Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Welcome => Welcome to the Forums => Topic started by: Nick-Bris on January 08, 2019, 21:54
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Hello all
Took over my first and overgrown allotment a few months ago (15ftx50ft).
Starting to get a grip of it and making plans for this year.
Been a difficult few months what with the weather and heavy clay soil.
I’ve cleared half the plot of weeds; dug over about a quarter and covered all the plot with a black membrane to suppress the weeds.
Today I installed a base for a shed. I probably will go for a 7x5 or 6x4. Yet to decide on where to buy. Don’t really want to spend too much money, though judging by reviews the cheap ones from diy stores I shouldn’t expect too much.
I’ve also got a 4x2m polytunnel to unpack and put up. Again cheap and cheerful so not expecting it to last long without serious reinforcement and battening down against the wind.
Any advice about the cheaper end of sheds (other than don’t buy one! :nowink:) appreciated.
Exciting times and looking forward to the year ahead.
Thanks
PS the photo attached is the overgrown plot full over mature weeds and dock plants :D
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Welcome to the forum...This link may be of help, I was going to use them until I got a good deal locally Substandard Range Apex Shed by Pinelap Sheds | Bradford - Pinelap (http://pinelap.co.uk/product/substandard-range-apex/)
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Hi and welcome :)
At least if the weeds are growing lushly you know you have half decent soil ;)
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Welcome.
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Thanks everyone.
I managed to put up my polytunnel frame this afternoon - apart from one joint that I will need to drill a new hole in due to misalignment. Took me two and a half hours to do all by myself. I would have done it in about 45 minutes if I had waited for the weekend and my partner for her to hold the frame, but I was too keen to wait.
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Welcome to the forum.
Sounds like you're making great progress!
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Welcome to a fellow newbie
Have you tried gumtree maybe a second hand cheap of freebie going. You never know!
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Hello and welcome. Sounds as though you are making good progress at your new plot
Please, please trench in the cover of your new polytunnel, or sadly it could easily turn into a parachute. Weighing down the edges with slabs or bricks is never enough round here, and I have seent o mnay endeavours end in lost/damaged covers
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Hello and welcome. Sounds as though you are making good progress at your new plot
Please, please trench in the cover of your new polytunnel, or sadly it could easily turn into a parachute. Weighing down the edges with slabs or bricks is never enough round here, and I have seent o mnay endeavours end in lost/damaged covers
Hi Sunshineband.
Went to the allotment this afternoon to check on the shed (all fine and no leaks) and the polytunnel. Alas despite my best endeavours it was a wreck. The high winds over the last two days of 40-50 mph had ripped the cover off three sides. The base poles had held fast with the 8 trampoline screw fixings but despite me burying and weighing the cover it had obviously worked long loose. The frame has sheared off in two places. The cover seems salvageable with some taping. I might try fixing the snapped frame and making more robust by covering with metal plate screwing everything in place (haven’t thought exactly how as it’s snapped below a T junction) and perhaps sink the polytunnel further into the ground to enable more of the cover to be buried. A set back, but with dry weather next week I will see how I get on before buying a more robust polytunnel. Has anyone bought one from Mr Fothergills? The pictures look more robust than the Superworth I bought.
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Welcome to a fellow newbie
Have you tried gumtree maybe a second hand cheap of freebie going. You never know!
Hi Twood
There were some sheds available on gumtree to dismantle either for nothing or for less than £100. They didn’t look in great shape and I only have an ordinary car so wouldn’t have been able to transport. In the end I bought a new one 7x5ft for £230 including delivery to the allotment. It’s not great, but I put it together by myself in about 9 hours. There were some gaps due to warped or misaligned cutting by the manufacturer, but I filled those with expanding foam then cut the excess off with a Stanley knife two days later. It was dry inside when I checked this afternoon despite all the wind and rain. . Photo attached. The plastic window will need some beading reinforcement both inside and out.
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Looks great well done
good luck with the poly tunnel
Setbacks just make us want it more! :lol:
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Looks great well done
good luck with the poly tunnel
Setbacks just make us want it more! :lol:
Thanks Twood. I’ve resurrected the polytunnel and repaired and reinforced. Hopefully it will last the summer. 👍
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hello welcome your poly tunnel cover needs to be good and tight when I helped put them up at college we dug a trench 12inch deep a spades width then placed the hoops in position not fastening them at the joints then we put hot spot tape on the metal hoops it stops the cover wrinkling the cover went on then the trench filled in then the cover was tightened by jacking each hoop up then locking the joints we had one twit went the wrong way round a poly tunnel with a Howard Gem rotovator the exhaust left its mark a nice wrinkled strip 3feet up I'm still reminded about it jezza
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hello welcome your poly tunnel cover needs to be good and tight when I helped put them up at college we dug a trench 12inch deep a spades width then placed the hoops in position not fastening them at the joints then we put hot spot tape on the metal hoops it stops the cover wrinkling the cover went on then the trench filled in then the cover was tightened by jacking each hoop up then locking the joints we had one twit went the wrong way round a poly tunnel with a Howard Gem rotovator the exhaust left its mark a nice wrinkled strip 3feet up I'm still reminded about it jezza
Thanks Jezza. I will bear this in mind when I replace the polytunnel. No doubt in a years time if hopefully it holds together during the summer 👍