Difference between revisions of "For Newbies"

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If you are already on a waiting list but despair that you may not get a plot for a long time you may wish to look at other alternatives. There are several outfits that look to put landowners and growers in touch with one another. [http://landshare.channel4.com/ Landshare] and [http://www.homegrownuk.org/ Homegrownuk] are the most notable.
 
If you are already on a waiting list but despair that you may not get a plot for a long time you may wish to look at other alternatives. There are several outfits that look to put landowners and growers in touch with one another. [http://landshare.channel4.com/ Landshare] and [http://www.homegrownuk.org/ Homegrownuk] are the most notable.
  
If you are interested in allotment law there is a very brief summary of modern legislation in [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmenvtra/560/56016.htm the parliament stationery office website]. For a fuller explanation see Paul Clayden's ''The Law of Allotments'' (5th edition) in paperback.
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If you are interested in allotment law the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) have a [http://www.nsalg.org.uk/uploads/article547/Allotments%20-%20The%20Basics.pdf useful 3 page summary of modern legislation]. For a fuller explanation see Paul Clayden's ''The Law of Allotments'' (5th edition) in paperback.
  
 
==Where to find initial advice on cultivation to get you going==
 
==Where to find initial advice on cultivation to get you going==

Revision as of 18:30, 20 November 2009

Main Page

The simple objective of this page is to provide links to websites where newbies can find useful information to get them going.

Links to some background information on allotments

The Allotment Regeneration Initiative's (ARI) plot holder guide contains general background information on allotments (but nothing on actual cultivation).

If you are already on a waiting list but despair that you may not get a plot for a long time you may wish to look at other alternatives. There are several outfits that look to put landowners and growers in touch with one another. Landshare and Homegrownuk are the most notable.

If you are interested in allotment law the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG) have a useful 3 page summary of modern legislation. For a fuller explanation see Paul Clayden's The Law of Allotments (5th edition) in paperback.

Where to find initial advice on cultivation to get you going

If you are new to allotmenting and to growing then you are probably on the look-out for some initial advice and guidance to get you going. While there are plenty of books that you can buy - frequently under the names of celebrity gardeners - it is possible to find much useful advice from experienced plot holders on the internet. These individuals often provide more solid, realistic and pragmatic information than the celebrities.

As a starter, apart from the information here on the A4A wiki, there are a reasonable number of contributors to Allotments4All who have their own web sites which contain much useful information for the newbie. Here is a selection:

  • Eristic – particularly good at clearance and first year cultivation plus the growing of some of the more unusual crops
  • Sunningdale Allotments – includes "new to allotment?" and approaches pages plus lots of links to other sites
  • Realfood - comprehensive site on fruit and veg growing by a Scottish grower with an emphasis on cultivation in the north of the British Isles
  • Tee Gee - experienced Yorkshire grower who covers fruit, veg and ornamentals, some of which are displayed in slide show format. There is also a comprehensive FAQ section and photo album.

Meanwhile, the following contributors veer more towards a diary format with excellent pictures:

There are, of course, non-A4A growers whose websites are worth reading. They include:

  • Gavin Keir - pages on allotment techniques are particularly useful

Finally, click here to find out how one newbie got on during her first year on the plot.