[-Cat-]

Well I got a letter in the post the other day saying an allotment is going to be avaliable for me as of the 21st Jan.

I have decided I just want to grow fruit. As its bloomin' expensive in the supermarket and both my kids hate all veg but are avid fruit eaters.

Now obviously its going to take a little while to prepare the area. But at what point can I start planing things like strawberrys, raspberries, and bush/trees like apples, cherries, blueberries etc. I have seen that bare root ones are avalible now while dorment, will I be okay planting things like this in feb. And what age plant will I need to buy if I want to see fruit on them in there first year? Doing this as a project with the children I dont want to to be years before they see any produce or they will lose interest.

[Dominic]

you wont get fruit in the first year, certainly not in any quantity.
Maybe some autumn fruiting raspberries, but nothing else, even with established plants.
Trees will take at least a couple of years.

Sadly fruits are long term investment, but worth it.

[PinkTequila]

Check the rules about fruit trees at your allotment. hy not gro a bit of veg as well. I have found that kids ho will not touch veg start eating it when they have grown it

[-Cat-]

Hmm yes I had a feeking that would be the case with the trees.

Would I not get fruit from late strawberries and raspberries that fruit on first year branches? Also if I grow melons in cold frames they would be each year wouldnt they?

I dont mind the wait for some of the fruit if we can at least be getting some in the first year to keep the interest.

[DD.]

Definitely check regarding trees. It's sadly against our tenancy rules to plant any.

The fruit you'll get first year from strawberries and raspberries, will be minimal, even the autumn raspberries, but worth it in the long run.

When I first started on my current plot I was given some Autumn Bliss raspberry canes by a neighbouring plot holder, so to make a full row, I spaced each "twig" (that's what they looked like!), about 3' apart. I now have a "hedge" about 32' long & 6' wide & get inundated!!

Oh - don't forget the tomatoes, if the blight permits, you'll get a good crop of those and they're technically a fruit!!

[-Cat-]

I havent seen anything yet on the tenancy agreement about frowing fruit trees. I was thinking though of getting those mini ones that are basically one 'stem' so I could always put them in pots, I dont see anyone having a problem then?

[woodburner]

Tenency agreement? What's that?    
Seriously, they're not allowed here either nor greenhouses nor sheds. I do wonder about the really dwarfing rootstock types though. A commercial orchard near here has trees that branch out from very close to the ground and are kept to (or only grow to) about 6ft. You could probably argue that they are bushes not trees.

[spudnewbie]

I just gotten a plot for Christmas, im a complete newbie, i havent grown anything since primary school and that was only watercress!!lol
We are interested in growing as many types of veg possible. What would you suggest. Do veg types come with a variation of difficulty? I.E
Is there some things we shouldnt try and grow with us being so new to growing?

[Janeymiddlewife]

I just gotten a plot for Christmas, im a complete newbie, i havent grown anything since primary school and that was only watercress!!lol
We are interested in growing as many types of veg possible. What would you suggest. Do veg types come with a variation of difficulty? I.E
Is there some things we shouldnt try and grow with us being so new to growing?

Most people will advise growing what you like - no matter how difficult - if it's something you like you'd be more prepared to look after it well IYSWIM? - Why grow easy things you hate? Look around at what your neighbours are growing - ask what grows well - some veg don't always grow as well as others in some types of soil for instance, or there could be problems with some pests such as clubroot or carrot fly.
HTh Merry Christmas
JMW

[lightyears]

notice your in norwich, so am i, if your leasing off the council they are the most slack bunch of civil servents going, they really dont care what you do on your allotment as long as its clean. i have put up a grape fence thing in the last few month to start on my fruit journey

[Porffor]

strawberries would be good! and you could be ready with a bed for their runners in the summer too