Topic: ?Too late to start for this year?

[mickey]

Hi all, I'm really enjoying reading your enthusiastic reports from allotmentland.

I've recently moved house and now have an allotment 2 mins away, and I'm tempted to go for it.

My relevant knowledge/experience could be summarised on the back of a stamp, I cannot forsee being able to spend more than a day/week on the plot, and I'm thinking that I may be too late this year, particularly if the available plot(s) need a lot of clearing. Also, my wife thinks I should be attending to DIY in the new house before taking on another commitment - my hope would be to balance the 2.

Any comments/recommendations?

[tim]

Wife permitting, of course - you just have to do it! Then she'll find she can't resist it. Hope you can cook!!

Even if you only refine a couple of rows this year, there's lots you can grow on that. Plenty of advice here on how to clean things up.

Never say never! Get the stuff growing and then look at the DIY - it won't go away. = Tim

[gavin]

Go for it, Mickey!  DIY for rainy days and winter, and allotment the rest! :) :) :)

Good luck - Gavin

[kenkew]

Do a small bit at a time. Get some qickies in like radish and lettuce, you have plenty of time for a main tatie sowing and most brassica's can go in as seed. Also time enough for main peas. Get yer wellies on and go for it.

[ptennisnet]

We got ours around this time last year and I was a total novice, although my girlfriend knew a bit.  We were advised not to try and do it all and it was so true.  We dug about 25% of it and just periodically cut the weeds on the rest.  We are still eating from last years work purple sprouting broccoli and perpetual spinach.
You'll be amazed at how much better things taste and how much you can get from a little bit of land.  Get seeds going on a window sill whilst you are preparing the plot.  Also, check to see whether other people have got chicken wire up as putting up the fence also takes time.

[Doris_Pinks]

Take it , take it! Even if it means you just have the majority of the area covered to stop weed growth! I have just paid for mine for the year, £17.50 for my plot, even if I was only growing a few radishes and carrots(how I wish they would grow for me!) I would consider it money VERY well spent. I am with Gavin, winter is DIY time, now is outdoors gardening ;D (as my housework shows! :()  It becomes addictive tho so be warned :D  DP

[mickey]

Thanks all for the encouragement and tips. I went down there yesterday morning and now have a plot!

 I'm hoping to get some main crop spuds, spinach, carrots, and french beans in. My 9 year old, Paddy, wants to start a strawberry patch.

I was also wondering about herbs? Any suggestions?

The site is clay at one end and "loamy" at the other - I'm in the middle (there are 300 plots!).

Cheers,

Mickey

[tim]

Easy herbs - bay, rosemary, thyme, chives, garlic chives, mint (contained), sage, marjoram. lovage, tarragon.

If you like 'spinach', try Rainbow Chard. = Tim

[rdak]

rosemary and thyme are very slow from seed, as I am finding out, so buy a few plants. As Tim says, contain mint (e..g in a sunken pot), as it is very very invasive.

[Multiveg]

Rosemary, apparently, is easy to start from cuttings. Got one huge bush in the garden, but I would like a plant on the lottie.

[Moggle]

My late summer strawberries (florence) are just flowering, so if you got a few in now, you still might get some fruit off them. And more runners for next year.
Don't take this as gospel though, this is my first year of growing anything.  :D