[greenish fingers]

Hello everyone,
  After being on the list for nearly 2 years I have just received an allotment. Went and had a look and there is no way that the previous chappie has only just given it up. Daisy's, dock leaves and dandelions run rampant and there is the sad site of dead beans and corn cobs hanging from white skeletal branches.
However not to be daunted myself and husband and four children went and cleared up the rubble, the broken down shed and the portaloo. We now have the task of getting the ground ready.  I know this will take time and we have both agreed that to do it slowly and plan for next year would be best. But what to do??? We are going to start from the top end and gradually work down but what is the best way to go? 

[compostqueen]

I think you should clear a bit, plant it and make some sowings and then move onto the next bed. Some will say clear it all first and then do the sowings and plantings. I like to sow and plant first as for me it's about the veg, not about acres of bare soil 

It's your plot and you have all the time in the world to sort it out. Many people rush in and get so exhausted with all the clearing that they give up as they have nothing to show for it but a bad back    Don't let that be you

Remember. Enjoy it! 

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

I'm going to move this across to the GYO board so the veggie people can see it 

In the meantime, in addition to the useful posts above, you'll find loads of info on the main website - in particular two articles on clearing & planning your plot.

The one piece of advice I would add is to make sure that you are on top of the weeds, even if you haven't cleared them.  Don't allow them to get too high or to flower / seed.  That way you won't feel beaten by them and won't be a nuisance to neighbouring plots by spreading weeds.

[mattwragg94]

welcome to the site and good luck with the new plot -  a agree with compost queen; dig a patch, plant in it and then move on to the next patch - even if you only get a few crops in, its better than nothing.

all the best,
matt.

[safetrade]

Don't try clearing it all without planting something otherwise it will be covered in weeds before you know wits happening and that has to be one of the most disheartening things I could think of.

[greenish fingers]

one thing I am struggling with is 3 large sheets of corrugated iron, they wont fit in my 7 seater and I cant break them up. I have already removed the portaloo bucket thing which I didnt really think was something i should have had to do,( the very nice council lady told me basically my allotment now my job to clear). I dont want to have to hire a van just for removal of them?

[safetrade]

It comes in handy for making compost bays and a bay to store manure while it rots down if they are too large ask around to find out if anyone has a still saw who might be kind enough to cut it into 6ftlengths

[JayG]

Why not lay the sheets down over the ground you don't intend to cultivate yet - won't necessarily do the job for you but would at least give the weeds something to think about while you think about how to dispose of it (any chance that the council provides a skip, even just once a year?)

[tonel]

As others have said some good advice is to just do a bit at a time, can cover other areas up for now to help kill the weeds off. Good luck, hard work to start with but very rewarding when you harvest your first veggies

[Nikkithefoot]

Agree with the little and often, plus clear, plant move on. Oh and don't forget to take photos regularly. You will be surprised when you look back in a year or twos time how much work you have done and what you have achieved. Good luck

[maxyboo]

Another vote for clear a patch and get some seeds sown. It will help motivate you to get the next bit clear.As JayG mentioned, I would lay the corrugated iron over undug ground to help supress weeds and think if you can make use of it in some way. Ask other allotmenteers if they have a use for it if it is in reasonable condition. Scrap is a good price and in my area there is always someone willing to take it off your hands and down to the scrapyard. You just have to find them Best of luck and above all try and enjoy it!

[Charityuk]

In a month we've managed to clear about 1/3 of our new plot and have created 2 small raised beds with potatoes in.   Slowly slowly...

[azubah]

I would use the corrugated iron to build a compost heap or just lay it down on top of an area of weeds, as suggested by someone else.
In our area, if you leave anything metal lying near a road it disappears in seconds.

[Christine]

For now, that corrugated iron should definitely be the marker for the compost heap that you should be starting. Things like the remains of the beans and sweetcorn can be composted - but definitely not the dandelions, docks and daisies.

As everyone says, slowly and slowly. Clear an area properly and thoroughly so that you can grown things and go on to the next bit. Sow simple things like salad stuff to start with which are quick crops for results and will allow you to weed again as you harvest. For you will certainly get a second crop of weeds in the circumstances.

Get creative with the compost heap and ensure that you build it as well as you can because no doubt you will need "stuff" to help the soil along. Come autumn you can dig in any compost you have made.

It can be an awful job to get rid of an allotment holder so it just may have taken a long time to free up the one that you have got. There speaks committee experience. So long as it is obvious that work is being done and the improvement can be seen you will not get into trouble further.

Time is the thing that will dictate how long it takes to get the plot into shape. Sometimes it takes a year to see the improvement and sometimes it can suddenly look perfect after five. Mind you, it's a long time to perfection and few plots ever get there.

[Hesse2509]

I was in the exact same position in November, and am in the position now where if beds are not planted up, they are ready to receive whatever I put in them. The best advice I would give would be to take regular photographs, and to only do a few hours at a time. Psychologically, if you feel a bit overwhelmed, just take a look at the progress you have made in your photos and you'll soon feel good about it all again!