[Janet]

Hello everyone... I've signed up for my new allotment this week and am very excited. I've been watching this site and it seems full of good advice... I don't want to be too repetetive but hope you can help with my question. I am being made redundant... which is why I've taken on the plot, I hope it will give me purpose, excersise and fresh air and that the combination of this heady mix might lift me from the doldrums caused by my situation!!! I live in hope. My redundancy situation has not been completed yet but when it is I will have a little money, my question is what should I buy... I have the basics , spade, fork, hoe wellies and enthusiasm but what else will make a difference and what wolud be a waste of money. The plot has nothing on it at the moment... we will definately need a shed!! I think a greenhouse might wait but would it be a good idea to buy it while I can. and what about a rotovator...If I see one on ebay should I try to buy or not touch it with a barge pole. I don't want to get carried away... growing your own is supposed to save money not cost a fortune... but this might be my only chance... I want to use my time and money well.

[John]

I'm sorry to hear of your redundancy - one door closes and another opens.

Rotovators are good but expensive on ebay - get the jungle drums going on the site and check out the local rag, See if you can try one first - some people find them a bit difficult to use,

Second hand is the way to go - councils are offering cheap  compost bins - ask them. I got a great one for 20

Decent seed is worth paying for - you spend a lot of energy growing so it's important not to waste your time growing rubbish.

Avoid 'gadgets' - most end up sitting on the shelf after one use.

A greenhouse (hear the mocking laughter coming at me) are good as well. Often people give them away,

Cloches are good - often find haxniks stuff on ebay cheap, if you get outbid, leave it because they repeat sell.

Good luck!

[Heather_S]

Sheds can end up costing silly amounts of money. It's not just the £100 special flimsy shed from a DIY centre but also getting either paving slabs or trenches of gravel down, wood treatment, locks and other security, etc. We bought a second hand shed off of ebay recently but it's still just flat bits at the moment while we sort out paving slabs and hope for a nonrainy day to paint preservative on the underside of the floor, and we still need roof felt to repair the roof etc etc it's neverending!  :roll:
Spade, fork, hoe (and rake!) is all we've had for the last year for cultivating our allotment. Get a good pair of heavy duty gloves too especially if you have to handle any brambles or thistle-type weeds to pull out by hand.

[milkman]

Having seen grannieannie's polytunnel pics forget the greenhouse - go straight for a giant polytunnel (I don't have one but wish I did!).
My best investments have been:-
Viromesh for growing perfect carrots, perfect peas and protecting brassicas from all the nasties - pigeons, flea beetle, white fly etc. and filtering the wind round youngster sweetcorn plants till they are big enough to stand on their own 2 feet its not cheap but is destined to last for 10 years or more.
Good quality hand fork - I wouldn't be without mine.
Good quality secatuers - ditto.
Handmower - I bought a Qualcast Panther a few years ago - its great for keeping my grass paths trim.
Blue water pipe for building cloche tunnels with.
Rake.
Scissors.
Shed is a good idea.
Good luck.

[noshed]

I must admit I wouldn't have bought a spade now - I'm very impressed with the azada (mattock) I've got. Much easier to use. Today I cleared 2 paths of weeds and dug half a big bed in about half an hour. My soil is clay/loam so it wouldn't be for everyone but I'm happy.
A lump hammer is also good for stakes etc - try the pound shops. As my friend said to me "it's only an allotment". So don't get too precious about things.

[GrannieAnnie]

It does get windy up here in Lincolnshire though, and as my poly is second hand, there are quite a few holes in the polythene, so don't know how it will stand up to the wind in its first winter here!!  Can't afford to buy more polythene at the moment.  I did patch bits up with the glass repair tape I got for nothing, but its all peeling off.  Need to save up pennies for polythene repair tape!!  They say you shouldn't re-use the polythene if you move the tunnel, but I had to.  Still, its been okay so far.

There was a man, I don't know if it was this forum, or the smallholding one.  He lives in The Northwest, and bought a polytunnel for £28 on Ebay, but had to pay to get it shifted from Cambridgeshire to his home.  It was 54 foot long!!!!!!

[mum of 3]

i would also say spades tend to be a bit of a waste as we tend to use a fork for everything.

we find our shed invaluble especially for those quick showers which creep up on you.

best of luck

[Oliver]

.. spades tend to be a bit of a waste ... {and}  ... shed invaluble especially for those quick showers

He uses a spade a lot - its good for digging in muck or making holes and trenches, more efficient (make sure your spade is long enough for your height, digging can be hard on the back! - he has a longer that average spade which he would never be without (he is 6'3").

A shed is a good idea - get the best you can afford and line it inside with scrap wood as you can lay your hands on it. Cover the window with chicken wire on the inside. This will make it slower for any miscreants to interfere with - it will not make it completely safe - if someone wants to get in they will. Don't store strimmers and such like in the shed if you know your plot is vulnerable.

Poly - a fantastic pleasure, but wait a while till you are growing happily on your plot as you will have enough to worry about getting the other things sorted. Polytunnels cost (hers cost £400 and will need a new 'skin' probably year after next - depends how the current one manages over winter - some kids slashed it in May, but she repaired it with poly repair tape - not very good, Scotch outdoor tape is better, even though it has a greenish tinge). Also they get VERY HOT, even when it's overcast and they may need to be opened and closed. If you can't get there to do that, they should be left open all the time. This has its own problems.

Similar sentiments to a greenhouse on the plot, although they are good for starting things off (think about regular watering). Glass could be a problem is some miscreant decided to kick it in (like on our plot last May). Some Councils won't allow glass anyway.
Follow this link on this forum (or use the search facility subject: poly author: oliver) for a bit more information.
POLY LINK You could also try freecycle - they often have things 'free to a good home' usually you just have fetch / to take the thing down - shed or poly - but this could be a lot more work than saving up and paying for a new one!
Good luck!

[Stevens706]

Hi

With you living in Hull I think you can get up to 3 free compost bins, I live in Lancashire (Preston) and got free ones and they were delivered free from Leeds. Try the link below, you have to telephone them for an Automated ordering service but they only took about 3 weeks, I used my neighbours address for the 2nd one but I think they will allow up to 3 per address.

www.compost-it.org.uk/scheme/compost

[Janet]

Thanks for the advice everyone... keep it coming. The tools I have are the ones from home... I haven't actually bought anything for the allotment yet... I knew there was a risk of buying stuff that proves useless... so I thought I'd ask the experts, you lot!

The local council doesn't give compost bin away but does sell them very cheap... £6 including delivery I think... so as good as free really... we have one at home and will try for another.. or a couple for the plot.  I think we might be getting a greenhouse given... well for ten quid... you can't say fairerm than that. I've looked on yahoo & Google for Viromesh and can only find reference to this site!! so thanks for the tip but does it have another name... and how do you use it...  :? I don't think we can manage without a shed... to make tea in and to sit and contemplate our place in the universe... well in the shed actually!

[noshed]

Yes you definately need a shed, and a chair. It's important to splash a bit of creosote or something around to get the proper smell.
And you need a hook on the door to hang your coat from.
Then you're in business.

[Oliver]

Viromesh

The stuff she uses is called Enviromesh - a 'trade name'. Will find out more (size, made by and price) from the HortSoc Store on Saturday if you like.
Its a very fine ?nylon mesh. BUT she has found if you grow brassicas under it, make sure none of the leaves touch the sides because butterflies lay their eggs through the fine holes in  the mesh on to the leaves and the caterpillars have a fine time. They hatch in the warm and because you think your crops are safe, they nosh away and have made many holes and shed several skins before you realise that they are there! also, it is a bit of a palaver removing the mesh to weed under there so make sure the bit is as clean as possible before you plant.

(A good way to support the mesh is our 'patent' 'ball cage' for which I hope to get pictures and instructions posted up soon). She used upturned flowerpots on bamboo lashed together to make a cage. Next time she will use balls.

[Beanzie]

You have all the basics apart from a trowel, ball of string and possibly a watering can.

I certainly wouldn't even contemplate a rotovator/cultivator unless you are unable to dig. Even then the chances are that you could borrow one from a fellow plotter.

Take your time and have a look at other plots on your site to get a feel of the problems and successes. What is growing well on other plots just now and is it what you want to grow in the future? Its a good time to  get started because you have the rest of the summer, autumn and winter to plan what you want to do without the feeling that you are behind.