[thewoodleymartins]

haha thankyou both Really nice place here i can tell already

Pleased i decided to dig it over but seeing the other plots all sorted in a day had me a bit disheartened!! Like you say though... Little and often!! If i can grow on a quarter of my plot at least this year I will be happy

Sunshine I see you are in Reading ? Thats where I am!!! Im in Woodley so having the same conditions as you at the moment!! Where is your plot ?

Hello Dan,
I am a newbie to this allotment lark too, and got my allotment in Woodley just before Christmas.....  I take it yours is one of the new ones that have just been issued on the Reading Road site.....??  We might be 'plot' neighbours !!   I too resisted the temptation to have the whole plot rotivated (unlike my immediate neighbour who's never been seen) and I am half way through double digging my second bed.....  Can't say that I've spotted any large white grubs yet though !!
All the best,
IanM

[Yorkie]

Can't say that I've spotted any large white grubs yet though !!
All the best,
IanM

That's cos they're all on Dan's plot, of course 

Welcome to the site btw IanM 

[sunshineband]

haha thankyou both Really nice place here i can tell already

Sunshine I see you are in Reading ? Thats where I am!!! Im in Woodley so having the same conditions as you at the moment!! Where is your plot ?

I have a plot at school where I work.. off the Bath Road on the way to Sava/Junction 12.
Good to have some more from round here on the forum. There must be at least five or six of us now 

[Dan78]

Hi Ian,

Yes!! I also have one of the new plots on the Reading road allotment as well! Small world! I must admit I was pretty surprised how quickly i got the plot.. Although looking on google earth there is A LOT of space for growing

Not sure you are my neighbour though as im on the end and my immediate neighbour has only dug a couple of small holes... i presume for soil testing! The plot next to that only has a small dug up patch that actually looks like a grave!! All the others are rotivated near to mine!

Ive got no access to water as of yet so may need a water butt. I think they plan to cut some more brambles down though so may be easier next year!

Hopefully might see you sometime!

[thewoodleymartins]

Hi Dan,
What row are you in? We're in row M, on the far side of the main 'road' that runs down to the bottom of the allotments. I think I have spotted the plot doing the 'soil testing', two small squares stripped of turf to about 2 inches deep....??  Strange....
Cheers,
IanM

[thewoodleymartins]

Can't say that I've spotted any large white grubs yet though !!
All the best,
IanM

That's cos they're all on Dan's plot, of course 

Welcome to the site btw IanM 

Hello Yorkie,
Many thanks for the welcome !!
IanM

[Dan78]

haha yes that sounds about right! Im in row L.. all the way down at the end!

Ive not actually had a walk about to look around yet..  Think i will plan that for my next trip down there!

Think you must be pretty close to me!
 

[thewoodleymartins]

Hi Dan,
No doubt we'll be down there at the weekend doing some more digging...... Come and say hello if you're around, we can found on M33....
IanM

[Paul Plots]

Wow... what a huge crowd of neighbours / friends you've made Dan!! More than I have managed in several years of being on my plot...but I tend to do most of my "chatting on the plot" here... never have time once I have a spade or fork in my hand!

Looks as if your plot is going to be a social meeting point.... make sure the neighbours lend a hand while they are nattering to you..  or come along with a couple of tea-bags!

Once you have eventually dug and cleared the plot don't be worried about making use of a rotovator.... they do have some uses when the weeds are under control... great for quickly preparing a seed bed if your soil isn't the sort that turns to dust and then settles into a solid compact layer.

[Loubs]

Hello,

I would advocate patience. Oct/Nov/Dec have been unusually wet. Dec/Jan has so far been unusually cold.

Removing 4 inches of topsoil sounds an awful lot... but then how far down do you go before you reach the subsoil?? It's just a spades depth for me. You know you've hit it and turned it over, as it's distinctly orangey in colour. Subsoil has little in the way of nutrients, so not something you want to grow your veggies in.

If you wait a while till conditions are a little drier, you might find you make shake more of the top soil off your turfs before you pile to one side for a season or more to rot down??

[mickwood]

Just thought I'd add my bit, not really advice but maybe reassuring?

I got my allotment in May last year and managed to get crops that year! Mine wasn't grassed but deep in weeds, rubbish and generally neglected (look at my blog). We worked like hell!! but really enjoyed it. We now have a greenhouse, a bee hive and a shed/summerhouse and have definitely 'broke the back'. We're really looking forward to having a whole year now, with less work but more produce!
Good luck with it, keep with it and remember everything you do, even if it's 10 mins a day, moves it along to that perfect allotment so no effort is wasted. What you put in, you get out!

We need pics to watch it develop along with you 

Mick and Claire

[inosnofing]

OK.. Thanks for all the info.. looks like it is hard digging for me then!!

Thank you for all the advice.