[jolly jen]

hi ,im 33 and have lots of plans for my allotment
i have just taken on my allotment plot,which until a few years ago i found out used to be the best plot on the site,sadly the holder moved to devon and the plot holder never done anything and it has grown wild.
Im lucky to already have a v old shed,and there are tools inside it and part of a new shed has been left by the last plot holder.

i have two metal growing frames on my plot,one i think holds raspberries canes,im hoping they will grow again this year,when i trim them all back down,its a real mess ,but im hoping to put in raised beds,in time,once i have the plot cleared,i want to really get my kids into this ,their 8 and 10 ,at the mo my 10 years cant wait to set fire to all the brambles in the oil drum.Its better for them then hanging about the street(not that i let them do this)but i want us to do somthing as a family,,and have a healthy life.

 any tips of comments please ,espically from people like me with young children.

[WG.]

Hi Jen and welcome.  Great article on here : http://www.allotment-garden.org/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php

[gobs]

A lot of new plot holders forget or some just don't know their plants enough yet: most allotment gardens will have black currant, blackberry, raspberry, rhubarb, comfrey and some will have other soft fruit, too. You should look out for them in the mess, especially if it's said to been a good garden a few years ago.

[paintedlady]

A lot of new plot holders forget or some just don't know their plants enough yet: most allotment gardens will have black currant, blackberry, raspberry, rhubarb, comfrey and some will have other soft fruit, too. You should look out for them in the mess, especially if it's said to been a good garden a few years ago.

Also, asparagus (not easy to see when clearing in winter, and roots might get mistaken for all the other weeds )

[Trillium]

I'm guessing you might have comfrey there and it's easily mistaken for a weed by new gardeners. You definitely want to keep the comfrey so ask an experienced lotty neighbour to help identify all the good plants to keep before any slashing starts.
And raspberries won't yield a crop this year if you cut them down this year. They bear fruit on 2 year old canes (stalks).

[flowergirl]

hello
i cant really comment on the plants as i havent had a full year yet and dont know what im doing
I do have a 10 year old daughter, my best tip would be to give the little ones jobs they enjoy, my daughter loves watering, dead heading flowers, picking veg and i let her choose a plant (flower) from the garden centre that she is responsible for looking after.
Also when we go in the summer we always take a picnic to eat together so its more of an outing with mum and not just a boring few hours at the allotment!
Another thing we do is leave colouring pencils and a drawing pad in the shed for times of ultimate bordem   Last resort...Nintendo DS :roll:

[muddy boots]

Yep, we've taken the nintendo DS too!  Our daughter is nine and has her own raised beds but only likes to grow flowers in them. Prettys them up with shells too!
    She likes to help with planting and the pulling up radishes and turnips , and of course growing pumpkins, but gets fed up with all the watering, weeding and digging in between.
  Our daughter likes anything to do with wild-life so we have bird feeders and a tiny pond on site.
   We keep a few old sheets and duvet covers in the shed at the allotment so she can use them with bamboos and string to made dens down near the shed.
   Kim Wilde has a book out about gardening with children. Have a look for it at the library.

[jolly jen]

I'm guessing you might have comfrey there and it's easily mistaken for a weed by new gardeners. You definitely want to keep the comfrey so ask an experienced lotty neighbour to help identify all the good plants to keep before any slashing starts.
And raspberries won't yield a crop this year if you cut them down this year. They bear fruit on 2 year old canes (stalks).

the old stalks are about a metre high,,they havent been touched for a few years i would guess,,very like a jungle,but i knew better than to pull then out,so you think if i cut them down they wont grow this year or just wont grow fruit??

[gobs]

Jen, you should take yourself to the fruit index, raspberries from the blue link  in my post. You can tell spent and new raspberry canes apart, spent ones are tough and woody, new ones are not.

Rhubarb shoots can look yellow orangy, send us a photo though.

Comfrey pictures

[jolly jen]

Jen, you should take yourself to the fruit index, raspberries from the blue link  in my post. You can tell spent and new raspberry canes apart, spent ones are tough and woody, new ones are not.

Rhubarb shoots can look yellow orangy, send us a photo though.

Comfrey pictures

ok im off down there sat'day to start the clear up,will take a pic.will  i email it to you?

[Hampshire Hog]

You need to pace yourself as you clear the plot. Clear a couple of beds and use them for some new spuds. They will help break up the ground and your children can help plant them and dig up the crop in early summer-just like a treasure hunt! Start off by getting some early seed potatoes and putting them somewhere cool (not freezing!) but light to generate shoots ready to plant out in about mid march depending on weather. If you have some organic matter(manure/compost) pop it onto the dug bed as soon as you can.    

Have fun HH  

[jolly jen]

thanks i have got some under the stairs in a tesco  bag,there is an old tin compost heap that i wil ltake a look out sat'day im sure i can use that ,any tips on growing sweet poatoes as i love these??

[cawdor2001]

Great advice from Flowergirl and Muddy Boots, try and make sure you clear an area the children can plant something into that grows quickly to keep their interest up. Once you have stuff bearing fruit they will be very keen to come and help but make it fun for them before then, in my experience they soon get bored of hard digging.

Picnics/disposable BBQ good ideas when weather better or set up a little play den in the shed (do you have one, can't remember), don't forget to take drink and food for them, and you.

Good Luck


Cawdor

[WG.]

thanks i have got some under the stairs in a tesco  bag,there is an old tin compost heap that i wil ltake a look out sat'day im sure i can use that ,any tips on growing sweet poatoes as i love these??

Follow the WYSIWYGGY link in my sig, Index of Veg, Sweet Potato

[sweet nasturtium]

Hello Jolly Jen, I also have an 8 and a 10 year old.  It's our second year this year.  The best times we've had on the plot have been when we've had good weather, plenty of snacks and nothing urgent to do.  

Try and do the boring bits on your own, and when you take them, give it as much time as possible, I find they need some time to find themselves a game or something to get into.  I also never expect to get anything done while they're there.  I usually do get things done, but if I go with something urgent to do I'll get interrupted and it would spoil the fun.