[mum51965]

I've come up the list and got an allotment. The council strimmed it at the end of last season and I haven't been able to get onto it yet because of all the rain. Assuming I can get it dug over before the end of March (That's my pessimism for when we might see some dry weather) what do you think I should try and plant this first year and how? Shall I just clear 4 beds and use a 4 year rotation? Shall I clear the whole thing with no paths? There are already rhubarb and raspberry canes (the canes have gone a bit wild). Help........

[m1ckz]

well   i find 1 large bed very putting off lol....with smaller beds  you can get 1 done  an feel good then on to the next   but thats me    good luck an enjoy it   mick

[Fairy Plotmother]

Hello and welcome. However you decide to do it, take it slow and easy.

[mum51965]

Thanks.

My gut feeling was to divide the plot into beds and do one at a time. A bit like eating an elephant a bite at a time. I want to get the worst of the weeds dealt with - but I am reluctant to use glyphosate so I suppose it will be hard labour.

I'm going to sit here and wish some dry weather in

[Trikidiki]

...........

I'm going to sit here and wish some dry weather in

Oi. Join the queue.   

[wrinkly1]

spuds.  loads of them. so rewarding. and clears the ground with the cultivation of same.scotland and ireland are the home of spuds .get stuck in and enjoy.  cheers WRINKLY1

[mjg000]

Glyphosate won't work until the weeds start growing properly in the Spring, but you could chop them down and cover with a strong-ish membrane which will stop them coming on properly over the next couple of months and you can leave things covered until you have time to do it a bed at a time.  I would try to have a general layout in mind though.

[sunshineband]

Yes, I agree. Have an overall plan and try to more or less stcij to it, including deciding where your compost binsra going to be sited.

The four beds sound a good idea and you can always dig part of each and keep the other part of each covered this year so you can get several different cops from your planned rotation in.

Rhubarb will juts get on with it and probably give them loads.

Have a look at the raspberry canes. if half of them are green and half brown, cut out the brown ones and the green ones should fruit this Summer: Summer fruiting variety. If they are all brown cut them all off and new green ones will grow and fruit late summer/ early Autumn: Autumn fruiting raspberries.

Hope that helps a bit on that issue anyway

[Yorkie]

If you're planning on grown things like beans, courgettes, squash, or anything else which is a half-hardy plant, then you probably won't be planting them out until early June - so that gives you more time to clear those areas.

Spuds can go in during April or, for earlies, even early May - so again if you don't get their bit cleared by the end of March, it's by no means the end of the world.  Just make sure that you cover up any areas you have cleared, before the weeds get under way properly in spring, and keep on top of those which aren't cleared as suggested above.

I use a very strong weed membrane for paths - means I don't need to control grass paths, and gives me some definition between beds.

[mum51965]

Thanks, all this advice is making me feel less daunted. I will certainly look at weed supressing membrane. I suppose I want to go at it at 100mph but that is probably not the best way to do it. I have a friend who is going to help for a share of the produce so at least I won't be doing it alone.

[Christine]

I wonder if someone before you went at it at 100mph mum51965 and then couldn't keep the pace up.

[mum51965]

You are probably right Christine 

[brokenglass]

Steady but planned progress is the best way forward to allow this to happen alert the Committee as to your plans and how long you estimate before the plot is "fully cultivated"       If the Committee have a problem with your planned timescale they and you have the chance to discuss it before it becomes an issue.       Rushing at an Allotment usually just sickens the person rushing resulting in another Allotmenteer leaving before they really get started.     Plans are of course the best way forward but remember that you can change them to suit your lifestyle and available time, crop rotation is always good but shouldn't end your enjoyment as failures will happen from time to time regardless of what you do, experience will reduce the mistakes but they will still happen.

Remember that it is a hobby which produce something you can eat/boast/annoy people with.