[nickmcmechan]

When I can actually get into my allotment what would be the basic kit I need to buy.

There is a rotivator up there already which I think is shared. I got £30 worth of Dobies vouchers for Christmas and I think I'll get out today and buy a 'Swoe'. Already have a cheap spade, fork and pruners - what else should I put on mylist to get kicked off?

[Nikkithefoot]

Personally I would want a rake and a hand cultivator (or three pronged thingy as my DD calls it). You could consider knee pads or a kneeler, depending on how you weed.

Alternatively you could wait and see what you need as you go. We all do things differently and its better to get tools that YOU are going to use rather than ones I might prefer, which will be different to others on this forum

[savbo]

just to be odd - one of the most useful things we have is a staple gun we got off freegle...use it all the time for stapling weed fabric to wooden battens, putting up bird netting, etc

I would think about getting good rather than cheap spade and fork - I treated myself to a pair of stainless spear and jacksons from t***o and haven't regretted it once.

But also - a good, well-balanced barrow

[Kristen]

"buy cheap, buy twice" as the saying goes - actually, I prefer my Father's version "The best quality is the cheapest" - as it doesn't imply that you have to buy the most expensive. If you can get well used, well worn, and tools with good "balance" from a local auction that may give you best value for money

Particularly with spade and fork as they take a lot of energy to use, and good quality ones are a lot less hard work. For heavy clay Stainless Steel will stick less, but they can be brittle and break.  A really good edge, that you can sharpen, and a wall paper scraper / pallet knife to clean it, may be a better bet on clay.

Roughly in order of importance (and partly culled from a search of similar threads ):

Spade and Fork - some people prefer a Mattlock type (e.g. Azada), but I think you walk backwards on the soil you have just worked. I quite like heart-shaped head with long handle (which I know of as a Cornish shovel).  Possibly a Shovel too (edges are curled up to stop material sliding off the sides)
Seed rake (solid tines)
Swoe or Dutch hoe is good for weeding, swan-neck / draw hoe for earthing up
multi-pronged cultivator to break up the ground
Spring-tine rake - for leaves, grass and debris
secateurs (Felco - get ones that fit your hand well, rather than something online that you cannot try-before-buy)
dibber - and old broken handle is ideal
bulb planter - need something that is not too flimsy, I stupidly bought one "cheap" that was on sale and it lasted a single parsnip-planting session! may only be useful if you are growing in pots to transplant, may also be useful to make deep holes for parsnips and fill with sand / compost. Crowbar may do instead.
hand trowel - get one that is comfortable for your hand. They often need quite a lot of vertical energy to make planting hole
2-gallon / 10L watering can and/or a hosepipe. Possible "leaky hose" too (put along the row and water dribbles out)
wheelbarrow
riddle / sieve
trug for harvesting
string line with a reel - or a couple of sticks to wind it on
Sprayer for insecticide, another for weedkiller if you need it (don't share them)
brush maybe?
planting stick usually a bit of 2" x 2" with saw marks on each side at various intervals to make equidistant planting out easy
penknife - I find a Swiss army knife best as although I use the blade most often the other bits come in handy now-&-again

Greenhouse buy the biggest you can afford - set up a search on ebay / Freecycle as it may take a while before opportunity presents itself.

Accessories:

Thermos Flask
Gardening gloves
weatherproofs and wellies - although I prefer steel-toe-capped work/safety boots
Deck chair / sun lounger
Shed

Paint them all some ghastly shade of pink to reduce the chance that they "walk"

Sowing and planting plan - when to do what.

[nickmcmechan]

thanks kristen, brilliant info

[madcat]

And then there is the list of things you need to squirrel (ie not buy but collect when you see) :

Pallets or similar for making compost heaps;
pop bottles to go on the end of canes to stop you poking your eye out;
more pop bottles to cut in half as watering funnels to put by courgettes etc;
Old CDs/DVDs or other spinny, shiney things to make pigeon scarers;
Airtight Biscuit/sweet tin to keep your seeds in (see, you knew there was a good reason for buying that Quality Street )
Netting onion sacks, paper sacks for storing your produce and brown paper bags for seeds;

Any other ideas, folks?? 

[Kristen]

Any other ideas, folks?? 

Debris netting (scaffolders usually chuck it away after a job) and some blue-water pipe or similar to make netting to keep Cabbage White butterfly off brassicas, and pigeons off everything

[paintedlady]

Flexi buckets are handy for putting/breaking up/mixing compost in when potting, for using when weeding or when harvesting, also for taking compostables down to the allotment.

My favourite "specialist" tool is a sickle which I use to harvest comfrey leaves but it can be used for other similar jobs - it looks deadly to handle and there's a trick of how to use it properly so first attempts may need a few finger plasters before getting the hang of it LOL.  My other main tools are a borders spade and fork (smaller so easier to use on heavy clay), a rake for levelling off and breaking up clods to give a finer tilth, and a hand rotavator (3 pronged tool) for weeding.  

A wheelbarrow or sack barrow is a must for moving heavy stuff up and down the plot!

I use my staple gun a lot too - for stapling heavy duty plastic onto posts to create windbreaks and micro environments (a bit like an open top cold frame)  

Seed trays!  And labels (especially if you grow different varieties of a similar crop eg tomatoes ... they all look the same until they produce a crop!  And I promise, you will not remember which was which after sowing them)  A selection of pots for potting on before planting out on the plot.

Depending on what the allotment site is like, if you have grassy communal footpaths, you might need something to keep them trimmed such as a strimmer (battery operated can't tackle heavy duty overgrown paths and also have a very limited battery life.  Petrol ones can be a bit of a beast but get the job done)  Put under one of those "see how it goes" before purchasing list.  Also, wear goggles or similar, and proper shoes/boots!

Don't forget canes especially if you want to grow climbing beans, and twine.  For growing peas, a selection of pea sticks (twiggy sticks about 2-3 feet high) which you can gather yourself from various sources ... just make sure they are dead or they might start to grow LOL

Clothing - sounds daft, but consider the weather when outdoors.  You need to wear something warm in winter so sacrifice an old coat as it will get dirty, and in summer, sunburn and heat can be a problem.  So maybe a hat and sunscreen.  Then there is the rain ...  Also, protection from biting bugs especially for early mornings and evenings when they come out!  Gloves - a good pair of heavy duty leather type to protect against anything sharp such as thorns or glass (allotments are notorious for rubbish in the soil) and something like marigolds when handling soil.  A little first aid kit wouldn't go amiss - for disinfecting any injuries, and plasters for blisters.  During hot weather, always take plenty to drink.

Definitely a watering can and hose the full length of the plot plus if you have standpipes on your site.  On my site, you also have to provide your own adapters for the tap.  I have a nozzle for my hose which allows for gentle misting/drizzle for seeds and seedlings, and jet stream for soaking (I think that comes under "impatience" ... especially during dry periods and too much other stuff to be getting on with)  Also worth getting a couple of water butts too - always handy to have a back up in case there's a problem getting communal water when you need it most.

Crop protection - fleece for cold snaps, netting or enviromesh to keep aphids, carrot fly and cabbage white butterflies off, and some way of suspending it like hoops or scaffolding.

[Christine]

A simple book such as The Vegetable Expert which shows you common crops with pictures and simple details of how to grow along with pests that may/will attact. Knowledge is one of the most useful tools there is.

[noshed]

The tool I use the most is my stainless steel hand fork, followed by the hand onion hoe for weeding. Dibbers are good, especially if you like leeks. Another handy thing is an old penknife which takes a nice sharp edge.
For clothing I bought a pair of cheap, light steel toecap boots at about £15. I've had them 4 years and they are great - comfy and warm, keep most of the wet out and easy to get on and off.
A cheap sleeveless jacket is handy too.

[Totty]

If your plot is a bit of a walk to the nearsest water point, i would invest in two nicely balanced watering cans. The biggest you can comfortably carry when full. I think mine are sanky big boys?? 15 litre jobbies and they save me loads of time and effort.

Totty

[totalnovice]

Ear muffs or something to keep your ears warm but let you head be cool when you are dingging in the freezing winds!
And a good boook that will teel you what you need to be doing when.

[DD.]

And a good book that will tell you what you need to be doing when.

You mean like this one?

http://www.allotment-garden.org/book/vegetable-growing-month-book.php

[bigben]

I swear by my  Azada (or Silverline GT52 Digging Hoe ) just over £10 from Amazon and it is brilliant for popping out brambles and doing a rough breakup of undug ground. It is still worth working through with a fork to help get out all the weed roots but this is so much easier when the ground is already broken up. great for digging trenches for spuds and earthing up once they grow.

[Christine]

And a good book that will tell you what you need to be doing when.

You mean like this one?

http://www.allotment-garden.org/book/vegetable-growing-month-book.php

That one will do.