New Allotment

[AitchEm]

Hi I have just heard that i will be the proud owner of an allotment at the end of this season.  Already i am planning what i will grow, where and how etc etc, but wonder, as the plot faces south east, how should i orientate the rows, facing the south east or facing north east, or doesnt it really matter. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks  :)

[AitchEm]

[STEVEPARTRIDGE]

Hello and welcome Allotment Novice, your best bet is to note what your neighbouring allotment holders are doing on theirs as if there any who have been allotmenting for awhile on your site then they will have learnt a great deal from their experiences with regards to this and other important things such as the type of soil that your site has, I think though that as long as you do not grow plants in the shade of one another then the direction does not matter, good luck with your plot regards Steve.

http://www.myallotments.com

[AitchEm]

Hi, thanks for your reply.  Other plots seem to differ, so am of opinion it may not matter which way.  Good advice thanks, will chat to longtime allotment holders and see what i can glean lol. Thanks :)

[saddad]

Welcome aboard.
;D
Whereabouts is the plot... under or above the waterline?
::)

[Joe]

I have just taken over a new plot and have been to QDs (cheap shop, all over the country) today where they are selling 5 packets of seeds for £1.  All in date until 2009.  So have bought chard, beetroot, carrotts, radishes, iceberg lettece, tomatoes, onion, leek, broccoli, pea,cabbage,radish. all for a couple of quid can't believe it.  Am planning on sowing some of them in doors and planting out in couple of weeks.  Is this OK do you think??

[cornykev]

welcome to the nuthouse Novice. ;D ;D ;D

[asbean]

Welcome to A4A, AllotmentNovice, this is the place to come for all advice, abuse and anything else to do with allotments or anything else for that matter.

You don't have to think in rows - how about blocks.  Sweetcorn has to be planted in blocks so they can pollinate each other.  Beans on poles, on the other hand, might benefit from a north/south orientation along the row, if you have the row east/west the southwest side will benefit from more sun than the northeast (since we're in the northern hemisphere).  I talked about this quite a bit with the chap on the adjoining plot and we've both done north-south rows of runners this year and see what happens.

[norfolklass]

hello AllotmentNovice from me, too!

the old boy on my site who's been doing it for 40-odd years says north/south, that way both sides of the row get sun: east in the morning and west in the afternoon. I plant in short north/south rows across my beds, which are 5 feet wide and run from east to west, so lots of things look like they're planted in blocks rather than rows, or at least they will do when I get them planted ::) ;)

just make sure you leave enough space between rows to hoe the weeds without accidentally wiping out your plants!

[manicscousers]

I have just taken over a new plot and have been to QDs (cheap shop, all over the country) today where they are selling 5 packets of seeds for £1.  All in date until 2009.  So have bought chard, beetroot, carrotts, radishes, iceberg lettece, tomatoes, onion, leek, broccoli, pea,cabbage,radish. all for a couple of quid can't believe it.  Am planning on sowing some of them in doors and planting out in couple of weeks.  Is this OK do you think??

hiya, joe, good price for all those seeds, and a good mix, just watch out for th slugs  :)

[iain]

Hi from me as well