[finleyfreyaseth]

we received our plot on 25 july 2011 and as u see it was a tad derelict

there was rotten carpets,a dozen bin bags of rotting onions,a garage door(how that gets on there we out no one noticing?)varying sizes of bricks and rubble,plus plenty of brambles and weeds.
well 2 days of strimming had it cleared so we could get an idea of what we faced,and was more daunting than i imagined,we struck our first problem when myself and my three little uns were attacked by wasps,i found the wasps nest in the ground and used a spray to get rid of it,so anyway 3wks later ive got my shed up a kid and puppy proof fence up ,started digging with a 6x4  plus 12x4 raised bed done(makes you feel as if you getting somewere)

ill try keep you all updated as we progress with our ups and downs

[Christine]

I expect that the garage door was part of some vital project the previous owner had. And let that be a lesson to all users of carpet on allotments - the not fun of removing it. 

[sunshineband]

Looks like you have the bones of  a good plot there 

You've made really good headway too.

Shame about those wasps though 

[finleyfreyaseth]

cheers,well wasps gone now,blast with an aerosol killer one night did the trick,dug the place were they were up in the first bed an amazing site the nest was.

[lancashiregardeninggal]

Well done you on tackling the wasps - I wouldn't have been so brave.  Amazing the difference in the before and after shot of strimming - you've made great progress already.

[chillinut]

Looks Great - bet you can't wait for next year now when you can get planting 

[arugula]

Great progress, well done. 

[alancas]

well done, carpets should be banned near killed me off when i got my allotment last year it was hessian and weeds had grown right through it ,be lucky.

[Trillium]

Definitely a good start, and it's a nice size so should be rewarding in the near future.

[finleyfreyaseth]

cheers for all the encouragement been up there today and dug another 7x7 plot,i took advice of few people do what youre comfy with then when it gets to be a chore put the tools away sit back look at what you done and relax and it works,yea cant wait to get to planting stage infact the kids more excited, dad can we grow this ,that,this,that and this lolol

[Ricey]

Well done matey, I know how hard you've had to work.
I got my lotty 3 weeks ago tomorow.
Same story (Minus the garage door), weeds, brambles and the dreaded couch grass.
Plus assorted metal and plastic mixed in with tons of glass.
I have about 6 square metres of ground to dig over and pull the couch grass from and I can relax a little.
Ive sorted out 4 small raised beds which I've planted with a few winter veg, more as an experiment really as I dont expect great things till next year.
I wanted to plant something to make it all seem worthwhile.

Anyway, best of luck with your lotty.

PS. Pulled 5 2inch lightweight building blocks out the ground today, they was 6 inches deep. I think the previous owner was trying to grow them?

[ulsterfairy]

Fab progress :-)

We got our plot in a similar condition last october when I was 6 months pregnant!! we are only getting ready now to make the raised beds!! My hubby has been working like crazy on it.  So like you im excited about planning what to grow next year.  Thats fab to hear the kids getting excited about it, that is one of the reasons I put my name down for a plot not only to grow our own organic fruit and veg (As much as possible) for our baby but the thought of spending time there as a family.  

We didnt uncover any wasps nests luckily but did find loads of slow worms   they now have a little "hotel" to stay in!!

Happy gardening and good luck with the rest of the plot.

[Elcie]

That is brilliant well done.  Really pleased to hear that you have started getting some beds in.  Planting something will give you massive motivation to keep going.  Good luck with it all 

[finleyfreyaseth]

everything plodding along,now im back from our holsgot a couple of beds ready for some winter onions and Christmas spuds,just a couple of questions
1-ive got 20 strawberry plants some tis years and some runners in pots of them at home im wondering can i plant them now in a plot and leave over winter ready for next winter?

2-as ive said before im digging out manageable size beds but too ensure i remove as much weed and roots as possible im taking the top 4to5 inches turf off the top and removing as many roots below as poss,with the sods off the top ive made a pile covering allsorts in top corner hoping itll grow into a turfish mound,but i was wondering if i could after takin off the top sods dig out the bed approx 12inches down replace the sods green side down then replace the soil on top.

[sunshineband]

Hope you enjoyed your holidays.

Yes, you can plant out your strawberries now: they need exposure to winter cold to make flower buds next spring, and there is plenty of time for them to establish strong roots.


You can bury the upside down turf a foot down and if it is just ordinary grass etc it will rot down nicely.

If you have couch grass however, this will jsut grow and become a real pest. You can tell couch grass by its wiry white roots. Couch frass needs to come out and will jto even die in most compost heaps.

Burn it or drown it