Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Equipment Shed => Topic started by: meriad on August 10, 2017, 12:23

Title: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: meriad on August 10, 2017, 12:23
I am now the proud owner of a 1/2 allotment. Unfortunately though the allotment rules don't allow sheds so I won't have anywhere to store tools which is a pity as I have quite a few things double at home - but alas...  so to make things a bit easier (as I'm hoping to cycle to the allotment on the weekends) I was thinking of buying from the Wolf Garden range (http://www.worldofwolf.co.uk/soil/soil) at the bits are small enough to put into a basket on the bike or keep in a crate in the car.

Has anyone here used them before and are they good and solid enough for an allotment.   

Then 2nd question would be - what tools would you say are the ones you use most.  For the bit of gardening I do now at home my dutch hoe is the one I wouldn't want to be without, but I've never done larger scale vegetable growing and know that I'll just end up buying things I won't need.

thanks!
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: 8doubles on August 10, 2017, 15:38
I would not go for any interchangeable system, too much time wasted changing stuff about .
Bare essential big stuff
Digging fork
Hoe or swoe
Decent width rake

Plus
Hand fork and trowel
Line for planting seeds to.
Dibber
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: 8doubles on August 10, 2017, 15:41
Perhaps an extra plastic Dalek compost bin you can leave a few tools in ?
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: snowdrops on August 10, 2017, 16:55
I would not go for any interchangeable system, too much time wasted changing stuff about .
Bare essential big stuff
Digging fork
Hoe or swoe
Decent width rake

Plus
Hand fork and trowel
Line for planting seeds to.
Dibber

Yep I'd go with that,although I prefer a border fork. Would you be allowed a small storage chest?
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: meriad on August 10, 2017, 17:03
Yep I'd go with that,although I prefer a border fork. Would you be allowed a small storage chest?
Thanks for that.  Sadly no to the storage chest either.  All I'm allowed is a cold frame no more than 2ft high.  I'm going to have my first proper look over this weekend and will then see what others have done.  I know there are loads of tall fruit cages so I may be able to get away with something.

Loving the idea of the dalek compost aka storage  :lol:  that may well work

Fork, hoe and rake are all things I have in duplicate at home so it would save time and money not having to buy more and it would be handy to keep those 'larger' things on the plot

The dibber and hand fork and line / cane are easily taken on the bike.

Roll on Saturday :-)
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: Yorkie on August 10, 2017, 18:43
Don't leave anything on the plot you couldn't afford to replace or wouldn't want to lose ... just a tip!
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: Growster... on August 10, 2017, 19:34
Seriously, any chance of an old golf bag to carry the tools in on your bike?

When Mrs Growster was at PE College, she'd carry her lacrosse and hockey sticks and tennis rackets in a specially made bit of kit just for that purpose! I think it fitted to the front wheel and handlebars!

An old boy who actually had the patch we now have, used to just leave his tools in a plastic bag on the plot!

Probably not a good idea these days, sadly...
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: meriad on August 11, 2017, 09:25
hmm Growster, that's definitely something to think about. 

Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: Fairy Plotmother on August 11, 2017, 10:28
You could use a dalek bin to keep your tools in!
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: Stewarty on August 11, 2017, 12:27
I've become a fan of the Wolf Garten system, though they are expensive. I was lucky enough to bag an assortment of the fittings that you click on to the end of the shaft, cheapy on ebay a year or two ago, so just had to buy the shaft new.
I think they are robust enough for allotment use. My favourite head is the one I think they call the Soil Miller  -  a rotating spiked wheel with an underslung hoe.  Looks as if it wouldn't really work, to my non-engineer's eye, and looks as if it ought to be fragile  -   but I find it does a tremendous job of breaking up a weedy patch and leaving a fine tilth to plant or sow into, and feels stong and durable in use.
The one I couldn't get to work is their rotating seed sower and spacer.
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: Fairy Plotmother on August 11, 2017, 13:00
You could use a dalek bin to keep your tools in!
Sorry just noticed8doubles very sensible idea.🙄🤣🤣
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: Etheldreda on August 11, 2017, 15:00
what about digging a storage chest into the ground so its not visable?
Title: Re: Tools for my new allotment
Post by: meriad on August 14, 2017, 10:44
thanks all again for the advice etc...  well I went and had another good look yesterday to see what other people have and it seems that there are quite a few storage boxes around.  It also appears that there is an old rectangular black waterbutt at the end of my allotment, albeit with a wonky lid).   But not reason why I can't modify that and use it for storage vs water, it'll easily be big enough for a watering can and a few bits and bobs..  There also is a dalek type composter there as well as two wheelie bins, but not sure if they are from the previous owner of my plot or belong to the neighbours.

Stewarty, thanks also for the feedback re the Wolf system; I still am quite tempted by it and may well invest in one or two of the more basic thing (must say the soil miller looks quite scary :D) and see how I get on.  The soil on the allotment is very sandy (the whole area where I live is) so will be easy to work with and the system should be more than fine with it.  To start, I'll use what I have

Thanks again everyone!