[meridiangarden]

Hello gardeners!

I am co-ordinating a community allotment project.

We have been given a grassy plot and have finally dug up the grass and are now ready to start planting and sowing. We have already chosen what we will be planting and have started to grow some of the vegetables and flowers in pots in our flats for planting out later. We have bought basic equipment.

Now it is getting more real, I am finding this all a bit daunting. I have little gardening experience (I have grown some veg in containers on my balcony) and yet I am organising this large project! I really wanted an allotment- the waiting list here in Greenwich is 10 years! So the only way was to start this project.

I was going to organise a rota so that we can all take it in turns to do jobs on the plot. The jobs I can think of are as follows:

1) locking and unlocking the plot at night/in the morning
2) watering the plants (I think that the person who is locking up at night can do this as it's best to water in the evening right?)
3) weeding (how often should this be done- weekly or more often?)

Are there any other jobs that will need to be put into the rota for maintaining things? We are going to dig some compost into the newly dug soil before we plant or sow anything- is this the right thing to do? I hope you don't mind me asking, I just need some expert help I think!

Thanks in advance,
Vicky.

[Yorkie]

That sounds about OK, I can't think of anything else off the top of my head.

I'd make a couple of comments about the watering - firstly, it can take quite some time to do it properly, and secondly, it doesn't need doing every day.

Obviously, the weather has a direct impact on when watering is needed - how hot, how windy it's been.  Also what your soil is like and how free draining.

It is far better to give plants that need it, a long soak less often than a trickle of water daily.  If you do the latter, all the roots end up being nearer the surface and they are much more at risk from drought.  If you do the former, the roots go deeper and the plant is likely to be less stressed in dry periods.

Also remember that not all plants need the same amount of watering at the same points in their cycle.

I agree with watering in the evening but you will need to be aware that the risk of tagging the watering onto the locking-up part of the rota is that the person will nip up for a short time, wave the hosepipe or watering can in the general direction of all plants, and then go home - i.e. a brief and frequent watering.

Good luck!

[meridiangarden]

Thanks Yorkie- good tip re watering.

I tend to water (my house plants and container garden) when the soil is dry- is this the right thing to do?

A good point re people not giving the plants a good soak if they are going to lock up, I will think about this.