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sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 18 10:06 am Post subject: Exciting news
Well for me it is. I've finally got myself an allotment. Never had one before and I'm very excited. Top tips from you knowledgeable people are very warmly welcomed.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 18 11:14 am Post subject:
Try not to curse the person who had it before you too much.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46192
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 18 2:13 pm Post subject:

get a big plastic drum with a lid for making mixture, apart from the stunning plant food it is ideal for "composting"stuff that would be bad in a heap, weed seeds/roots, dead rats and random bits of zoo jigsaw from the bottom of the freezer can all go in and it also converts chicken muck/ BFB into much more plant friendly forms

put it as far from where you or your neighbours sit as you can and make sure the lid fits

iirc the ds archives have some ace new allotment threads

find a source of manure/ critter bedding, even fresh which is easier to get free is very useful, heap fresh /activate with mixture/wait a bit/plant pumpkins cucumbers etc . after that it is ready for use on the soil.
you cannot have too much manure, compost and mixture.

smother can work as well as dig for weeds ,smother with manure is good

bit of a manure theme but the main problem with a lot of allotments is soil condition.

wombled windows etc are ace for cold frames, a roll of 1000gm polythene is ace for cloches, tunnels, solarisation, compost heap covers etc etc

mattock, fork, spade, kukri/machete/big gp knife to taste, pocket knife, hose pipe or other means of big watering, watering can (mixture etc ), trowel, dibber, hoe.
those tools cover most things, a wheel barrow is handy but there is often a few site ones.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46192
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 18 2:15 pm Post subject:
ps string rope sticks etc etc etc are handy, womble owt that looks useful.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8895
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 18 4:53 pm Post subject:

Slim wrote:

Try not to curse the person who had it before you too much.

Very good advice...especially if they end up back with another plot on the same site!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15950

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 7:02 am Post subject:
Great news. All the best with it. Sorry, no advice as I have never had an allotment. We looked after an old lady's large garden in our first house and have a large enough garden for growing veg here.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 10:01 am Post subject:
Thanks all. DPack thank for you all that advice. All noted and will be used.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8895
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 10:03 am Post subject:
little by little...how near to home is your allotment and do you have a shed?

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 12:29 pm Post subject:
It's not far at all GZ, about a 10 minute walk. There is nothing there at the moment, it's a blank canvas. I will invest in a small shed though and probably put in some raised beds.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8895
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 12:43 pm Post subject:
Ten minutes is good..a warmup pre-digging

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 1:05 pm Post subject:
Proximity is fantastic. Time for a bike trailer to haul home your harvests?

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 2:14 pm Post subject:
Never thought of that GZ. That is a good idea Slim. I think I'll look into that.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 2:41 pm Post subject:

You will need some strong wire if you are going to make the supporting hoops and holding down hoops for your cloches. The cloche is important if you want early, early potatoes. Cloches keep the frost off and increase the temperature by day, although I used to give the potatoes an airing every day and even if no frost promised at night I always covered them when I went to bed. I forgot once and was down the garden in my pjs at midnight. Best of luck you have all the gardeners here to advise, I am still learning after gardening for a few years. It is always a good plan to mark your beds out and have them protected with a few perimeter boards and gives clear areas for your rotation. Also try to make a cage to cover at least one of your beds and preferably two, to keep the birds off where you don't want them-in the raspberries for example. Any way have fun. A bicycle with a mini trailer will bring the produce home, good extra exercise, but keep the arms fitter for the digging.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 2:46 pm Post subject:

Sorry, I have just read Slim's post regarding the bike. Guess I should have read them all first! A shed is critical; tools develop feet, legs and a mind of their own if not locked away when not in use.
Something else I thought of is to grow spuds in old tyres. If you are short of space then you can use tyres up to about 5 high-4 was my limit I think, due to a short growing season. I will tell you how if you feel the need. But they are a good cleaning crop, but it is you who does the cleaning with inter-row cultivations.

Last edited by gregotyn on Tue Mar 20, 18 2:56 pm; edited 1 time in total

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 18 2:48 pm Post subject:

gregotyn wrote:

Sorry, I have just read Slim's post regarding the bike. Guess I should have read them all first!

I won't complain about you agreeing with me

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