[mischiefbec]

Hi folks,

Hoping for a bit of reassurence really. We have had our allotment for about four weeks now and I am slowly losing the will to live with it. We appear to have inherited the worst plot ever, so for we have tackled nettles, bindweed, mares tail, brambles, brambles,brambles, layer upton layer upon layer (five layers with weeds and rubbish sandwiched between each is the best so far, carpet laid upon carpet, a slope, and no definite boundry meaning it is unclear where to start and stop.

We have been down almost every day, sometimes staying till it is black and we can no longer see and our progress is so very slow. I am a bit worried about all the things we should be getting in the ground now and should already have been in. The only useful thing that seems to have been left behind seems to be a rhubarb that we uncovered in the undergrowth yesterday.

Been down and had another two hours this morning with the little ones (4 and 20 months) but made notable difference.

If it was you guys what would you make your top priorities? Also what things should we really try to be getting in and what are we too late for?

Any advice would be utterly fab as we're off again later. So far we have managed to clear around a quarter and get in four raised beds, also cleared the top of the plot and bricked round a salad bed, put up the greenhouse (plastic) and built two compost bins. Oh and done about 2000 trips back and forth to the skip (we have the furthest plot from the gate.)

Sorry about the moany post.

Love Bec xxx

[mischiefbec]

Sorry that should say layers of black plastic! Which is also breaking up into small sections as we try to shift if. Not painting a pretty picture am I?

[PembsPanther]

I am a newbie to this growing lark so cannot offer any advice I just wanted to say a big well done to you for the amount you have got done in the last 4 weeks, read your post again you have done an awful lot and should be proud of yourself

There are lots and lots of experienced growers on here who will be along soon to offer some solid advice, you are getting there all be it slowly you ARE moving inn the right direction

Best wishes

[prakash_mib]

sorry to hear the state of it bec.
never say never. the hard work you are putting in will surely pays off. whats the point of losing now when you've done this much work and you are winning.
you would hear the same/similar stories from many here but remember people like you stick to the plot and grow. I've seen people taking up beautiful plot and have no clue (I call them TV gardeners... watching TV and thinking its really easy) and give up within a year or two.
I recently laughed at my new neighbours when they said their plot was in terrible state (with about 50% grass or dandelions) and said to them thats one of the best plots you can get.
Again never lose the will as you've done better then many. Take it slowly and even sit back and admire sometimes with a cuppa.  

[Willow_Warren]

Well done for doing so much already!  Getting a quarter cleared is good progress.

I'm no gardener but I would plan it so you can get something into the raised beds and areas you have cleared and that can get going whilst you continue clearing the rest!  Also come items could be brought on inside or in pots whilst you prepare an area for them...

One thing I have learnt on this forum is there is no rush to get things into the ground.  We had quite a frost last night  :blink:

Good luck and I hope your efforts are rewarded.

Hannah

[lmpd]

It sounds to me like you're right on top of it. Afraid to say that there is no substitute for good old fashioned elbow grease.
I do remember being in the same position myself and one of the other plot holders saying to me 'once you have done it - it will never be that hard again' and that was quite true!!!

[mischiefbec]

Cheers folks, was actually gonna take the flask with me this morning but the hubby had stolen it for work. Boooo!

So far I have put in red onions (red baron) white onions (stuttgarten), radishes, cabbages & brussell sprouts because I was given plants, the found rhubarb, early nantes and autumn king carrots and some boltardy beetroots. Also peas going in the green house but no where to put them yet.

In the house we have two kinds of pumpkins, broad beans, courgettes (although I managed to kill 8 by putting them in the lottie greenhouse too early) ,tomatoes (5 varieties as I was given seed) peppers, aubergines, sweetcorn, marigolds (for the carrots), leeks and chillies. We don't actually have any window sills left.

[flitwickone]

sounds to me like you are going great guns well done on all that you have cleared and planted just remember its not a race    bit by bit and you will soon be done   

remember every hour to stand back and chillax for five minutes

good luck

[lucywil]

A little and often is they best way, don't feel under pressure to get it all done and planted this season, and just remember it does get easier

[plum crumble]

well it sounds to me like you are doing extremely well. The best advice I can give you is not to think you have to do it all in one season. My current plot is in its 4th year of ownership with us and this is the first year we are cultivating all 250 square metres. There is no shame in not doing it all!

[maxyboo]

What on earth are you so disheartened about Bec?! You have done loads in just 4 weeks and sound like you are doing brilliantly. Try not to dwell of all the things you have not done or you will never be satisfied. I have things I have wanted to do for years but not got round to them yet. Do you have to get it all cleared now or can you just concentrate on half the plot and perhaps cover the rest with something to suppress weeds? Don't worry that you haven't got much in the ground yet. It is still early for many veg and one frost will see them off. I would concentrate on clearing an area, then cultivating it to keep up your motivation. Honestly we are not saying this to make you feel better, you really are getting along just fine. Be proud of what you have achieved. Best of luck and enjot it!

[bigben]

You have my sympathy - my own allotment was very similar - shoulder high brambles on a steep slow with loads of brittle damp proof membrane that had fractured into little bits and needed raking off.

My target was to do a good sized bed every 2-3 weekends.
Step 1 - 1st Saturday -clear a bed down to ground level use loppers to snip brambles etc and clear out all the carpet, and plastic etc- bag up for binning later
Step 2 - Sunday repeat with the second bed and if possible burn the brambles etc on top of the first bed.
Step 3 - 2nd Saturday turn over and dig out the weeds on the first bed - might take Sunday as well! Digging in the ash from the fire - never burn plastic or carpet!
Step 4 3rd Saturday Clear bed 3 down to the ground and pile up on top of bed 2
Step 4 3rd Sunday burn what is on bed 2
Keep on hacking, burning and digging. Once you have a couple of beds clear then start to plant stuff and move to clearing a bed every 3- 4 weeks.

If you are not allowed fires then you might just have to pile everything up in a corner to rot down slowly.

Good luck - try to remember to enjoy what you do and dont just think of it as a horrible burden. It will get easier when you switch from ground clearing to planting.

[Charityuk]

You're doing brilliantly! We've had ours a month too and have cleared about 1/3, built 3 small raised beds and put potatoes in.  Our children are a bit older, 7 and 4, and sometimes they are very useful but at other times a real hindrance, needing snacks/toilet trips/soil emptied out of wellies/gloves replaced etc every 5 minutes...  I cannot imagine doing it with a 20 month old!

[Azazello]

The good news is that it won't get any harder than it is now.

When I got my plot I had to deal with seemingly endless amounts of couch grass (easing off now after 4 years). It took ages to get on top of it, but stick with it and your first bit of food that you get off of it will taste all the sweeter!

Keep buggering on, as Churchill used to say!

[compostqueen]

I do my plot alone so it's been slow and I'm not finished yet and not likely to be. You have to learn to pace yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day 

Remember it's about the veg and everything else is secondary. You can clear a bit, plant and sow, watch it grow while tackling the next bit, and the next etc etc   If you don't get something in you won't have anything to eat 

Folks spend that much slashing and burning, rotovating over and over again and forget to grow owt    I think sometimes that some of the guys actually prefer all the prep, and ending up with acres of bare soil, rather than having any real interest in growing food 

Good luck with it and chill out