[Laura020101]

Hello fellow Allotmenters  !

I don't know where to start really. I'm Laura,  I've just purchased a Greenhouse, lots of seeds, seed trays and compost.

I have a piece of ground that I want to turn into my own allotment but at the moment it's just a field covered in grass, I know it's going to be a lot of hard work but I feel ready for a challenge, I think  

I am being quite ambitious and have the following seeds;
Carrots, Cauliflower, Purple Sprouting, Cucumber, Selection of Tomatoes, 2 types of Cabbages, Runner Beans, Lettuce  

Obviously I don't have my ground ready at the moment so not really sure where to start. Any advice would be gratefully received!

[Ice]

I've changed your font colour to black as it was unreadable.  Please use black next time as we have members with eyesight problems and black is easiest to read.

[Laura020101]

I did try to change it back to black having realised this when I posted it! Thanks for the advice though 

[Epona_4]

hi Laura welcome and good luck with growing your own veg, it really is marvellous! 

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site Laura 

I'm going to move your post over to Grow Your Own so more veggie people can see it.

In the meantime, have a look at this page on the main website.

It contains articles on clearing your plot, planning it, monthly guides, and a sowing and harvesting chart.

[rozalia]

Welcome.  I'm in my 3rd year of growing my own, starting with a derelict edge of a field and a boggy flat bit + 2 tractor tyres as raised beds.  I started small and cleared 1/3 of the plot and built one raised bed in the boggy bit.  I planted potatoes, shallots and salads in the cleared 1/3 of the field edge and strawberries, courgettes and herbs in the bed. Runner beans went into the tyres.  Yr2 I cleared another 1/3 and added onions and leeks. 
This year I've cleared the last 1/3rd and expanded amount of potatoes planted.  Also planting beets and turnips.  2nd raised bed will have more strawberries. Runner beans again (not having much luck with french beans).
Start small; plant what you will eat (I opted for 'easier' veg - no carrots or brassicas yet) and plant in succession so that you space out gluts.  Enjoy!!

[TerryB]

Hi Laura.
Get the green house up and use grow bags inside.
Dig over an area for salids and beans.
Most other crops could be plant through black weed cover for the first year.
Don't try to get the plot done at once, unless you know someone with a tractor.
Good luck and enjoy.

[katiekate]

Hi there,

I would plan, plan, and plan a little more. It's very easy to get overwhelmed and stop and start jobs all over the place. Planning doesn't mean committing but sketching out ideas then listing things you need, time it will take, and a step by step list may help to some stuff up and running rather than everything half done by the end of the season.

Good luck and draw lots... and take lots of before and after photos to remind yourself of what you've achieved!

[debih]

Hi Laura - welcome to the boards.  I don't post on here that often but come regularly to read the advice.

We are in our third year of allotmenting (after a 4 year wait for our plot) and for the first two years we mainly brought in plug plants but this year, after buying our polytunnel, I am trying to grow everything from seed.

Have fun and just grow what you like to eat.

[Laura020101]

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for all your comments.  It feels like a huge task at the moment and i'm starting little bits here and there that will hopefully come together at some point.

My fear is that times ticking by and I want to grow as much as I can.

I have a fairly big patch of land but it's covered in grass at the moment. I don't know that I have the physical strength to dig it all up or even if I do that the ground would be really for me to plant things.

I think my first question would be what's the best thing to do with the grass and if I dig a small area (which will be more than enough for now) how long until I can plant things?

Thanks in advance and happy allotmenting!

[Yorkie]

I think my first question would be what's the best thing to do with the grass and if I dig a small area (which will be more than enough for now) how long until I can plant things?

You will need to make sure the grass doesn't grow too long, particularly if it is couch grass (white piano wire-like roots) rather than regular grass (fibrous roots).  Cover it, strim it regularly, or weedkiller it.

For the areas you gradually clear, you will be able to plant immediately that you have cleared the roots out.

Sometimes you can plant straight through holes in plastic or cardboard, but I'm not sure that the plants will thrive well if they are competing with existing grass roots, and if you have couch grass then it will simply grow up through the holes you create.

[potatogrower]

Hello fellow young grower!

you could dig a nice set of big/small squares out of the grass area and if you want use planks of wood and create raised beds. once you have bordered your soil area cut the grass down and put nice thick layer of chunky bark down creating a path to walk. hopefully this would suppress the grass from growing.

if you feel strong and need a bigger challenge you could get a fork and uproot the grass up

how long to grow things would depend what you grow but most will start life in the greenhouse in pots for at least 2-3 weeks to germinate and maybe longer for it grow to a sizeable plant for outside growth. there is loads of advice on this forum on various things you want to grow and lots of websites with how-to's.


happy growing and best of all have fun!  

[katiekate]

Potatoes are great to plant in an uncultivated plot. You have to do a bit of digging to get them in, and a dig to get them out.. They grow fairly tall and dense, and don't mind competing a bit with other things. There is also the joy of lifting the first bounty later in the year and seeing the amount of food there!!!

[lancashiregardeninggal]

Hi Laura - don't rush to get everything done at once - ie: in the first year and don't be disheartened if things don't go to plan - its a constant learning curve!