[ianjmatt]

It is coming up to almost a year since we got the allotment, and it hasn't been a great year. My original plan was for four beds - potatoes, brassicas, legumes and carrots/onions - plus some fruit bushes. I had it all planned out on a spreadsheet, ordered all the seeds and started to sow the seed trays, chit potatoes etc - all went well on the sowing front up to February.

At the same time I was desperately trying to get the allotment into decent shape - it was just a mass of grass, weeds and debris. I tried to get it into shape - it wasn't easy. I started to sow out and March & April went by in a blur. By May I found out I had lost my job - you would think this would give me more time, but I also did my back in :-( which restricted me on the old weeding front. Also, I had sown calabrese and sprout seeds (at least that is what the packet said). One gave me a nice trave of 15 weeds and the other turned into a sort of Kale type thing with really thick stems - about 4 foot tall.

Bad back, poor motivation (bit of depression after job loss) and other issues meant I really lost it during June and the weeds won!!

Got it back a bit now - the potatoes are working out well stiull, and the parsnips may give us some stuff, but just all feels like a bit of a failure.

Going simpler this time - lots of spuds, some peas and beans, pumkins, cabbage etc. Hopefully the weeding will get a bit easier this year - got carpet over most of the ground at the mo.

Ho hum ...

[Yabba]

Don't use carpet, it has all sorts of stuff in that you don't want to eat .... most people seem to use cardboard instead.

Step back from your "failure" and see what you achieved under your circumstances

¥

[Babstreefern]

Don't worry about having a bad year.  We had one this year, but you just dust yourself down, and start all over again .  Its what comes with working with Mother Earth .  Just think how the farmers feel when they have a bad crop - their livelihood depends on it .  What I've done with my plot now is I've dug it over and am just leaving it for the winter, but I have also thrown on blood,fish & bone, chicken pellets and whatever else you can think of.  Also, test your soil, it may be too acid or alkaline.  That sort of thing can really be detrimental to your veggies.

[DavidT]

Babs, a word to the wise. by throwing on  f,b and b and chicken pellets, you are throwing money away. By the time you come to plant in the spring all the goodness from theses fertilisers will be leeched out.

[Christine]

Ian, most people have a bit of a bad first year on a new allotment unless you are very lucky and get one in good shape. Getting one in good shape rarely happens as the people who have them like that want to keep them. Most of us start out with plots like yours, a mass of grass, weeds and debris. If you get any produce that you can eat regard it as a good start.

Now is the time of year to get the plot into good shape. You can have a real work over to ensure that there is nothing left in the way of debris loafing around, a thorough dig over to get out roots of nasties from the soil and work in well rotted manure and/or compost.  This will keep you busy as the winter weather allows, stop you from becoming more disheartened and give you a good start next season.  If you leave the carpet in place you are just putting off the problem till next spring I fear.

You can also have a consideration as to why the calabrese and sprouts didn't quite work. I made all sorts of mistakes with mine the first year I tried them. Did you didn't put in enough fertiliser and lime a couple of weeks before you planted out? Also you know you need to tread down the soil very firmly before you plant out cabbages, calabrese, cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli as they do need to be planted very firmly. I know this because I had the same problems as you and went to talk to someone who grows brilliant cabbages. He didn't laugh but told me what to do. He also said that you should plant the seeds in seed trays, prick them on into bigger pots when you can handle them so that they get good roots before you plant them into the final position.

It takes five years before an allotment is really productive - you get a bit more each year as you get it in better shape and heart. You learn what you can grow that you like to eat on your plot as well and learn from your mishaps. I've learned loads from the older guys around me as I admit that this or that didn't work. 

[ianjmatt]

Thanks all for the enouragement :-)