Topic: what have we let ourselves in for

[waggi]

My husband and i have recently got an allotment - we dont have a garden at home and we thought that this is a good way to teach our son that carrots dont come in a bag at asda.

The allotment is huge - and well a mess - plus we havent really a clue what we are doing with it! We only want to make half for veg and some space for flowers and some space for our sons toys ie a slide - but there are massive trenches running down the allotment - are these for drainage ??? are they old potato thingis - what are they ???? We have a rotavator booked for this coming weekend and unsure if to just churn everything up or leave an area for my sons slide - if we rotivate the whole area then there would be no where for this but no trenches.

There are 6 fruit trees and loads of bushes - 3 are apple and 3 are plum - i have since learned that the bushes are gooseberry and the big long straggly things are rasberry canes - do these need trimming or cutting back to get fruit?

We are really at a loss at the momement - i will post some pictures next time

Any advice would be most welcome
Helen
HGreenhalgh@uclan.ac.uk

[Clayhithe]

Rotavate the whole thing.

Rake it over,  and take out the weeds as you go.   Stack them ready for the compost heap.

Prune the apples and plums SOON.   Get advice.
Wait til later in the year to prune the gooseberries and raspberries:  you might get fruit this year.
Track down the neatest and most productive allotment,  then find the tenant and pick his or her brains in detail.

Don't try to cultivate the whole thing at once.
Start with 1 four foot wide deep bed and 1 two foot path.   Start growing stuff in that this March and April.   Then work your way along the allotment.

You'll get loads of advice here,  and you should read as many gardening books as you can.

It's really exciting!

[northener]

You don't really want to use a rotovator all the roots get cut into tiny pieces and you just esculate the problem. Hard graft and radox your best bet. Don't go mad at it just do little bits at a time, so you can see where you've been.

[tim]

I DO know what you mean but, just to get started, as we did 45 years ago, why not bash it, use the beds that you have created & tackle the couch as & when it resurfaces?  I could not have survived here without a rotovator.

Meanwhile - of course - start doing the real thing on small areas - if you have the heart!

[moonbells]

Um, don't prune the plums now. They are very susceptible to silverleaf in spring - you want to do them in midsummer (well past May). 

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_march_2d_plum.asp

Monty was going on about it on GW tonight.

[simon404]

Yes plums and cherries and all other STONE FRUITS are done in summer, but apples and pears need doing sharpish if you havn't done them yet, likewise for gooseberries, autumn-fruiting rasberries, black and redcurrants.

If you look back through the threads you will find lots on cultivating new ground.

[Deleted]

Hi waggi,

Deja Vu? I answered on the other post. Hope all went well with the rotavating. The advice i gave on the gooseberries and raspberries is correct. My dad concurs - he's my "Highly Experienced Senior Allotment Supervisor" (according to him!!!)

[waggi]

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

we made a plan!!!!!

how scarry is that

owing to circumstances we didnt get the rotivator so havent used it!!!!
things are moving on the allotment fast - somebody is coming to help us out at some point with the trees - and we have constructed a shed - compost heap - got some poo - made a plan - did lots of clearing up off rubish

so a very productive time really

thanks for all your advice its great to know there are other people out there with the same intrests

helen

[Plottie]

Hi Helen
Noticed your uclan email on your original post - is your allotment in Preston??

[waggi]

yes we live in preston

[Plottie]

Hey me too  :D- I know there are a number of sites in Preston - we're on the Penwortham Holme West site - how about you?
Plottie

[Gillian]

I feel the same way too. We got our plot about 2 weeks ago and it's in a beautiful location with gorgeous views but it's a total mess. It has a pile of manure on one side and fruit bushes on the other that are overgrown with bindweed. Also when we started digging we found tons of couch grass roots just waiting to start growing.
Have a look at the pictures here. http://www.gilliancarson.com/allotment/

Any advice? How do we get rid of couch grass when there are no leaves yet to spray? Shall we just dig them out? Also I think the fruit bushes are raspberry and blueberry (or gooseberry maybe). I've not idea how long they have been there? Shall I prune them?

I'm so excited I want to do everything at once!

[Kerry]

great views though, Gillian.

[Mimi]

Ha ha Gillian .You will be like me ::).... propped on garden fork or spade ..cuppa in hand looking at the view.