If you take over an allotment plot that requires no work, having been left perfect by the departing tenant congratulations you chose your plot well.
More likely, it will be covered in couch grass and other perennial weeds, with the added bonus of a rickety fence and a ramshackle old shed full of someones rubbish.
But all is not lost, consider this a blank canvas allowing you to decide how the plot is laid out and an opportunity to garden the way you prefer.
Make a start
Clear any surface rubbish and cut back any vegetation as close to the ground as you can. Going over the area with a strimmer/brush-cutter is probably the easiest way, and can be quite enjoyable as the results are near instant. Rake together all the top growth you’ve just cut down and dispose of it by either burning or piling it up for composting.
The next step is to get rid of the weed roots.
One way would be to start at one end of the plot digging over the whole area, picking out the perennial weed roots as you went along. On a heavily infested allotment this takes a long time and a lot of work which is the main cause of new allotmenteers giving up.
An alternative is wait until the weeds just start to regrow and then spray them with a glyphosate based weed killer, this not only kills off the top growth but penetrates down to the roots as well. There are no instant results this way, it may take two to three weeks for the weed killer to do its thing.
Whilst your waiting, take stock of where your going to have your paths, shed and greenhouse. A rough pen and paper sketch of what you want the plot to look like will help no end in the coming months. Mark out the paths, veg beds and any hard standing areas for buildings or compost bins with pegs and string.
Once the weeds have died back down invest in hiring a rotavator, this will save you a lot of back breaking digging. Rotavate the areas intended for the veg beds, this will turn the soil to a depth of about 8 inch, and bring a lot of the perennial weed roots to the surface. Rake up any exposed roots and dispose of them. Any remaining roots under the soil that may have survived can be easily forked out now the soil has been turned.
Get some thing planted
The vegetable beds can be given a final clean by forking out the remaining debris as you start to plant and sow your crops. Try to walk on the beds as little as possible, so not to re-compact the soil, use a board or plank to work off.
Don’t rush – if you try to do too much too quickly, your tasks will become burdens. Instead, do a little and often and enjoy.
please can you help me, i am very new to this and only got a little bit of my allotment dug. in this part i have planted potatos and have some strawberrys growing, i do not know what to plant as winter is coming up fast and really want to eat off my plot
Lee
Nearly all quick growing salad crops can still be sown, along with an early variety of pea, such as Early Onward. Dwarf French beans will give a reasonable crop before the end of the season if sown now.
Now is a good time to prepare some ground for Autumn planting of next years spring vegetables, Cabbage, Cauliflowers, Onions, Garlic etc.
Best of luck with the rest of the allotment keep at it.
The trick with allotment gardening is ‘a little and often’
Hi
I have lots of weeds covering my allotment, can I still use weed killer on them as we are in mid Nov?
Hello Di,
I’d wait until early spring, when the weeds start into active growth again, the weed killer is much more likely to be absorbed through the leaves then.
Hi, and Happy New Year
I have acquired my first allotment after waiting since 2007.
Ii is a ‘half plot’ and on completely new ground (a pasture field which has had the top layer removed.
I am reading as much as I can and I think that is now a problem.
I like ALL veg -where should I start?
Should I grow in raised beds?
Should I dig in horse manure (which has come from a friends livery yard fields-no straw) or leave it on the top.
One answer to any one question would be really helpful as there seems to be so much conflicting advice. I’m quite happy to dig as much as necessary, don’t mind hard work – but would prefer to carry it out in the right area and at the right time!!
Many thanks for your help – and should I be starting NOW?
Regards,
Sonya
Hi, Sonya
Happy New Allotment
I like ALL veg -where should I start?
At this time of year, start by rough digging (1 spades depth, left in big
clods) there’s still time for the winter weather to help break the soil
down. Little and often it the trick, doesn’t become a chore then.
Should I grow in raised beds?
Unless the soil is really poor I wouldn’t bother at the start, there’s very
little advantage using raised beds, its a purely personal preference.
Should I dig in horse manure?
On the area you intend to plant Brassicas (cabbage,cauliflowers,sprouts) I
would spread it over the top, after rough digging. it will break down
faster when exposed to winter weather, and can be incorporated in to the
soil at the beginning of spring when you prepare the planting area.
should I be starting NOW?
Yes. No time like the present.
I agree there is a lot of conflicting advice, but gardening is not an
exact science, and what works for one gardener, doesn’t always work for
the next. My advice would be, learn the basic requirements of the plants
you intend to grow (e.g. soil type, feed types etc.) and try your best to
replicate these at the beginning, you can refine to your own situation as
time goes on.
Welcome to the wonderful and at times exacerbating world of allotmenting,
most of all ENJOY.
Hi Sprout
Many Many thanks for all your advice – I really appreciate the ideas and will be down on The Plot this weekend.
I agree it’s very exciting, and I.m going to take photo’s of before, during and results which should help at the end of the Year when I’m checking over the fruits and vegetables of my labours.
Is it OK to ask more things as they crop up (is that a really bad pun?)
Many thanks for your swift reply
Regards
Sonya
@Sonya
Always glad to help fellow gardeners.
Hi just found your site and it looks goods. I have just this week, got the keys to my 1st allotment and now it’s rainning!!!!
Where do I start? The site is covered in weeds and has some onions at one end, a woobley shed and compost heap, also a large metal containers.
Do I weed the site first then mark out where i woud like my beds? and then dig over? What should I plant first?
Basically HELP!
Yours a veg growing virgin!!!
Jo
Hi Jo,
I’d recommend starting in small areas, opposed to trying to clear the plot all in one go at this time of year.
Cultivate a part of the ground by digging and hand weeding, just enough to get started. The rest of the weeds could be sprayed with weed killer ( if you don’t mind this method ) One containing Glyphosate will kill the roots as well as the foliage.
Don’t worry too much about the layout that will develop over time, paths have a strange way of developing themselves.
Start with the easy veg first, Broad beans, sown direct in to you newly cultivated patch, First Early potatoes, planted now will be ready early June-ish. Middle of this month plant cabbage and cauliflower, end of April – early May plant main crop potatoes.
As for your other points:-
“Some onions at one end” – harvest when large enough to eat and enjoy.
“Woobley shed” – Mend it or scrap it 🙂
“Compost heap” – Keep this and use the rotted contents to feed the soil as you are digging.
“Metal Containers” – use it as a water butt may be?
“And now it’s rainning!!!!” – Welcome to allotment gardening in Britain.
Hope this helps a little,
Sprout.
p.s Have a look here – http://www.allotmentgardening.org.uk/vegetable-growing/
Thank you very much for help and enthuiasium for your subject. Best go and buy some spuds and seeds to plant!!!!!
Happy Digging
Jo
hi just been to pick my allottment on new site,i,m the first tenant on the site, which is approx 50 sq metres,the site is being turned over by a digger at this moment,i expect to be digging and weeding by friday.what are the crops i should be looking to get into the ground at this time,any helpful hints would be appreciated. thanks mike
Hi Mike,
Congratulations on the the new allotment,
Easiest way for me to answer is point you to some older post, Jobs-to-do-this-month
Most veg will catch up from a latter sowing / planting.
Happy allotmenting,
Sprout
Hi.
Great site – really informative!
We have just taken on a 140sqm site on old pasture land. The site has been rotavated but no manure or anything added. Weeds are starting to re-appear. Starting to plan layout for next year but is there anything we can get in the ground now?
Also read a lot about planting under cold frames – whats your advice on these?
Many thanks,
Stew
Hi, Stew
Try to get to know the soil, test the area with a decent test kit, read up on soil preparation.
Once you know what the soil is like, you’ll be able to add what ever is required to the soil for next years crops.
The weeds can either be hoed off if they are annuals, or dig the perennial weed roots out, spraying with a Glyphosate based weed killer is an option, but as the plants growth slows down towards the end of the year it becomes less affective.
To get a general idea of what to get in the ground now take a peek at the jobs to do this month part of the site.
Cold frames are a real bonus to extend the growing season, or to get things off to a flying start. I quite often use these late on in the season to grow quick maturing salad crops, Radish, cut-n-come-again Lettuce etc. you just have to keep them watered and well ventilated on warmer days.
Thanks for stopping by, Sprout.
ive just rotavated my previously owned allotment, could you tell me what i could do next is it best to spread sand on the soil to break it up more or even spread somthing else on it.
many thanks…
I’ve just been offered my first allotment and I went to have a look. It seems to be in a good place but looks like no one has been near it in years! It’s got waist and shoulder high brambles on most of it and then a pile of bricks in a corner. My mum is trying to talk me out of taking it but there are certainly no guarantees I’d get something better if I waited. I’m hoping that between me, my partner, the Council Ranger and probably a man with a van we could start getting it cleared.
Would you have any suggestions?
Thanks
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
“waist and shoulder high brambles” Yep that sounds like a vacant allotment plot, nothing unusual there.
Most vacant allotments become overgrown and a dumping site very quickly, its just a matter of hard work, to reclaim them.
Just as an example, when I started, my allotment garden also had head high brambles on one half, it took quite a while to clear,
but once done, the rewards out weigh the effort.
Best of luck, and welcome to the world of Allotmenting.
Hi all!
I’m just about to get my very 1st allotment. It isn’t in too bad condition, I mean it will take some digging over but I’m only planning on using a small space initially so that I can take my time in preparing the rest of the ground. I have absolutely no idea where to start though! What would be the best type of crops to be planting now? Any advice would be great. Thanks all in advance
@Samantha
Congrats for getting your allotment, Have a quick look in the jobs to do this month section of the site, http://www.allotmentgardening.org.uk/allotment-gardening-in-march/
One of the best places to get advice is your fellow allotment holders, you’ll get a better idea of the local conditions, and what they sow/plant and when.
i would like to know if we have any rights,we are on private allotments,£240per yr,last week the grounds flooded ,we are nxt to a river,all our crops were covered in flood water,lots of debris and crop damage,is the food safe to eat?should the soil be tested for contamination,we have asked the website for this info but no response has been recieved by myself or other tenants,several hens were also drowned,can you help,thanks mike
Hi Mike,
You have my sympathy, really disheartening when some thing like this happens after all your hard work growing your crops.
With out knowing all the details I’d say yes you have rights, but as it is a private site, I’d think the first place to go would be the land owner/landlord.
As for the the crops, was the river water contaminated with household/industrial waste during the flood? personally I’d think twice before eating it if it was.
Your local Environmental health people may help you further.
It may be worth contacting the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners http://www.nsalg.org.uk/index.php
to see if they have any advice on how to approach the problem.
thanks for that sprout,i emailed landlord,who ignored what had been said in email,but he sent a letter about he wasnt making any money of the land yet,he didnt address the flood issues,we are next to river pettrill in carlisle,which has apoor cleanliness record rating according to the local paper nov 2011 I’m hoping to get local council one in next few weeks,which doesnt flood,
Hi, I recently aquired an allotment after many years…Well worth the wait, I love it….
@jenifer
Welcome to the wonderful world of allotmenteering.
Hi Sprout
Just getting my first allotment plot. I usually grow in my garden, but since moving to our new house we ain’t bothered.
As growing on an allotment is a lot bigger scale to what I am used to, I would appreciate any advice you could give me for any early planting for this time of year if any?
Many thanks
Helen 🙂