[Judd]

I've got my allotment buildings finished at last !  
So here I am ,all exited to step into the wonderful world of growing veg. I look at the internet,buy the magazines and  do loads of swotting up.
I'm beginning to wish I hadn't started reading about it at all! The more I read the more baffled and perplexed I'm becoming.
I already knew I was an ignoramus regarding gardening,just didn't realise how much I needed to learn before I could even decide where to start.
 I just feel like running around my new plot screaming and blubbing until I turn into a vegetable myself At least they could throw me on a compost heap and I might be turn out to be some use after all.

Now I've got that off my chest I'll start trying to make some sense of the where,when and what to do first!


Just found Growveg.com, Mmm that could help

[Yorkie]

I guess if you've done your lotty buildings, you'll have some idea of the plan / layout of the plot you want?

Over the winter months, you can plant bare rooted perennial plants / fruit bushes.  But don't do anything until a) you've removed all perennial weeds and b) the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.

If you click on growing help underneath the top banner, there are monthly guides for you to review.

Then just spend time looking at the seed catalogues, make a list, cross 50% of the things off, cross another 20% off, and then you've probably only got a few packets too many to fit onto the plot!

Don't forget photos of the plot as you progress.

[azubah]

How to eat an elephant....one mouthful at a time...

Relax and enjoy. Allotments are not for getting stressed over...there's not very much you can plant before March anyway so you have plenty of time to get organised.

[mumofstig]

start digging is a good idea at this time of year one step at a time, don't panic...we are here to help

and start thinking about what you like to eat, so you can think about your seed order.
Potato seed tubers and onion sets will be available in places like Wilkinsons and the garden centres usually the 2nd week of Jan

[Judd]

I posted some photos of my plot when I first got it,last time I tried to add any I couldn't get them to post.
I like the Elephant metaphor I'll try to bear that in mind.

My mates coming with the tractor to plough it for me.

[JayG]

Too much research!

Don't expect instant perfection (even the experts get it wrong when things don't go according to plan because of things beyond their "control".)

Don't try growing difficult crops that you might not actually enjoy eating simply because they seem exotic and therefore "justify all the effort and expense" (in this country "exotic" is always more difficult and risky for a reason  - beans, peas, carrots, spuds, salad stuff, shallots, sweetcorn are all relatively easy and reliable and will give you much more pleasure than disappointment in your first few years.)

It's about 50 years since I first started helping my mum with her first efforts to supplement the family budget by growing fruit and veg - the magic of seeing tiny seeds germinate in spring ready to be grown into productive plants has never worn off for me, and I think that's a very important part of the whole process (especially if things do subsequently go wrong!) 

[sunshineband]

Just organise yourself on paper and then take things one step at a time Judd -- you've made a good start, so enjoy that elephant 

[compostqueen]

Growing veg is not difficult. A seed or plant is programmed to grow so don't worry  :

[RichardA]

get John Harrison's book "Veg growing month by month" and go for it. But expect to keep learning for the next         oh           about 50 years.
R

[Judd]

Thanks for the replies and encouragement everyone. I think I've managed to get  grip now
I think I'll get John Harrison's book(Thanks RichardA)
If it's time to plant  bushes,I might just take my first bite of the Elephant :happy:

It's a blank canvas.
Now then.........where to put the Goosegogs?

[yorky]

Wow!! are all those buidings part of your lotty? I am getting excited just thinking about what I could do if they belonged to me.

[Judd]

Yes all mine
It's taken me months to get them finished though,if you look at my gallery you'll see what they were like at the beginning.
They were all pigsties and the plot hasn't been used for years.
I suppose I've been very lucky especially considering I actually got it by accident!

I just hope I can do it justice

[SkipRat]

How to eat an elephant....one mouthful at a time...

Relax and enjoy. Allotments are not for getting stressed over...there's not very much you can plant before March anyway so you have plenty of time to get organised.

Sound advice, first of all enjoy ,the growing side of things will come season by season. Allotments are a lot more then growing veg. There will be the understanding of the seasons, you will see more of nature, your plot will sometimes become your think tank at other times your island to get away from things, the antisipation of the start of spring, or simply to sit very early on a summers morning and think to your self "lifes not at all bad sometimes"   

[penninehillbilly]

Try covering part over or sowing a green manure if you don't think you can manage to keep up with it all, I can get my patch looking great in spring, keeping up with the weeds over the summer is the hardest part.

[sarajane]

Oh my gosh.  I'd never see OH if I had all those outbuildings.

As others have said, easy does it and just deal with one patch at a time.