[Natalie Patch]

I have just become an allotment owner. It is a big patch but i have a lot of time to dedicate to its running.

My query is that the patch has not been used for over 15 years for growing. It has almost no weeds on it as the parish council has kept the land clear using Roundup.

The last time they used it was about 3 months ago.

I am keen on growing a variety of veg from different groups but i wondered what i should add to the soil when digging it over to make it rich and fertile for next spring?

Anyone with experience of this?

[noshed]

Sounds like you're lucky with your plot. Have a look at John's articles on this site about new plots.
I would see if the parish council can get a manure delivery, we get free manure in Walthamstow and free compost form the council's giant composting factory.
Fresh manure you'll need to pile up for the spring but if you can get any rotted, or compost, just spread that on your beds and it will get incorporated by the worms. Don't manure anywhere you're thinking of sowing carrots or parsnips.
In the meantime you could use chicken manure pellets, blood fish and bone or growmore a couple of weeks before you're going to sow or plant anything. You can sow some stuff now - lettuce, beetroot, anything fairly quick growing. Then later on onions and garlic, then broad beans. But there's loads of advice on this site (and some good books to buy).
Good luck

[Sue33]

Hi natalie, it's quite daunting to start with isn't it  

you need to plan what you're going to put where, obviously brassicas will all go together, as will root vegetables and then the legumes. So........ decide what you want to grow, get a piece of paper and try to determine what's going to go where. Then, apply whatever is best for each veg i.e. brassicas like lime, so add some lime to the soil where they're going to go, potatoes and root veg like well manured soil, apart from carrots and parsnips which don't need so much manure but do need a light soil, sandy is preferable, so that spot will need to be really well dug over and maybe add some sand or grit.  Onions don't require manuring or much watering!  The legumes are greedy so they'll need lots of BOM (bulky organic matter). Curcubits need lots of feeding when they are growing, as do tomatoes and peppers.

I hope this helps, the best thing to do is get a really good allotment book, take it to bed every night and read from cover to cover  

Good luck

[Natalie Patch]

Thanks for the advice. Yes it is hard thinking about what you have to do to each bit of soil for growing the particular veg but that has cleared it up.

Thanks for the advice about the council! I will get in contact and try and find come manure.

Natalie

[DD.]

If the land has been fallow for 15 years, I wouldn't worry too much about adding manure, but by all means do so if you can lay your hands in it.

My current plot lay fallow for 7 years before I took it on. Nothing was added for the first year and the produce was better than adjacent plots that had been manured.

[Steve.B]

we get free manure in Walthamstow and free compost form the council's giant composting factory.

Sorry to hijack your thread.....

Where in Walthamstow do you have your plot? Mine is LowHall near the Walthamstow recycle centre!

Small world!

[Rangerkris]

If the land has been fallow for 15 years, I wouldn't worry too much about adding manure, but by all means do so if you can lay your hands in it.

My current plot lay fallow for 7 years before I took it on. Nothing was added for the first year and the produce was better than adjacent plots that had been manured.

I found this with mine too.  This year i have had a great crop but not sure what steps to take next.

[Lady Lottie]

Hi Natalie Patch

My allotment had been unused for 10 years approx and was covered in weeds - all I did was dig them out and plant veggies!  I didn't use any manure or fertiliser at all and so far I have pototaes, parsnips, leeks, pumpkins (ah...actually a wee bit of manure at the bottom of those) and peas all sprouting away merrily   That's my (limited) experience anyway.

Happy growing!