im scared

[scunnybunny]

 hello all i really need some help i have just aquired a huge barren rotivated allotment and i dont know where to start i was kinda hoping it would have something on it so i would have something to get stuck into and i was so full of enthusiasm waiting for the plot and now that i have it im just scared and overwhelmed everyone else on the site seems to know what theya are doing and they all look so proffessional that i darent even start incase i make such a rookie mistake that the whole place falls about in fits of laughter i need a plan please help x  ??? ???

[scunnybunny]

[RosieMcPosie]

scunnybunny- can i give you the best advice someone has ever given me?
speak to your neighbours!
they will have the best advice, and are much more friendly than they probably seem at first glance. 

[manicscousers]

measure it, make a paper plan, mark out beds and paths, cover the paths so's you don't walk on the beds..plant some winter onions and garlic.  Don't panic, most plot holders are nice  ;D

[OllieC]

Hey scunny & welcome! Congratulations on getting your plot. This is the perfect time to get one, I reckon. The best advice I got when I took on my plot was that it's a marathon, not a sprint. That was from our steward. Don't worry about what others think - unless you're growing for them. They were all beginners once & I've found most "old timers" around me to be very helpful.

Very little in gardening is an exact science. As such, I never make "mistakes" - I simply get experimental results from which I learn!  :)

At this time of year, I'm thinking about getting ready for some overwintered onions, then some garlic pretty soon. Then doing what I can to get the soil ready for spring sowing.

Most importantly, take your time, enjoy the fresh air, and have fun!

[Carls3168]

Hiya Scunnybunny,

I'd second RosieMcPosie - your neighbours will be able to tell you the history of the plot, anything to look out for, what grows well - what not so well etc etc

If your plot is huge maybe consider getting some plastic to cover an area till you can get round to it. Get some overwintering onions in so at least something is growing, now is also a good time to plant rhubarb, raspberrys, fruit in general.

Then plan and ponder, what do you want to grow, do you want raised beds, can you have a shed - where will it go, what about a greenhouse? where could you put some compost bins, maybe an apple tree.... the list is endless!

Allotments are supposed to be FUN... and are!!!!

[Crash]

Hi
When I took on my plot 2 years ago I hadn't grown anything since I was in high school. Don't worry about it. I lost count how many times I kicked myself for stupid mistakes, but you learn from them very quickly. I took mine on about the same time as you. I spent the winter clearing and getting ready for spring, apart from planting some onions and garlic so I could at least see something growing from my hard labour.
All the old boys have a wealth of information. On our field they don't tell you where you're going wrong but will put you right afterwards if you ask what went wrong.
Within 2 years I am now the field expert on peppers! Nobody had grown them before. Amazing what you can achieve!

[scunnybunny]

thankyou im starting to feel better about things and your advice is great i have a starting point now and im glad you think this is a good time of year to begin cheers x

[manicscousers]

yes, I'd forgotten about the soft fruit and stuff, plan your strawberry beds..the other allotment holdrs may have some runners for you, blackcurrant cuttings too..best time to take it on, really

[djbrenton]

Over consecutive winters I used different approaches to clearing an abandoned plot.

Year 1 - I dug and hand cleared an area. It was hard work as  the tangled roots meant a lot of bending down and also the ground was fairly heavy.

Year 2 - I covered the land with plastic till early Spring. The weeds and their roots had pretty much rotted away, plus the ground was bone dry and crumbly.

Guess which method I'd recommend.

[sarah]

welcome to the site, all the advise given so far is spot on. dont rush things; dont expect rome to be built in a day. remember all those plot holders were new once and most of them will have good advise. please dont panic, its very duanting at the beginning  - i felt like everyone was peeking at me from behind there rhubarb checking out the silly things i was doing. but they werent of course!

make a plan
get a shed
put a bob marley poster in it
plant things (some will work some wont)
manure and cover what you arnt going to use right now
look at seed catalogues
put some soft fruit in.
take some pictures for us to see.
ask us anything .
enjoy your time on the plot and relax.

it really will become easier once the shock of the new has worn off and you are up the your elbows in produce. 

[norfolklass]

hi scunnybunny and welcome!
if you fancy planting over-wintering onions head to your local cheap shops: Poundland, Poundstretcher, etc. last week I got 2 bags of 75 onion sets at £1 each from my local Poundland and they should start getting soft fruit canes in soon too. I bought raspberries, black and redcurrants and gooseberries when I took on my plot last October, all £1 each. I had nowhere to put them so just dug temporary holes, filled with some manure and plonked them in ::) they've done really well this year and should start fruiting properly next year ;D
and like everyone else has said: don't panic, enjoy it!!!

[manicscousers]

our poundland have their soft fruit bushes in now, raspberries, blackcurrant and blueberries..also weed control, all for 1.00  :)

[posie]

Hi scunnybunny  :)

I felt exactly the same as you about 1 month ago when I had mine, altho mine was full of grass and not rotovated.  Like everyone else has said, have a chat with a few people there, plan it out and then pick just one bit to focus on, don't make the mistake of trying to do everything at once.  I decided to work on a patch determined by how long my poor rechargeable strimmer would last for and today I finished strimming the whole lot back, I have half a bed dug and now it's rained, hopefully I can finish it and put some onions in.  Then its on to the next bed.

You'll be fine and you'll have a huge sense of achievement from it too.

Posie   ;D

[kitten]

Hi scunny and welcome  ;D

So much good advice above i'm not going to repeat it, but suffice to say i agree with it all  ;)

Just wanted to say hello and good luck with your plot, it's addictive (as is this site, be warned  ;D ) and don't forget to post some piccies of your progress, we do like to see all your hard work  ;D

Happy digging  :D

[cambourne7]

Hi Scunny,

I am sure you will be fine and there is plenty of advice here, and its a perfect time to get an allotment as most of the garden centres have sales so you can go made with seeds :)

Cambourne7

[SMP1704]

Hi there

All great advice - to add to that I would suggest:

As well as having fun, give yourself permission to make mistakes - its the only way to learn ;)

Don't worry what other people are doing - it's not a competition

Poundland are fantastic for basic garden supplied but watch out for their weed control - I have seen thicker 50 denier tights :o

If it has been rotivated, that's great you have a blank canvas, but on the other hand you don't know what nasties are lurking, e.g., perennial weeds  so hand dig as well so that you can pull out the roots that will have been cut up by the rotivator.

Expect weeds to grow - you've got healthy soil that will sustain your fruit and veg.  Think of them as green manure or compost bin fodder. ;D

Enjoy

[ninnyscrops]

Hi Scunnybunny,

Adding to all the good advice above - remember to plant and sow what you like to eat (not too many courgette plants) and enjoy yourself  :)

[Mothy]

Scunnybunny,

Take your time & enjoy it!

As well as the above you could sow some aquadulce broad beans in a few weeks. They seem to crop earlier and miss the blackfly that hits spring sown ones.

You could also plant rhubarb crowns, now really is the best time to start as you'll be all set for the off next spring!

Good luck  :)

[angle shades]

  :)Hi scunnybunny,

agree with everything said,

if you clear it bit by bit,cover with cardboard (from your friendly supermarket)
and chuck some compost or manure on it for the worms (your best friends) to take down into the soil.

you can plant overwintering onions,garlic and broad beans, a few pansies to make it look pretty :)

wilkos and Morrison's are good for cheap fruit trees ,

welcome to the site and have fun./ shades x

[cornykev]

Hi Scunny and welcome to the nuthouse, what can I say its all been said above, but do get them wintering onions in, happy digging.  ;D ;D ;D