding it after 6 years. I start off well but by the end of the growing season I'd cheerfully throw every chemical I could find at it!! I haven't succumbed ......yet!! Good luck with it - as long as you keep on top of the bindweed you should get a good crop of potatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 With bindweed, you just have to be persistent, we have got on top of most of it now apart from in the asparagus bed. I would suggest clearing an area and getting some shallots and broadbeans planted, then at least something will be growing, and maybe something speedy like radishes, for a quick reward. Very soon you will be able to plant quick growing crops like spinach too, which always grows best in the spring before the weather warms up too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
