Topic: My first allotment!

[Linz_]

Hi all...

Picked the keys up yesterday for my first ever allotment!  Me an my mum (along with my 4 year old son and 14 year old nephew) will be tackling it!  It's not real big but its great for us as we are total newbies and have no clue lol

Been today and met a lot of the neighbours, all of who are lovely! (apart from the fact my next door neighbour had his car parked right in the middle of my plot lol)  and 1 of the guys has offered to plough and rake over the plot with his tractor for me.......is this a good idea???

Apparently the soil is real sandy....will this be a problem?  Also i have been offered as much well rotted horse manure as i want....and they will deliver it free!  Should i snap their hand off lol

I have spent all day on this site and have to say....its fab!  Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Here is a pic of my plot as it stands at the min...Have to say
, after seeing the state of some people on here i was pleasantly surprised by this one

[manicscousers]

wow, seems like you've struck lucky there, good neighbours who'll help, free muck..seventh heaven..welcome to the site, I'd snatch their hands off and accept all the help you can get, you should have it ready for planting quite soon..happy plotting  ;D

[triffid]

Hey, congratulations, Linz! Next to many of the 'before' pictures, that's a good plot you've got. And at least if it's sandy soil (and it certainly looks it!) it'll be relatively easy getting the weeds out.

Re the well rotted horse manure, yes: snap their hand off -- it's marvellous stuff. 'As much as you want' and delivered free...  you lucky thing!  It's exactly the kind of stuff you need to add nutrients and moisture-retention to your sandy soil.

The offer to plough and rake over the plot may be a great help if you're able to get in promptly and clear the weed roots out before they regenerate. And at least the soil will be ready for you to plant seed spuds, onion sets etc straight into, which at this time of year is brilliant. There's still fruit bushes in many of the big garden chains, too, so you could bung in currants, goosegogs or whatever else is going. (Check the 'bargains' file here... http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,91/board,33.0)

Talk to your neighbourly plotholders about what grows well and easily for them and try to find out if you can what was grown where before. Bet they get wonderful carrots in that nice light soil.  :)

[Linz_]

Thanks!

The guy with the tractor has said he will do it tomorrow if i want him too, and the kids are off for another week yet so i plan on been down there a lot this next week so the weeding won't be a problem at all.  The kids are so eager to get going, they (well the 4 year old) don't realise you have to prepare things first lol.

I was talking to my neighbour this afternoon and he says nothing has been planted for almost 3 years on my plot, as the lady that used to have it also had his.....and used mine for parking her car and trailer on and sitting on with her cuppa!  Looking forward to changing that though!!

The guys i was talking to today, between them have 11 plots (3 men) and have told me to come see them before i get going and they will tell me whats what. 

I was even dreaming about allotments last night lol  i see tonight been the same!

Thank you for your advice :)

[Trevor_D]

Free horse manure, good neighbours and staff!! Ain't you the lucky one?!? Welcome to the asylum! Get down there & get planting!

[cornykev]

Welcome to the nut house sounds like you stepped in shi# sorry manure, lucky old you, as Triffid said dig out them weeds before they multiply tenfold, don't be too fussy where the spuds are going, they will cope with the weeds. Also get your onion and shallot sets in, make sure you you don't manure the area where your roots are going, good luck and happy digging in sunny scunny.   ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

If your predecessor parked on the plot you may well have some seriously compacted soil. This can be really difficult going when you're digging it, and I'm not sure how a rotavator would cope. Once it's been broken up, though, there should be no further problems with it.

[saddad]

Get it ploughed and except where you want to get roots like carrots in ccover it with about 4" of manure... and turn it in as you go... If the soil is sandy you will proably need to maure every year for at least 4 years to build up the humus but you should get great carrots and other roots from the off.. Hope you habve a great time!
 ;D