Topic: First steps, on a budget

[STHLMgreen]

It takes me about 2 hrs to really sort out a section about 3 or 4 m2, that's weeding, digging and planting seeds.

Wow. It takes me much longer. I got my plot in the winter just before the snow came and stayed, so it's pretty much my first year too. But with the weeds tangled in the clay (couch, bindweed and different thistles, dandelions, etc) it's either spent a lot of time untangling or throw half of the allotment onto the site weed pile!

[budgester]

When picking all the stones, put it a bucket, then you can use then to make a gravel path :-) (With weed supressant underneath or course.

[antipodes]

STHLMgreen seems to think that I work real hard!!! I am proud! But it is a bit of a cheat - firstly the plot was recently used so it has been dug over at some stage. Secondly the soil is really good crumbly stuff so weeds pull out pretty easily - I don't untangle. What I do is, grass etc I shake the hell out of it to get  out the soil, then I let it dry out lying around on the plot for a while, then I compost it. If I lose some dirt it will only go in the compost and back again after a while. The bindweed I put in plastic bags to rot and only then will I compost it. Also my digging ain't that good! I dig to about a spade's depth and push it about a bit, hack it up then rake it. Still, it seems to work ok.
Also I have the plot set up so that I don't need to actually walk on the bits that I have dug. SO any weeds come up, the ground is really soft and I just pull them out.
Having said this, there are still a couple of bits I need to do - one square next to the carrots that is very grassy and the bit where my peppers will go, then the section where I am making a little square of terrace to put a table in the summer and probably a big pile of s***t to rot down in the winter ha ha ha I'm afraid that I am still a bit slap dash but I try to do what time allows me to.

[emmy1978]

D'you know Antipodes, I've just been reading your blog and I thought what a beepin beep that bloke is making you cry. It's just an awful way to treat you and you've done so much. Knickers to him anyway, sounds like you're getting along quite nicely. How stupid to say your plots aren't like theirs? If it had been in good shape when you took it on then you'd be well ahead by now like everyone else.
Grrr. Am cross for you. I'm assuming you can already swear in french, if not let me know and i'll give you some choice words ( for muttering under your breath in Frenchy type way)  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Have you checked what actually is in the rules? I bet he's making it all up as he goes along, and one possible answer would be to produce a copy and challenge him to show you where it actually says all this stuff.

[antipodes]

ha ha yes I should update you all on this, I got talking to my plot neighbour who is a North African man who has a terrific plot (but they tend to come down in a group of 3 and 4 blokes and in an hour they have dug about 50 square feet!!!) and he is very disapproving on the people that manage the plot! He said that they have their hand around a beer bottle more often than a spade ha ha ha and he said that he too had had a run in several times because they don't approve of something he is doing!! How incredible. I think that the last time he told the guy to get lost so now they leave him alone. But he thinks that my plot is OK, for the amount of time I have had it!! Ok, there is a lot of spare grass floating around, some things haven't worked on first sowing and my paths are made of carpet still (err probably not cut terribly straight!!) but I have managed to plant what I wanted and I have already some crops!! Which is nice. He even gave me some good advice, showed me a couple of tricks with the tools and showed me what he does with his coldframe, which was nice of him, even though I don't have one! So I guess there is always an element in most groups of someone that wants to boss everyone around, it's life! I will try hard to put more pics of my site on the blog,  then people could tell me what I am doing wrong!!! In fact I think I am just not geometrical enough, I found it hard to do things in straight lines etc, it is more a wild garden ha ha That is why I like spuds they look good mulched in straw even if the rows are crooked.
I have worked out too that some of the other gardeners have covered their plot in spuds and onions which to me seems a waste! All the other lovely things you could grow!! But it makes you have a tidy garden very quickly so it is an unfair comparison, when I have a dozen different things!!
Thank you to all who made such encouraging comments, I was very discouraged for a while but I have decided to plough on as it were and tell myself that Rome was not built in a day and that over the winter I will be able to better plan the 2nd year and bit by bit do decent paths, make raised beds with wood, get more perennials etc, get more seedlings going early etc etc, all those things that you miss in the first year. I hope that Sid does not get discouraged!

[SueSteve]

Hi Si,
I used to do a bit of archaeology.
I met the mattock on my first dig! The experienced ones seemed to have all the fun, while the newbies ended up doing the mattocking!!
Are you doing a undergrad, postgrad? Where are you based?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Mattocking was great fun when I helped on digs, but that was when I was in my teens.

[hairyhippy]

Glad to see you over here Si. A little and often is a good approach.

[Si D]

Hi Si,
I used to do a bit of archaeology.
I met the mattock on my first dig! The experienced ones seemed to have all the fun, while the newbies ended up doing the mattocking!!
Are you doing a undergrad, postgrad? Where are you based?

I'm currently part way through a PhD at Birmingham.  I only get to do a month or two per year digging - on research digs rather than commercial.  About to go again and hack up a round barrow before ploughing destroys it.  Mattocking is fun, trowelling is better, but shovelling out and barrowing is what I 'ates.

Tis going to be an energetic June - get up, cycle to site, dig all day, cycle home, walk to lottie, dig again, walk home, collapse, repeat.... :)

(waves at HairyHippy - a familiar face in the undergrowth  ;D)

[sally_cinnamon]

Hi Si,
I'm another lottie newbie, got mine in Feb this year.  It was pretty overgrown and so far I've used a micture of techniques for attacking the weeds - digging&weeding, Roundup, and tarp.  All three work!
As far as being on a budget, I am an ex-student and therefore permanently poor for the time being.  I have found it really useful to tell as many people as possible that you have an allotment, it is amazing how many things are donated to you!  I mentioned it at work and after about a week I had old carpets, bed edging materials, concrete slabs, hanging baskets and plant pots, seed trays and seeds, tomato food, a bench, garden centre vouchers (for my b'day!) and my shed-come-summer house!  Fab!  And definately check out freecycle, and also dontdumpthat.co.uk - Wilkos, InStore, Home Bargains all sell stuff a lot cheaper than the other stores, for when a bit of spare cash comes your way!

Post pics of your progress!

 :)

[Si D]

thanks for the tips Sally - have been to Wilkos today and also freecycling  :)

Also found that the people at the allotment are very helpful, first day there a chap wandered over and gave me a tray of plants.  Not sure what they are but at least something is growing  ;D