[richiechivz]

Hi all,

Well Ive been lucky enough to get my hands on an allotment! Im very excited and looking forward, however, the plot Ive taken on is in a bit of a state, 2 years without cultivation means it’s a little over grown. Ive started digging over the front of the plot. I have almost cleared a bed of about 4' by 10'. The whole plot is 7 perch (Im still a bit unsure how to work the size out in 'modern' currency - but do know a perch is around 16.5'). The rear of the plot is pretty thick with bramble, but like the other friendly plot holders have advised me - Im just doing a bed or so at a time and will enjoy cultivating the plot over a few seasons.

I think I'd like to grow some potatoes in the bed Ive almost cleared. But after reading through the planting distances I was wondering how big the bed should be to grow a crop? I was guessing I wanted 2 full rows - one early and one maincrop? I will probably look to carry out a 4 year crop rotation when Ive got the plot fully working, but I really am struggling with planning how to set it out. I don’t want to go down the raised bed route yet, so I just want 4/5 beds which will will be the same size so I can grow the same amount each year, when each 'family' has moved onto the next bed etc.

Sorry if this is a bit disjointed - Im still a little confused about what Im doing and I although Ive been going through in my head for months - now that I have my plot Im finding it hard to put into practice.

I'd love any advice you kind people are willing to throw at me

Rich

[noshed]

Hi Ritchie. Sounds like you're doing fine.
What looks good on paper can somehow not turn out right. It never ocurred to me for some reason that some crops aren't in the ground for long and therefore you need to think what to put in after, say, your early spuds.
So get your spuds in soon - 12" apart in all directions won't do any harm, then get on with the next bed - maybe prepare for runner beans if you like them.
You could shove some onion sets in round the edge of your beds where they won't get in the way too much.
Sow some lettuce in trays ready to plant out - ditto tomatoes on the windowsill. Both taste much nicer than shop ones.
How's your compost heap?

[bean]

Hi Richie,

Congrats on getting your allotment. I finally got mine this weekend too - its exciting isn't it.  

I can't profess any great successful experiences with a 2 day-old plot, but I think I have had similar thoughts to you. I have planned 5 beds for use with crop rotation and in terms of size I planned where I wanted my shed, compost bins, permanent asparagus bed and then divided the remaining space into 5 roughly equal sized beds (although not all the same shape).

My plot isn't that big so my beds aren't huge, but I plan to plant one with potatoes this year and if it isn't enough use 1 1/2 or 2 beds next year.

If your plot is big you could always just prepare half of each bed this year so you have time for the 'growing' as well, and then do the rest next year.

Good luck

Bean

[compostqueen]

don't worry about it. You have your plot so enjoy it    I think you're wise to just think about the immediate bed or beds you need, 4' wide sounds good cos you can get at it from each side without walking on it.  I think my spuds were 2' apart for maincrops and a bit less for earlies. It will say on the bags when you get them so don't worry. You can bung some in a tub too in growbag compost  

[richiechivz]

Thanks for the responses people! I will finish off the first bed this week and get some earlies in there asap!

enjoy your plots!

[StEdmund]

It appears that quite a lot of us in the same boat I have just received confirmation that I have been granted an allotment after a long period of growing vegtables in a 10' by 4' raised bed in my garden I now have 5 rods to play with it looks so big. Over the time I have waited for the allotment I have planned it in my head over and over again now reality has hit me like a steam train where do I start.

[richiechivz]

I agree StEdmund! Thats exactly how I feel.

If my potato bed is approx. 10' by 4', will I be pushing my luck to squeeze one row of earlies and a row of main crop? I could make the bed bigger than 4', and I guess this might sound a little silly, but I dont know how others plan their beds? Whats everyone else area like where they plan to plant their spuds in this year? Maybe Im missing the point, but I just want to make each bed of a size that stays the same - especially when I have to take crop rotation into account and move each family onward each year?   :?

A  :? Rich

[MarkG]

Hiya,

I'm a newbie to. Got my allotment in January. But took it over from someone who graduated to a biggerplot, so its already cleared and well dug.

To give you some ideas, here is what I planned for this year, but it'll probably be changed and tweaked by next year.

Allotment: approx 24' wide x 56' long. All plots run across the whole width, so 24' wide. Though the seed packets may not fill the whole width, so not sure how long the rows will be. I've a lot to learn.

Plot 1: Potatoes, 14' plot, 3 rows of early, 4 of maincrop, 2' between rows.

Plot 2: Legumes, 11' plot,  1 row peas, 1 row mange tout, 1 row runners, and I'm sneaking my spinage in there two, behind the runners as I think they' tollerate some shade.

Plot 3: Brassicas, 10' plot, 1 row Brocoli, 1 row Cauli, 1 row cabbage, and 1 row Kale, 1 row leeks.

Plot 4: Onions, 7' plot, 1 row shallots and garlic, 1 row red onion, 4 row maincrop onion.

Plot 5: Roots, 8' plot 4 rows carrots + spring onion.

With the paths between each plot that comes to roughly 56'. There's another 10' for fruit at the end, which has some raspberries, and I'll add blackberries and rhubarb in the autumn.

The seed bed is in my garden, not on the allotment.

The paths between each plots are marked out by a single paving slab placed on each side. So come winter, when I rotate and start digging, I'll just move the slabs. I won't be keeping the plots a set size, I'll just change them each year for the given crop: so next years potato plot will overlap this years roots and onions plot.

I planned it all with graph paper and pencil. 1 small square is 1 foot. Drawn to scale, and then the rows are planted by measuring from the end with a 30m tape measure, so they are in EXACTLY the right place according to the plan  :roll: . Used information in seed catalogues and gardening books to set the row spacing, with half  row spacing width between paths and the row nearest the path.

So I don't get a mass of food maturing at once, I'll probably sow things like carrots, peas, and spinnach a third of a row at a time, and then so another 3rd a couple of weeks later, and so on.

Is this all normal, or am I slightly mad?

Anyway, hope that gives you some ideas, or stimulates some discussion, to help you organise your plot, when you get it cleared.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Dominic]

I feel emasculated, My 6x 1metre square patches are tiny in reality, I thought that was lots  :cry:

[MarkG]

Hi Dominic,

Your plots may be plenty big enough. Like Rich, I've no idea at the moment how I will use the space. I've just gone the bucket chemistry route and decided to plant a row of this and a row of that. The plot is roughly 24' wide, but the peas seed packet says there is enough to sow a 16' row. So I don't need and won't use all the space (though I thought I may put some Courgettes on the end, that was a new idea when i realised the pea rows would be to short).

If I end up with a food mountain then I'll follow your example and go for smaller plots, and sow more variety instead. I've already tipped off the friends and neighbours that they may be getting veg. boxes on their doorsteps this year.

[compostqueen]

Don't feel pressured into thinking you have to deal with all your plot straight away then that way you won't feel overwhelmed.  It will still be there tomorrow. Relax, enjoy it     It's not a race  

[Aidy]

Don't feel pressured into thinking you have to deal with all your plot straight away then that way you won't feel overwhelmed.  It will still be there tomorrow. Relax, enjoy it     It's not a race  

Good advice, take it one bed at a time, make sure it is as clear as it can be. Weeds have a nasty habit of popping up when your not looking, its better to have a bed with minimal weeding while your clearing another than a battle between the beds.

[StEdmund]

Came back early from holiday at Wroxham only good thing there is Roys garden centre 25% off all seeds and seed potatoes at £2.79 for 2.5 kg.
Went down to the allotment I have been alocated the previous owner was a bit eccentric I have only got half of the plot but he has sown rows of veg in 100ft rows I have a crop of a 50ft row of parsnips, sprouting broccoli and leeks.