Hi Allotless,
My OH has horrendous commutes so i can understand your concern. Took my allotment on last October, it was completely covered in grass, which i have been slowly clearing - apart from a patch of brambles at one end - i like blackberries so they can stay for now
I have managed to clear 2/3 of it - enough to put in 6 x 10 foot rows of spuds, some raspberries strawberries, asparagus and a few rows of carrots, parsnips & beets & chard. Just got me bean poles up and clearing more ground for mangetoute & leeks.
Spose I put in about 3 -4 hours a week, sometimes more. Nature gets it right in that the really hot months we do have more daylight hours so getting up there to water will be easier - I'm assuming you get in about 7 ish and leave about the same time.
If you're an early riser you could get up there really early before work, or if you're a night owl then a trek over at 8.30 might be doable!
A lot will depend on what state your allotment is in - just do little & often so you don't get fed up and backache - plant something even if it's just there in a pot - it's YOURS and YOU have grown it - it will feel great.
You mentioned fruit - Autumn raspberries are easy, but can't go in now until the winter, fruit trees can go in if in pots, but not bare rooted. I got a load of blackcurrant cuttings from my neighbour and about 75% of them have rooted in my back garden, so I'll transfer them to the allotment in the winter.
Rhubarb is dead easy, fruit trees might require a pollinating partner, it depends what type they are, and you need to be careful how big they get - some lalotments won't allow new trees to be planted so you'd have to check your bye laws.
Asparagus is a good long term moneysaver, once you've got the ground prepared.
So my top ten "easy" veg that can be left alone a fair bit would be
Rhubarb
Raspberries
Carrots
Beets
Spuds
Currants
Parsnips
Garlic
Bush cherry tomatoes
Little gem lettuce - these last 2 will need a fair bit of watering though; the lettuce need slug protection and your berries will need netting to stop the local birdies becoming your new "best friends
"
I haven't included brassicas as they need a bit of looking after in terms of preventing cabbage root fly & cabbage white butterflies and they are in the ground a long time - but I'm sure others will disagree with my list. Courgettes are also fairly easy but do need a LOT of watering!
HTH
Janeymiddlewife - fairly new to all this :blink: