Allotment tips for newbie?

Hi all

have recently ( at long last) managed to get an allotment...at the moment is all overgrown so have to start by strimming it, turning it over first and using as rotivator and then it should be go go go!

Have you any tips for a clueless but really enthusiastic gardener?


Much appreciated

 

Yes, one bed at a time and forget the rotorvator*.

Strim the whole plot if you must but then only dig over by hand, that, that you can immediately use. Cover the rest of the ares with black plastic or carpet to suppress further growth. We have had lots of hot weather recently...if your soil is baked solid...wet it down it'll make digging easier.

*Rotorvators will cause you more problems than make things easy, they will chop up worms and weeds too...which means you will have more weeds growing back.

Steve...

 

Divide it up into defined beds/bite sized chunks and tackle them one at a time. It will seem easier & more rewarding to complete something rather than trying to do the lot all a once. I've seen many a person take on an overgrown plot and before they've got to the end, where they started was covered in weeds again.

I'm pro-rotavator, but agree that if you cultivate the whole plot to a fine tilth then sow/plant it all you'll have more weeds than you can cope with coming up and smothering your crops, especially seedlings. Too many people think you just have to run it through a few times and it's sorted.

But by sowing in modular cell trays you can bring plants on so they don't get lost amongst weed re-growth. You can always wait untill that first flush of weeds appears (when we get some rain) then cover with polythene to let the sun burn them up. Then then those plants from the cell trays will have a head start over the next flush of weeds. Closer than standard planting should help supress them.

Mulching will also keep them down plus cut down on watering. Plant tomatoes, courgettes & cucumbers through holes in polythene dpm sheet/heavy duty weed control barrier and there won't be a weed problem. I throw grass cuttings amongst sweetcorn, french beans and anything else with a gap where weeds might show. Stable straw on newpapers makes weed-proof paths between blocks of plants.

Even if you're not going to plant an area this year you can always keep your rotavator going through it, especially in hot weather so most bits of root from perrenial weeds will shrivel up and die. As it's overgrown it will be a seed bank of annual weeds and will also help destroy them by continually churning them up.

You may not eliminate your weeds this year (or even next year) by adopting this approach, but you should start getting some decent crops and have your plot looking reasonably under control.

 

I see no problem with the rotovator. They turn several weeks worth of back breaking work into a day's work.

If there are any really tough weeds like bindweed there, I'd spray them with Roundup before doing anything, then rotovate when the weeds are dead.

I theoretically agree with the idea of doing one manageable patch at a time. I say theoretically because I can't do that. I have a tendency to try to tackle everything at once and then feel overwhelmed by it all.

I'd plant loads of potatoes once the ground is broken up. They help loosen the ground, and their dense top growth and the earthing up process helps smother out weeds, thus making for better ground next year.

 

I put Roundup on my veg patch (scrub grass), then had the farmer plough it (probably not an option for an allotment!!, but hopefully your soil HAS been worked recently-ish), then rotavated with a mini-tractor PTO Rotavator, then made lazy raised beds - beds 4' wide, paths 18" wide, I just dug a spade-depth out of the paths and put on the beds, no boards to hold the edges in - I never walk on the beds. Then I planted the lot. You'll be just in time for this season, although probably too late for Onions, rather late for Parsnips and Broad Beans, and you may have to buy some plants this first year rather than growing from seed for things you are a bit late with - Tomatoes, Leeks perhaps.

I created 4 beds for my main crop rotation (Peas/Beans, Sprouts/Cabbage, Parsnips/Carrots, Leeks/Onions), then another 4 for "others" including potatoes, sweetcorn, things like Chard / lettuce / etc, Strawberries, and then another 2 permanent beds for Courgettes and Squash, and 4 more for cut flowers like Sweet Peas, Dahlias, Gladioli and a nursery bed for plants for the garden. Oh ... and a couple of greenhouses too!

But, yeah, many people do one-bed-at-a-time.

 

Wow - thanks for your replies guys- very much food for thought

Tackling a bit at a time sounds more manageable to me - have already got some old carpet to put down. and its do able by hand.

Not sure if want a poly tunnel or greenhouse bearing in mind I shall be using plants this year ( my mate sowed a ton of various seeds for me and these will be about ready to plant out next week I imagine.


its hard work but I'm loving it!

 

I don't recommend the old-carpet route. Its a nightmare to get rid of, and will probably leach undesirable chemicals into the soil as it rots - which you probably don't want in your veg! (I think old carpet is banned by many allotments for those reasons)

Weed suppressing membrane would do - albeit that it isn't "free" like old carpet :(

 

Despite saying 'a bed at a time", here's what I did one day last week.Three new beds. Rotavator in 1st gear full throttle going through land that hasn't been cultivated in over 10 years three times. I couldn't get a spade into the baked, clay soil. Started tidying the edges today;



Each bed 4m wide as that's the width of a roll of polythene dpm. Evey bed I've got is that width so things like pea structures can be moved around.

I blame GC Pumpkin Competition, T&M selling Sarpo Mira @ £1 for 20 including P&P and me for sowing 19 varieties of tomatoes for needing some extra ground this year.

One more rotavating session and 1 bed for spuds and cover the other 2 with polythene to grow tomatoes through. Earthing up and mulching the spuds will help keep weed re-growth down and the polythene on the other beds will smother anything underneath it.

Better check whether I need more polythene as B&Q have a 15% off online voucher valid for tomorrow only https://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/storevouchers/voucher.jsp?rid=51&icamp=redeem51

 

Am I right in thinking that that is "solid" impermeable plastic sheeting?

If so weed suppressing membrane would be better. its woven (so won't rip or tear easily), but being woven is permeable so the water will get through, rather than run off, and it will let air to the roots more easily too.

Dunno how it compares, price-wise, to Polythene dpm though ?

 

Yes it's the impermeable stuff and I've just been checking the costs, plus looking at Shiney's crops growing through porous woven polypropylene. I use both the above + the 'heavy duty fleece' version of weed control fabric:

Polythene DPM: 4m wide rolls from Builders Merchants, DIY Stores @ approx 50p/m2. Impervious so doesn't let water in (except through holes cut in it) or out. As I have no water on site where I grow it keeps the moisture in from the very limited number of waterings I find plants grown through it need. A big advantage is that as well as keeping water in, it will only let rain in through those X cuts, so even after prolonged rain when everywhere else is too wet I can un-peg sheets, rotavate and re-lay them, or leave the sheet off and cultivate to an open bed or even a seed bed

This year for example I've had 2 decent showers of rain in March and only one so far during April. So I'm more interested in keeping the water I have to drive to my plot in the ground, rather than letting the rain that never seems to come get into the ground.

Woven polypropylene weed control barrier: Available locally in 1m (1.2m?) wide rolls or 4m wide from ebay, etc., and costs about 80p/m2. Will let rain in, but also let moisture out. The narrow strips it will need far more pegging down, but 4m+ wide rollls on ebay, etc.. Cut ends/holes will fray and I've found it rather 'snaggy' to walk on. I use it as mulch mats for small trees when planting. Strimmers will tear the edges.

Thick 'fleece' type weed control barrier: Flimsy and only suitable if covered with something like a mulch. I use it for beds of black/red/white currants.


Kristen, do you know a cheap source for wide rolls of hd weed control fabric, and how does the ground below dry out during periods of hot drought. I've also seen large sheets of it lifting up as the wind appeared to be getting through it, but this could have been because it wasn't pegged down sufficientley.

 

I know its available in wide rolls, but haven't bought any recently, so sorry don't have any recommendation for suppliers, nor any knowledge of price.

Interesting point that we don't get any rain during the summer, so a "solid" barrier will keep more in - than a "woven" layer might do; seems a reasonable supposition

 

Having a new allotment can be very daunting, in the early days it felt "too much" and many a time I nearly gave up; but I had adopt to the method of tackling one area at a time.

I didn't use a rotivator as we had/have cooch grass so it has all been done by hand (phew) very hard work but I'm winning.

I look at it as a work in progress as it's always changing, there are some plots that are better than mine and some worse, so the idea is to just go at your own pace.

I have a greenhouse so I like to give everything a good start by sowing all my seeds at home then transplanting when big enough, to the exception of parsnips which I've sown direct, so we'll see what's successful or not!

Good luck and enjoy.

Warning..it can take over your life!!

 

I forgot about this other advantage of being impermeable and have added the emboldened bit to my post above:

 

As Wilkos are selling 6 x 2m sheets of the woven, permeable membrane (25% off) and it's 148g/m2 when most stuff sold as 'heavy duty' is only 100 - 110g/m2, I've bought a couple of sheets today. Last Friday I bought another roll of 4 x 15m heavy duty (1200 gauge) black polythene sheet dpm from B&Q (as they were doing 15% off on the Royal Wedding Day) which cost just over £27.

So I'm now planning to plant up two 4 x 5m beds (the 2 rear ones in post #8 of this thread) with identical plants for a comparison of these two materials used as weed suppressant/mulch.

EDIT: I just poured some water on the Wilkos stuff and it doesn't seem to go through. Hmmm, well it does say mulch on the bag.

 

Thanks guys :D


Well, only managed to get the keys properly last monday (loooooong story ) but still.....

As I said, my friend has prepared some stuff for me...went down there and did some *proper* work (instead of just thinking about it ).

Decided to go the route of " just get stuck in" and "do it the hard way!" scenerio, and I'm chuffed with results so far.

basically, I'm just turning it over by hand, without strimming and without a rotivator ( for now :o)

It IS hard work - and I managed a couple of hours and I have the makings of a proper bed in which I can plant potatoes tomorrow ( thanks to a fellow plotholder :D) and sort out some netting for my onions.

My plan is now to go with a ploytunnel - I'm quite happy with decision as I feel i will be value for money, basded on a friends experience ( irl).

What I love is EVERYTHING! I am seriously chuffed with how things are going ( slowly but surely).

LOTS of help from others with allotments and it is a small villlage almost - a real community and it was really great meeting the others.

A couple of them even dug in for a bit and helped - how cool is that?!

Yep, I got the allotment bug :yess: Is it contagious?! :happydance:


Thanks for your help so far...will definitely take on board whats been said