Founding member of brand new allotment site!

We were previously on an allotment site, though I'm not going to say which one it was.. people were very territorial and we couldn't stay, it was not the nicest atmosphere.

Yesterday we were called by the secretary of the allotment society for this area saying there were new allotments available and we were eligible as we had been on a waiting list (despite taking our names off some time ago).

A brand new allotment is perfect, it means people will get the know each other first off so we won't be outside that 'clique', but the members in this one just do not seem cliquey at all.. there's a real sense of community! There's also no experts as such, everyone starting in a beginner or not really a gardener.. so we can all learn off each other.

Well perfect opportunity to grow veg, soft fruit and Mediterranean crops (pomegrante, grapes, olives etc)... Very excited about it!!

 

Is it literally a brand new allotment site formed from the likes of agricultural/grazing land?

The topsoil depth may not be as deep as on established sites unless some additional material has been imported, but very often brand new sites have a decent layout, water, parking and secure fencing.

How many plots and what size?

 

The soil is actually very good.. the site used to be a large scale outdoor agricultural nursery, in fact the outlines of previous beds mark the allotment areas (so it's actually ready made really).

The soil is a good mixture of sandy clay loamy type soil, suggesting it's been significantly added to in the past.

There are about 15 plots on three stages of land (5 plots per area).. it's surrounding by woodland though, the only issue would be a lack of sunshine in Spring and Autumn on some plots. The plot sizes vary from 10 metres x 4 metres, to 15 metres by 6 metres.

 

10 x 4m = 40m2

15 x 6m = 90m2

As a 'standard' ten pole allotment plot is 250m2, they seem rather small.

 

sorry I was going to reply to this last night from came down to extreme sickness very quickly.. this morning I am mended though!

They are smaller plots than average.. as far as I know it's not really a council run allotment.. the council are supporting it (as there are serious shortfall of allotments here on Wirral) but it's basically a private allotment, so we are not bound by any rules or specifications (except those made by the secretary of the allotment).