[double-happiness]

Hey folks
I have just taken on an allotment in Galashiels (Scottish Borders).

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and not really sure how to proceed... I have spent the last few days clearing rubbish off the site (of which there was an awful lot) and demolishing the shed (which was rotten and falling apart). So far so good, but I'm not really sure what I should be thinking about doing next... The whole plot (it's quite big) is grassed over as it hasn't been cultivated for at least a year. I think parts of it haven't been cultivated for longer than that.

I know I want to do beds, I don't like the way all the other allotment holders have dug the whole site, I want beds with paths inbetween.

I want to do a real variety, a lot of tender stuff like Spinach, Rocket, nice lettuce like Lollo Rosso and Frisee, Corn, Cilantro, Spring Onions, Leeks, Courgettes, Garlic, Asparagus, and when I get a greenhouse sorted I want to have a go at Capsicums and maybe even Aubergines... My mainstays when I had an allotment before were tatties, Carrots and Onions. I have a pack of Green Manure seed and would be happy to plant that to dig in and enrich the soil.

I guess I am going to miss the boat for this year? It doesn't help I have no shed and most of my tools are at my mum's at the moment. I don't drive so everything has to be moved to and from the plot on foot (though it's not far). NB there is a Rotavator on the site but it will need serviced, I don't think it is working. I suppose I should just start marking beds out and get digging? 

[Goosegirl]

There have been similar topics to yours recently and advice is to mark out your beds, paths etc, then cover what you can't manage now, then skim off the surface grass and DIG-DIG-DOUBLE DIG...! There's plenty of time to sow stuff that you can harvest this year like seed pots, peas and beans, autumn brassicas and sweetcorn and you can buy toms, leeks, onions and other veg you might like. At least you will have something to harvest that will keep you going whilst you tackle the rest. 

[Cazzy]

I remember that overwhelming feeling like it was yesterday......... it still rises up every now n then and its been two years 

I was determined that I had to get crops that first year, I just knew if I didn't I would probably have given up.  So we just dug out the brambles best we could and skimmed off the top few inches of grass/weeds and planted everything far enough apart that I could hoe the weeds as they grew back.

Very little digging was done, people all commented on how great the plot looked but it was superficial and got us through the first growing season until we would get it done right.

[noshed]

Have a look at this: http://www.allotment-garden.org/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php and the one about planning your plot.
I started as GG says and marked out the plot with string and pegs. This made it much easier and manageable because you could just dig one bed at a time. I've got 4' wide beds with narrow paths between - each bed is about 20' long but shorter than that makes it shorter to walk around but more space lost to paths.
I use black fabric weed suppressant for some paths and straw for others.
If it's just mainly grass I'd strip the clods off and stack them somewhere - decide where you're going to put the compost heap.
There's plenty of time to get stuff planted - especially in northern climes - so don't worry. Enjoy it!

[Trillium]

If you need a bit of inspiration, here's a current thread:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=53785.0

[alibean]

It's taken me 6 years to get to where I want to be so panic not!     Aim to dig a quarter this year, really well, and fill it full of spuds to break up the ground - You'll have a month to do this and get good results. 
 
If you can dig a bit more (another quarter)  fill it with as much s*** as possible and get some quite closely planted courgettes  /squashes / pumpkins going (they'll also surpress weed regrowth), maybe a couple of wigwam teepee stylee runner beans.

When then spuds come out in July you can squeeze in a few quick growing lettuces and radishes, and then that bit will be ready for some overwintering garlics / shallots / onions and broad beans in November.

Basically if you split your plot into 4 big beds you can keep one for perennials (rhubarb, asparagus, herbs, jerusalem artichokes, fruit) and then rotate the other three.

Good luck!

[fatbelly]

When I got my plot it too was overgrown and the Couch grass roots were like a iron sheet under the soil.

But I dug and I dug and I dug and now three years later all is well.

It took me 12 months to get it where I wanted to be.

Keep digging bit by bit nice and slowly, don't over do it because you could end up with a bad back or just plain exhausted.

Digging and pulling the weeds out as you really is the best way to clear the plot.

[rowlandwells]

there's many useful tips for you to get cracking on with. one of the main things i think is essential to ant gardener is knowing the  ground your working that's too say is it light or heavy ground have you done a soil test from what your saying  its been left to grow back to nature once you've cleared the plot it will give you more of an idea whats needed. when i took on my second plot i cleared the plot stacked all the grass to compost and got shot of all the rubbish then dug it over well put half in spuds so i could spend more time cleaning the other half as the spuds gown up i forked  between the rows before ridging the spuds up and the following year i manured the spud plot and set spuds on the other half its now clean i have seen so many people take on an allotment with all the best intentions and then it gets a chore and its abandoned remember there some very experienced gardeners on this site so don't be afraid to ask just persevere and your hard work will be rewarded when you pick your own veg  

[Shedenvy]

I took on a plot last year which was waist high in weeds  and grass I knew I wouldnt be able to clear it all in one go so to stop myself loosing hope I strimmed the bottom half and then kept it mowed so that it returned to rough grass the rest I covered in carpet that I scrounged and then I started to dig beds out uncovering as I went Like you i wanted beds with paths in between to make it more managble, 4' wide so you can reach from both sides and 13' long as this is the length of a scaffold board  these I brought second hand at £3 per plank to edge the beds this year Im starting on the bottom half and Im chuffed to bits that its all coming along so take it slowly and youll get there just do it in bite size pieces

[noshed]

Good advice. I'll get some pics of mine up soon and maybe others could as well - a good resource for people starting out.

[Cazzy]

Good advice. I'll get some pics of mine up soon and maybe others could as well - a good resource for people starting out.

This is part of my plot a few months after I got it..

[noshed]

That looks great

[HugglescoteGrower]

if your plot is thickly grassed it could work in your favour, to a certain extent at least. You may want to consider hiring a turf cutter, lay out your planned beds, strip them off, stack the sods face down to rot, cover the beds you can't use striaght away, and start digging those you will use, removing the weeds as you go. Mow off the areas left as paths and your on your way. Your plot will be laid out, your paths in place plus you'll have a good compost heap started. If you have perennial weeds on the plot, cover the compost heap with black plastic and leave it for a good twelve months, better still two years to make sure all the perennial roots are killed.

The remark about not attempting too much is very good, perhaps the best piece of advice you can get. I took on my plot last may, which was meadow with a healthy crop of bramble, nettle, dock, bindweed and couch grass. Sadly the site was ploughed before we took over. All that did was to turn all those nasties into the soil and make clearing it much, much harder.

Two of the people who took plots at the same time as me tried to clear the whole lot straight away, but decided it was too much for them and gave up.

On the other hand my plot looked like I had given up. I visited once a week, maybe only once a fortnight and did a bit of strimming, and weedkiller once a month, planted some runner beans and other bits and pieces which grew through the resurgent weeds.

I still managed to get a good crop of runner beans, a few peas and the odd cabbage, but decided to forgo winter crops in order to cover the whole plot. That is paying dividends now, though it will be a few years before I have the allotment how I want it, I am at least ready to grow everything I want to in my first full year.

OK, a fair chunk is being given over to potatoes, plus my brassicas, peas and beans are all being sown into peat pots and will planted on through weed membrane. Whats not being used will stay covered, gradually this policy will hopefully starve the weeds, though I doubt I will ever beat them completely.

What I am finding is each time I go down and do a bit, it gets easier. As an office worker not used to much hard work it was a real effort to begin with, but as I get more used to it, so it gets easier - and therefore more enjoyable.

[tontom]

Don't get too despondent Hugglescote we all had to start from a jungle of brambles and umpteen types of weeds and grasses . I aquired my plot a year and a half ago and last year i grew so much stuff it was unbelieveable and hopefully this will be the same . It has taken a lot of hard graft but it's worth it in the end to reap the dividends , and most important DONT GIVE UP!

[tontom]

sorry!the reply is for Double Happiness