Help - its happened!

I was in exactly that position this time last year (actually found I had got the plot a day before I had to work abroad for a month). I had successes and failures, but what worked was to clear perennial weeds from beds as you go (there are so many and the soil so heavy here it takes me 1 hour per square metre) and plant things that will still grow in less than perfect soil and with a few weeds around them (spuds, cabbage, beans, courgette etc). Now I am digging over the 'paths' between last years beds and enlarging them. At the rate i have time to work it, I am not expecting to get the plot clear enough to start planning planting, rather than plant as I make space, for some years.

Charlie

Hi allotless

I too am a london commuter and still hold down a plot
I do about half a day at the weekends and watering in the evening's during the summer if it is hot.

I am a big fan of weed matting or cardboard as if the weeds cant grow, you dont need to weed them. saves a huge ammount of time and makes the place look tidy

also , as gwiz says the hoe is your friend where you cant weed mat

I commute to London, have a 1 year old baby and only got the Allotment last autumn. I have prepared ¾ of it and have veg either in or planned. All this was done by a 2 hour stint EVERY weekend while nipper went for a morning nap.

My advice is therefore little and often – fit it in around your normal routine and you will be surprised what progress you make.

I would also suggest putting a covering (or a low maintenance crop that covers such as spuds/ cabbage/ squash) in as you go. The weeds are enjoying the spring weather down here and if you don’t keep on top of them it will soon become like the forth railway bridge!

Go for it or you'll regret it for the rest of your life 

There's some great advice above, covering is a brilliant way of buying time, just don't use carpet. Get a roll of black DPM plastic, if you do a search on 'evilbay' you'll see quite a bit of it. I bought a roll locally off there, ' POLYTHENE DAMP PROOF MEMBRANE
SIZE 4m X 25m X 300 um 1200 GAUGE'
I paid £20 for it, which I think was a bargin 

No apology needed alotless.

Just make sure you keep us all updated on your progress and ask plenty of questions.

No questions are stupid, but some of the answers may be 

Rob

i had the same worries Allotless,

would i have enough time,where do i start,what the the hell do i do. that was a few months back and im learning bit by bit,i think

i work 60 + hrs a week on the M1 and also have a young family but now the light nights are here i can have an hour after work a couple of days a week and more on a sunday.the kids like going down there as well. my allotments only a 5 min walk so its not bad.

but im in it for the long haul.

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:

I take my hat off to all those who do massive commuting (and some with young families as well) as well as manage allotments - I'll never again complain about a 30-minute commute, even if I do have to figure all the cooking and housework into my free time!