Oh my!

Well I need a new hobby don't I ? I sit around with so much time on my hands, so what I need is this

It might look like a sea of weeds to you but to me it is the result of patient months on the waiting list - my new allotment!  

Whilst dreaming of tasty fruit and veg to come I am rather daunted by the state of the plot. I'm not sure how I'll get it from waist high weeds and nettles to a productive plot, raspberries, strawberries, peas and potatoes, a patch for herbs, flowers for cutting...I have lots of plans but need a fairy godmother to wave her wand and banish the weeds for me!

My thoughts so far are -

Don't cry!

Cover it with carpet so the weeds don't get any worse and new ones are smothered.

Just try to get a small area cultivated at once- weed a small patch and get it planted so I feel I'm making progress.

Find a no dig method of vegetable cultivation so once it's clear I don't have to keep digging.

On the plus side it is right next to the tap so easy for watering,there are some black and red currant bushes  and I thought it would be next season before I got to the top of the list so can make some sort of start this year, there are lots of friendly people on the site who will be great for advice..... speaking of which if anyone has any tips for a new allotment holder I'd love to hear them.

Guess what I'll be doing this weekend...........!

Comments

[Lucy Locket-Pocket]

Oh wow! What fun! We took on our allotment two years ago and it looked like this:
http://lucylocketrecycledherpocket.blogspot.com/2007/04/first-photos.html but it is amazing how quickly we got on top of it with a petrol strimmer/brushcutter. The best thing to do once you have cut down the weeds is to clear one space, dig it, then get some plants in straight away so you have something to show for your hard work - courgettes are ideal because they are so productive!

Good luck!!! Lucy x

[Camilla]

Oh good luck! I had an allotment for a year, started out in the same condition as yours, never got a whole lot better! But...I lacked transport, became ill and had to do it all on my own- so I try not to beat myself up about having to give it up too much. I'm so sad that I don't have it anymore, but I just had to accept that it wasn't the right time for me and allotments to be together. Sometime in the future, with a partner in crime perhaps, i'll start one again.
here's some photos from mine:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crunchcandy/sets/72157594271746150/

There's some from my friend's allotment in this set too.

[kim]

Congrats on your allotment, that's going to keep you very busy and happy! It really reminds me of the allotment we had, I think you've mentioned all the things we did, covering areas with carpet and working on clearing one bed at a time - oh and making sure there was chocolate at hand at all times! Enjoy
Kimx

[julia]

Having only managed to produce 3 courgettes in my garden this year I don't really feel qualified to help.
Good luck, it seems that people get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment from their allotments. I would like one maybe sometime in the future but I'm a realist (and actually bone idle) so for now I'll just enjoy what little amount I can produce at home.
Julia x

[Gill]

I'm hoping I might pick up some tips from you, I'm thinking about starting an allotment this year too. There's a waiting list of 70 in my town but luckily enough I work in a school with a perfect patch of land to start an allotment. A few workmates are interested too but at the moment we don't know where to start, just need to get in and start digging!
Good luck, I'll be watching with interest!
Gill

[trashalou]

Having spent so many years listening to Gardener's Question Time I believe the best no-dig method is frost! Do you really feel you can wait that long?

Looking forward to seeing how it all gets on.

[jessica daisy]

congratulations!
My advice would be for an area that big hire yourself a petrol strimmer (electric just won't do) and then a rotavator from your local plant hire shop (hhs?)
We hired a petrol strimmer to clear our area, but I only had couple of beds to dig, so I did that by hand. strimmer should be about £25-£30 for the day and rotavator £50 for the day, a bit expensive, but worth missing out on the back breaking work!
With the rotavator you can dig over all the beds, in one day, and cover them with black polythene or carpet to suppress the weeds until your ready to start using them.
Although I'm a novice and only started mine in june, I would recommend rocket, radishes and some cut and come again salad, they are all supper quick to germinate and will be ready for harvesting in about a month. I sowed Rocket 'Apollo' from thompson and morgan and had seedlings in two days!

[janet clare]

Congrats!
We've got an allotment, we've had it 2 years and it is still nowhere near clear, BUT we have had lots of veg out of it.
We've gone for raised beds, clear the ground, shove a raised bed on top of it and bingo you have a lovely defined patch to tend. Also potatoes will break the soil up for you.

[Steph]

Don't despair, it looks just like my back garden! I lost a dog in it the other day. If you can get a hungry horse round to it, it will do the job in no time. I am thinking of taking mine from his field to my house for the weekend...

[Suffolk Maiden]

Eeeeek! Nettle soup?

[Nicola]

Nettles make a great organic fertalizer. Just cut them down put in a big container of water and let them rot. The liquid you get from them is so full of nutriants it would be a great feed for your currant bushes. Just don't get it on you as it really stinks and the smell can linger for days. You can also use it to get rid of aphids, by spraying it on plants, they probably leave because they can't stand the smell of it either.

[Sal]

I would love an allotment. Although we do have a big enough garden to dig our own veg patch,the idea of an allotment appeals to me. I passed a large area of allotments when I was on the train outside Exeter yesterday and I gazed in awe and wonder!
My grandad had an allotment and worked wonders with it.
I hope you do the same ;-)

[ClaireP]

WOW! I'm so jealous that you've got an allotment! We're planning on moving next year so I'm not allowed one til then :(

Good luck with it! Gardening is a great source of exercise - i'm off to tackle our giant hedge now! tata! xx

[littlest-sis]

He he! Your allotment looks a bit like my garden! I'm sure that's how your first allotment started out. Just do a bit at a time!! x

[periwinkle]

congratulations on getting your allotment, it makes you wonder why you didnt get it sooner as its obviously been empty for a while. Looking forward to see its progress
lisa x

[Helen]

Oh my indeed! Looks like you have a busy Summer ahead! How lovely to have your own allotment though - I'm sure it will be incredibly satisfying to grow your own.

[Cathy]

Good for you! Welcome to the club!! It sounds like you have it all planned already. It looks very much like my old one did when I took it on, but it didn't take long to get stuff growing. My advice would be to plan paths, get as many old scaffolding boards or old pallets as you can to edge your beds (and keep out the couch grass). Unfortunately to start with there is no choice but to dig. My other advice would be to avoid using a rotavator as you just get double the weeds. Good luck, and enjoy!
Cathy XX

[Vicki]

Wow. Starting a garden is a bit daunting, isn't it? I just posted about my tiny garden today. Unfortunately I read that currants should be pruned, but apparently not. I stunted their growth. I can just see the jewel colored currant jelly in crystal clear jars, posted on your blog in a few weeks. Good luck!

[Angelinaa]

I'm so excited for you!! You can totally do it. I think your plan is quite good. Clearing at least a small space to give you some immediate gratification will help motivate you to deal with the rest of it. Get the family (and friends?) to help you with the lure of a great bbq with booze after a couple of hours of hard work.

What a great new adventure!

[ginny]

well done you... allotments are so hard to get nowadays and you have one ... so pleased for you. I am sure it is easy to feel overwhelmed at the moment but your plan of just taking a small section at a time sounds good and i suggest reading as many veg and fruit growing books as poss so you can really plan what you would love to grow next year. I am sure the kids will love helping you too. As a starting point what about getting all the family to write down 3 favourite foods each that they would love to grow and then go from there with your planning? good luck and have fun.
love ginny x
ps. thank you for your lovely message x
ginny x