Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Cleo on September 24, 2008, 12:49
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My lotty is 25 ish x 120 ft !!!
We are in the process of handover with the previous occupant, a lovely man who has gardened for decades.
There isn't too much weed cover and some of the ground is weeded and covered with plastic sheeting.
Where would you start....I am like a child with a new toy that has come without instructions.....all new and shiny and a bit bewildering.
I have gardened for many years but I'm a bit overwhelmed by the lotty
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At one end! :D
start slowly, leave the covered areas covered until your ready for them, decide what you want to grow and how much before starting. :D
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I was waiting for the "start at the begining" :lol:
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Spot on :D
Don't worry. It's not going anywhere so you can take your time and enjoy it :D
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Sounds as if you have taken over a good plot,you lucky thing :roll:
When I started last year it was in need of a complete dig and it seemed an awfull long way
Mind over matter worked Linford Christie could run it in4 seconds so I could dig it in 4 weeks.
No logic I know but it helped :tongue2:
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get a rotavator.
Ive dug more ground in 6 hours with a rotavator then ive dug by hand in 3 months.
My £50 cobbled together rotavator has paid for itself in time already.
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If it's been previously cultivated I wouldn't worry too much about rotavating. Plan out the plot - decide where all the fixed things will go (shed, compost heap etc) then divide the rest into beds.
This can be quite rough - no need for edging, it's only an allotment. You can use weed suppressant membrane for the paths, or straw, or nothing. If you have the beds about 4' wide you'll be able to reach across them. Then it will all be easier to manage because you only need to deal with one bed at a time.
I'm just gradually going round weeding my beds roughly and then mulching them with compost and rotted manure. I'll leave them to fester over the winter.
If you want to plant something, Japanese onions are OK now. I've also sown some rocket and winter lettuce in a small bed.
Autumn is a good time to plant rasberries etc if you fancy them.
This is just what I'm doing - most of my neighbours favour the prairie approach - clear virtually the whole plot and use boards to stand on to plant/sow things. This is fine but I would find it a bit daunting.
Good luck anyway. We like to look at pictures by the way.
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I agree with that Noshed. I hate the prairie approach. I think it's that which puts everyone off. By the time they've done they're knackered or on traction :D
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Thanks guys,
Momentary panic over. I'll get my broad beans in ( aquadulce claudia )
and I'm sure inspiration will strike. :lol:
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Just right - learn as you go, and there's always next year.