Home allotment help please?

Okay, so I've signed up here because it turns out making a 70m2 garden into an allotment is NOT a one day task as I expected (stop laughing at me) and I kinda need help and advice!! :-)

I've got a plot roughly 10m x 7m, which was totally overgrown with brambles, bamboo, some weird funky black/white stalk things, I don't even know what else, I'm not exactly a gardener myself, however I *foolishly* said I'd turn it into an allotment. We've managed to cut the bushes back and removed the main ... trunks? But our current issues are;

The grass(totally overgrown and on a slightly uneven surface at the moment)
The amount of rubbish in the soil(by which I mean loose stalks, bush branches, various roots most of which have been cut up, however some disappear into concrete)

I understand we need to remove the top layer of grass and anything seeds (will a turf cutter work on slightly bumpy ground?) And then to cultivate it, but what is the best (also cost effective) way of defeating both of those obstacles? Is this project even realistic enough for a guy who doesn't have a clue what he's doing? Will you come and do it all for me while I make you tea? (Worth a shot eh?!)

Our ultimate aim (until it changes again) is to make roughly 9 allotment plots, roughly 2m by 1.3m, with a 80cm walkway all the way around all 9 allotments, is that a decent size for allotments?

Do I even have time to do this before we need to plant? Should we just call it quits for now and get it done by his time next year?

Sorry for coming across as a totally blind idiot, but, I'm a guy? We just decide we're doing things before thinking logically about ... anything

Thanks for your time guys!! Much appreciated! :-)

 

To me it sounds like you have classic "I've just got an allotment and I want the whole lot done in 3 months" symdrome. This is where most people then feel overwhelmed and exhaust and hurt themselves in the process.

My advice, just like many other allotment holders and gardeners will tell you. Break your garden/plot up into manageable sections and concentrate on each section at a time. Wanting to break up your garden into 9 plots is good. Pick on that needs the most amount of attention and then focus on getting that bit done first. Thinking of growing fruit like raspberries say? Then plant them first. They will do their own thing while you move onto the next plot.

Int he meantime with the other plots cover them up with something, anything, I was lucky with mine as I got loads of weed membrane with mine. Cover as much of the garden with this stuff as you can afford to then slowly take it back as you tackle each section of your garden. You may decide that you may not want to use all of your garden by the time you are half through and thats ok because then you can make it into something else, without wasting any energy in the process.

Look at the work in progress threads on the allotment section of this site and you will see what I mean. Here's a link to my one which I gave up on after a year of ownership due to other circumstances.

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/my-allotments-work-in-progress.70482/

 

Hello @Labinopper,

You are funny I love your thread 'it turns out you are making an allotment! I do like to hear of a well trained man!

Now on a serious note to the forum.

Oh lord there will certainly be weeds, little tykes pop their heads up everywhere! You could do with a hoe if you haven't got one (that's a good present for your partner & might earn you some brownie points! )
If I were you I'd split the plot into two & concentrate on half the plot, take the grass off using a spade, dig it, remove as many roots as you can, once you've got one half sorted start on the other side, but keep an eye on the weeds sneaking up on your freshly dug side. Once the plot is all dug over & weed free, set out your beds. you will need some well rotted farmyard manure for your beds, but DON'T put manure in your carrot bed, they will fork!
The walkways.... are you going to turf those/slab those or will you edge your beds with some wood/edging stones then shingle the walkways? So many questions sorry.
Do keep asking lots of questions we were all begineers once, there's so many lovely people on here who will be more than happy to help you.
Good luck & let us know how you are getting on

 

There is no escaping it, it will at first need digging by hand but with a little thought and determination (and a little help) it will soon become much much easier.

If I was starting this project in the growing season I would glyphosate (weedkiller) the whole area, as it would appear you want to get going now, I would opt for covering the ground to prevent any further growth of weeds.

Ground cover: Two versions exist, free and paid for. Initially, go for free and advertise on recycling sites such as freegle for old hessian backed carpet, DO NOT use foam backed carpets. Lay these over your ground hessian side up. Bear in mind after about three years you will need to get rid of them as they rot, the next option is opened out cardboard boxes, lay these onto your ground to cover and weigh down with bricks etc, this will eventually rot down within a season and can be dug into the soil, so is a better option than carpet.

I now use paid for versions of ground cover and it continually pays me back season after season, I use thick black plastic sheet like this don't be tempted by cheaper thinner sheet, use and weather will rip it to shreds.

I also use woven weed membrane like this I use this to cover the whole plot and I use the black plastic sheet to cover areas that I am currently digging over. This keeps that area dry and diggable whilst the job is in progress.

So I would cover the whole area in weed membrane and pick where I wanted to start digging and lay some black plastic there.

Now it's a case of peeling back a little plastic to dig then laying it back down when you have finished that visit.

Use a spade, dig out a chunk and smack it with the spade so you can remove any weed roots within it, dont be too fussy at this stage and move onto the next chunk. Work backwards row by row, so you are always standing on the soil you are about to dig next, your only going to do this once and will change how you dig in future and your doing the whole plot to rid yourself of any weed roots that might otherwise be under pathways that might regrow later.

Next year the digging will be easier as you will have broken the back of it this year.

I would not focus too much on individual beds or paths at this stage, but if you want paths around the outside and up the middle, make two large beds for now, they could be split up later.

Please also start a topic of your own in the allotments section here, tell us what you are planning to grow what your soil is like, post some photographs of your progress and I promise you will get loads of advice, help and encouragement, it's like having a couple of thousand gardeners watch over you.

Good luck!

Steve...