Topic: Hello. Newbie Here

[Golach]

Hello everyone.  I just took over an allotment last Friday.  This is the first day since I got it that I haven't been down - and I feel really guilty.

The allotment is 125 sq m of...4ft+ high grass and weeds so I've been attacking it with a hand sickle.  Going to get something better tomorrow or Saturday - like a scythe or scythette.

So far, with the hand sickle I've managed to hack down about 1/5th of the allotment and my son has made a start on digging it up.  It's beginning to look like an allotment - at least part of it anyway LOL.

Very interesting to read some of the posts about allotment holders not looking after their allotments.  My neighbour on one side is like this.  Other allotment holders have complained about the state his allotment is in to our Council but he seems to get away with it by saying he's trying to attract bumblebees.  I have seen nothing that would attract bumblebees at all.  Bumblebees are favourites of mine and I'm just waiting for a delivery of Allium bulbs to attract them next year and I'm also growing Lavendar plants in the greenhouse.

I know it is very hard work, especially clearing an overgrown allotment but already I love mine and can envisage it next season.  It'll be a lot better than it is now and hopefully, tidy and productive by then.

I love growing things and have a greenhouse at home which is full of tomatoes and sweet peppers at the moment.

I have joined our allotment association and will be attending their meetings.  I'm sure I'll learn a lot there.  The allotment holders I have spoken to so far have been very friendly and, indeed, I came home the other night with potatoes, a cabbage and a beetroot from one of them.  I gave him some of my pepper plants as a thank you.

Scottish members will recognise my forum name - Golach.  It's a Scots name for an earwig!

[OllieC]

Hello & welcome! Great that you're enjoying what you've been doing so far!

[Golach]

Thank you OllieC.  I am enjoying it even though it's hard work at the moment.

Looking forward to fresh veg next year.  Really fed up with the expensive rubbish that's on sale in the shops.  Tasteless and doesn't keep, not to mention covered with pesticide etc.

I lost my husband just over 2 years ago and this is something that was in the back of my mind for some time. I'm not one for going out pubbing and clubbing but needed something other than work as an interest so got the allotment.  I was very lucky.  Had a look round the allotments a couple of weeks ago, was told that there were plenty lying empty, applied online and 4 days later got offered one from the Council.  Suffice to say I went down next day and signed the tenancy 

[Unwashed]

Hello Golach, welcome to A4A.

Strimmers are good for clearing overgrown plots, but so too is a rotary mower - you just need to walk through the plot to make sure there isn't glass and concrete and stuff.  If you don't have one you can hire one for a few days - it's easier than doing it with a sickle - and I've done that too!  A mower will mulch the grass up so it'll rot down quicker and it'll cut it down to soil level making digging much easier.

Best of luck.

[daveylamp993]

Golach .Welcome to  A4A It is a great community on here so don't be afraid to ask any questions,even if you think they might seem silly,we all ask these sort of questions on here sometimes,All the best with your new Plot.

[Big Gee]

Hello everyone.  I just took over an allotment last Friday.  This is the first day since I got it that I haven't been down - and I feel really guilty.

The allotment is 125 sq m of...4ft+ high grass and weeds so I've been attacking it with a hand sickle.  Going to get something better tomorrow or Saturday - like a scythe or scythette.

So far, with the hand sickle I've managed to hack down about 1/5th of the allotment and my son has made a start on digging it up.  It's beginning to look like an allotment - at least part of it anyway LOL.

Very interesting to read some of the posts about allotment holders not looking after their allotments.  My neighbour on one side is like this.  Other allotment holders have complained about the state his allotment is in to our Council but he seems to get away with it by saying he's trying to attract bumblebees.  I have seen nothing that would attract bumblebees at all.  Bumblebees are favourites of mine and I'm just waiting for a delivery of Allium bulbs to attract them next year and I'm also growing Lavendar plants in the greenhouse.

I know it is very hard work, especially clearing an overgrown allotment but already I love mine and can envisage it next season.  It'll be a lot better than it is now and hopefully, tidy and productive by then.

I love growing things and have a greenhouse at home which is full of tomatoes and sweet peppers at the moment.

I have joined our allotment association and will be attending their meetings.  I'm sure I'll learn a lot there.  The allotment holders I have spoken to so far have been very friendly and, indeed, I came home the other night with potatoes, a cabbage and a beetroot from one of them.  I gave him some of my pepper plants as a thank you.

Scottish members will recognise my forum name - Golach.  It's a Scots name for an earwig!

Hi Golach -

ENJOY your allotment plot and never allow it to become a chore is my advice. Here's a little something for you from my allotment website that may help a bit:

http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/allotment_startup_quick_guide.htm

G.

[Digeroo]

Welcome to A4A.  I do hope you continue to enjoy your allotment

I am becoming a great fan of a digging hoe, its seems to be able to clear any patched which have become overgrown very easily.  It gets rather deeper than a strimmer and is cheaper and within a few minutes you can clear quite a large area.  I was recommended it on this forum and I have not been disappointed.

[Big Gee]

Welcome to A4A.  I do hope you continue to enjoy your allotment

I am becoming a great fan of a digging hoe, its seems to be able to clear any patched which have become overgrown very easily.  It gets rather deeper than a strimmer and is cheaper and within a few minutes you can clear quite a large area.  I was recommended it on this forum and I have not been disappointed.

Azadas, digging hoes or mattock - whatever you call them are THE allotment tools of choice for me too. They are the most used garden tools in the world, but for some strange reason are not so popular in the UK in modern times. Traditionally a mattock was a 'must have' tool to cultivate a vegetable plot.

I couldn't cope without them - brilliant implements for any serious allotmenteer, espcially if ground clearance is on your menu!

Check out this web-site that's run by an old pal of mine:



http://www.get-digging.co.uk/

[pumkinlover]

Hello Golach and welcome.  For inspiration see posts  by gavin Conway and mikeakabigman they have shown their transformed plots in the last two years .Apologies if I have missed anyone else's transformation stories these two are the ones that I remembered!

[Jayb]

Hi Golach, Welcome to the forum 
I found a petrol strimmer great for cutting off long growth, perhaps someone on site has one you could borrow? Covering with cardboard and grass mulch stops most weed growth and over a little time gives the worms a chance to go to work. Some perennial roots will still need to be removed by hand though. I agree with the others, a digging hoe is fab, you can get them fairly cheaply at amazon or googling should bring up lots of results.

Enjoy 

[Digeroo]

I am not sure amazon are the cheapest at the moment their price does not appear to include P&P any longer, there are cheaper deals around.

[Big Gee]

I am not sure amazon are the cheapest at the moment their price does not appear to include P&P any longer, there are cheaper deals around.

I agree - Amazon is not my first stop for stuff like that. Get Digging (that I mentioned in an earlier post) is very good and his selection is great.

The other consideration is quality. Many outlets for these type of tools (including Amazon) often sell very cheap imported tools that are of an inferior quality, which in the long run can be a bit of a false economy! Even the handles on the cheaper stuff are more like broom handles than digging tool handles.

[Jayb]

I agree - Amazon is not my first stop for stuff like that.

That's a shame as if you click through this link to Amazon a small percentage goes to A4A to help support our lovely forum http://www.amazon.co.uk/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allotments4al-21&linkCode=sb1&camp=2378&creative=8438 see this thread for details http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,70473.msg718144.html#msg718144

I am not sure amazon are the cheapest at the moment their price does not appear to include P&P any longer, there are cheaper deals around.

I bought one for a friend the other day I think the Silverline with free supersaver delivery. As already stated there are many sites offering similar items and it depends what you are looking for, I agree it's nearly always best to shop around 

[Big Gee]

I agree - Amazon is not my first stop for stuff like that.

That's a shame as if you click through this link to Amazon a small percentage goes to A4A to help support our lovely forum http://www.amazon.co.uk/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allotments4al-21&linkCode=sb1&camp=2378&creative=8438 see this thread for details http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,70473.msg718144.html#msg718144

I am not sure amazon are the cheapest at the moment their price does not appear to include P&P any longer, there are cheaper deals around.

I bought one for a friend the other day I think the Silverline with free supersaver delivery. As already stated there are many sites offering similar items and it depends what you are looking for, I agree it's nearly always best to shop around 

Fair comment - I was blissfully unaware of the A4A tie up with Amazon. I was simply making a personal comment, had I known that A4A stands to gain from Amazon sales I would have stayed in the shadows.

G.

[Golach]

Hi all and thanks for your replies and welcomes 

Didn't go to the allotment tonight.  Visited my neighbour and very good friend who's in hospital at the moment having broken a bone in her pelvis.  My friend is the grand old age of 90 and, until recently was still managing to do some gardening.  She has beautiful gardens, front and back and it's such a shame she's poorly just now.  On the plus side, she was looking much better tonight so I'm hopeful she'll get home soon.  She has carers come in several times a day and I pop through whenever I can.

Will be down at the allotment tomorrow and Sunday.  Going to a horticultural show (local) tomorrow afternoon - it's not far from the allotment so I'm looking forward to that.  In the morning I'm going to have a look at some tools - a scythette and anything else I think might be useful.  A new hoe wouldn't go amiss as the one I've got is a cheapie with a metal handle which is getting really rusty and will probably break at some point in the near future.

Had a look at the link to your quick start Big Gee.  Some good tips in there but you forgot to mention the most important "tools of the trade" - the tea and coffee making implements LOL.  Last time at the allotment I had the flask, coffee, sugar, Coffee Mate...but forgot the teaspoon 

Note to self - remember teaspoon!

Hoping the weather stays dry over the weekend.