Overwhelmed with info and still don't know what to do

Hi!

Okay, so my mister and I have recently taken over an allotment (from April 1st).  It's approximately 16.5' wide (north to south) by 33' long (running east to west). We have never done any kind of gardening/vegetable growing, unless you count cutting the grass gardening lol. I have, however, read a ton of information on this website. I still feel somewhat lost though and I would like some advice. I'll start by telling you about where we are, what kind of soil I think we have (we're going to get one of those soil test gauges to get an idea of the pH) and the things we are interested in growing.

We're in SE Wales and I think the soil on the plot is peaty. It feels spongy when we walk on it, looks dry on the surface but is wet upon brushing the surface. It also looks quite dark in colour. There is a downwards slope to the plot so the water will drain from east to west (down the length of the plot). There is a tallish building about 10-15' to the south of our plot and I've had mister pay attention to how much sun the plot gets. It seems that from 12pm-4pm it's partially to fully shaded during this time of year (may be shaded for longer once the days grow longer).

I had a look at the other plots and from what I can tell they're growing onion, garlic, sprouts, rhubarb and beans among other things (which haven't sprouted yet).

There is no greenhouse on the plot as of yet, but we are looking to get one that is 6x6. We do have a conservatory on our house so we were going to start seeds in there at the moment.

We would like to grow french beans (cobra), runner beans, tomatoes (cordon and bush), cucumber, corn, radishes, carrots, parsnip, spring onion (white lisbon), strawberries (in a container), asparagus, sweet peppers, spinach, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, calabrese, garlic and a comfrey patch. We were thinking of doing the asparagus and calabrese next year, and we'll make a deep raised bed for the asparagus.

We're planning on using the munty frame for the beans and butternut squash, growing something underneath the frame. The tomatoes, cucumber and sweet pepper in the greenhouse and a growhouse. We've got a family of six veggie lovers so none of it will go to waste.

Is this too ambitious, or too much for our plot size? Are any of these plants unsuited to the kind of plot we have (e.g. soil and the amount of shade). Should we add any compost/ fertilisers (such as fish, blood & bone) to the soil as we work it ready for planting? Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

So your plot is 11 yards x 5 yards, about a half plot size.

I think it probably is manageable if you don't try to grow too much of any one thin .  Start by grouping them into types of veg which should ideally be kept together and rotated:

Pea family:
french beans (cobra), runner beans,

Brassicas:
brussel sprouts, cauliflower, calabrese,

Root crops:
carrots, parsnip,

Onion family:
spring onion (white lisbon), garlic

Can fit anywhere:
corn, radishes, spinach, butternut squash,

Permanent planting:
comfrey patch, asparagus,


Try to get rows going north -south if possible but it's not vital if you can't.  Try to ensure the beans don't shade other things too much.

I think it's unlikely the building will cast more shade.  If anything, it should cast less as the sun will be higher in the sky.

My best advice is to just give it a trial go this year and don't try too many things or you will get overwhelmed. Take notes as you go, see what works and what doesn't and enjoy the learning experience. Each year we find that some crops that did well the previous year are a dismal failure this year - that's nature. Get John's book, keep it simple and let us know how you go on.

Have a chat with some of the other allotment holders to see which crops grow well at the site.
A bit of local knowledge could save you from wasting time and effort planting unsuitable crops.
When you have a bit more experience you can attempt the harder to grow ones and put all the 'old hands' to shame.

I put my parsnips and carrots together, I think they are the same basic family if their leaves are anything to go by.  Onions are said to deter the carrot root fly but with very little success to be honest.

In the garden I had before I moved here, carrot root fly was a problem and spoiled my first crop.  Now I put hoops in, covered with enviromesh and no longer have the problem.  I use raised beds which are 4 ft wide and make the hoops from blue plastic water pipe (look at Screwfix or similar for current prices - I paid  about £15 for 50 metres, but that was a long time ago) anchored by metal rods inserted at each end.  I've had the ones I am using for several years.  They are still going strong and I have at least half the water pipe left.  The enviromesh must also be properly anchored to make sure that nothing gets in underneath it.

"Have a go" is great advice.

You sound like you know what your doing, even if you dont know you do know, and the stuff you dont know you dont know, well

I would add "Dont buy a greenhouse", at least for now anyway.  You never know, you might get bored and give up.....

I'm with iggy on the soft fruit, blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries, gooseberries and the like are all expensive or unavailable in the shops, and actualy some of the easiest stuff to grow.
My Redcurrants grow bucket loads, if only I liked them....