Topic: new allotmentier,is this a plan?

[motherhen]

Welcome Pookie
What a great time of year to be getting a new plot - shallots are something else you could plant now to overwinter.  You could also get some spring brassica plants mail order or from a garden centre - but do ask your neighbours what the local wood pigeon situation is - you might need to put up bird scarers or even net them.

Re covering - I like to get any bare beds 'tucked up' over the winter.  It stops all the nutrients leeching out.  I put down a thin layers of fallen leaves, home made compost (you could use manure instead) then cover the lot with cardboard.  I wet the cardboard and then cover that with a thick layer of straw (you could use sheets of plastic instead, suitably weighted down)  I find that as long as the straw is well soaked when I put it down then it stays in place.

In spring when I uncover the bed I find the worms have gone crazy on the compost, leaves and cardboard and all that is left is the straw - now nicely starting to rot down and ready for my QR compost heaps.  This is really helping me to get organic matter into my heavy clay, no-dig, raised beds.

I hope some of those ideas might be helpful to you.

Oh - re young children - I'm a Guide Dog puppy walker and I'm allowed to have a pen on my plot (1.5 X 1.5m) to put the puppy in while I'm working.  I did find a playpen in my kitchen very useful when my children were young - it kept them where they could see me but safe.  I don't know if something like that would work for your youngster.

[cornykev]

Welcome Pooks, as already said define your area, I'm sure other plotters have been used to using your plot as a short cut and you don't want them treading over your seedlings.
Weighing down with bags of weeds is the way to go, but I would want to open my plot up to the elements in winter, you don't want the slugs and all their nasty mates getting cosy under there.
Lastly you say it was sprayed by the council, so you will have to wait a while before you plant.
All the best and welcome again to the asylum.   :P :P :P       ;D ;D ;D

[pookienoodle]

thanks all,
I am thinking of putting up a windbreak which will also serve to deter people taking shortcuts over my plot to get to the water trough.
I am on a very limited budget,has anyone ever used scaffolding debris netting for this?
 I think one of the problems I have is that this is a newly reopened site,it has been vacant for 10 or 11 years and before that it was phased out over 10 years so some of the plots haven't been worked for a couple of decades.
there are only 20 plots and none of us have any idea what the soil/local pests are like.
there are other allotments site in the area but they are in different positions and so probably not too similar.
bought some bits and bobs today(still haven't got my key :()
I have noticed nightshade lurking on my plot so need to investigate the best way to get rid of that.

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

Hi PN

Sounds like you have a plan - spot on.  Only thing I'd say is consider digging an area, leave it a fortnight and re-dig just to eliminate all weeds like bindweed and couch grass.  Then the soil will be too heavy to dig over winter so get some green manures, garlic, onions, broad beans in somewhere.  I spring consider redigging where you have already dug just to ensure the bind and couch is out.  It sounds a fuss but it really worked for me.  Also bear in mind that any bed with a crop in is often tied up for many months - until June if you do onions, garlic etc so make sure you are happy that those areas are either weed free or not wanted until June!

Hard work now means less and less work down the line so it is an important and enjoyable few months of hard graft!  Honestly, its not too bad - get some labour in to help - family, friends etc etc

Psi