All excited if a little overwhelmed.

[Esre]

My plot is up and running and ready for action, now what do I do with it?

Joking aside I really wasn't expecting to be ready yet so I have a lot of things to sort out including how do I get the abandoned half plot adjoining mine (okay I'll stop kidding) and do I need to redo my plot plan, the beds don't seem as big when you mark them out, 13ft x 8ft really is a bit small for a shed to sit on with water, compost and flowers...

My latest blog post

[Esre]

[SMP1704]

WOW - the allotment fairies have visited!  Lucky you ;D

How are you planning to grow - in long rows or beds?  How big is your plot - it looks bigger than 13x8???

Whatever you decide to do - enjoy it.  Do it your way, listen to the advice that seems sound/sensible and smile and ignore the rest.

I've decide that weeds are a bit like dust.  After a while, it/they reach their own level and you just don't noticed them any more.  When you decide to have a blitz, you then really notice the improvement and have a full compo bin (not perennials of course)

Have fun - I'm V jealous ;)

[Esre]

I'm planning 8 beds 13 x 8, 2 perm and 6 rotating, well that was the original plan anyway, having marked up one bed to get the strawberries in I'm not so sure, it looked bigger on paper!

[SMP1704]

Oh I see - sorry its a bite late for me ???

I take it that as a half plot, it is 13' wide?  I wonder about having each bed 8 feet wide tho, that would mean that you would have to walk to the soil in order to weed it.

This is the end of my second year and I have now decided on 4 permanent raised beds 8x4 that I will rotate onions carrots parsnips and salad.  I have put a path up the middle of the plot - gives me about 10 feet either side. On one side I have about 20 feet that this year I have divided up for peas and flowers, the other side was potatoes and now brassicas.  I have about 15x10 given over to strawbs and blackcurrants and an 8x8 patch for toms in bottomless pots.  then I had the sweecorn 'field' behind the blackberry fence - thats the width of the plot by about 8 feet ish.

the reason for telling you this - you don't necessary need to have everything same sized beds - I only worked this out at the end of year 1.  You have a great blank canvas, see what works for you next year, if something doesn't work move it - I moved my strawbs from one side of the plot to the other.  I had a paper plan, then didn't follow it - worked it out in my head and did what made sense on the day.

Flowers can be sqeezed into corners - edges of beds and paths.  I have some fantastic cosmos still flowering and used sunflowers as a windbreak for the corn - don't think I'll do that again - its was like sending a gilt edged invite to the furry critters to come munch my corn.

[STEVEPARTRIDGE]

Hi Esre and congratulations on the work that you have done, it's a credit to you and any helpers that you may have had. Your in an excellent position now that you have a blank canvas with which to work with, you'll be surprised at how much you can grow in the raised beds that you mention, good luck with your upcoming season, regards Steve.

http://www.myalotments.com

[ruffmeister]

thats some good works at clearing, did you do it all or was it the rotorvator?

[Esre]

I cut the weeds back myself, clearing the roots of the big ones, (they look like dandelion leaves with spiky bits and are about 3 times the size) and trying to trace all the bind weed back as far as I could before pulling it up.

There are still a couple of brambles in but I had to make sure the weeds were as clear as possible or it wouldn't get rotavated, I still felt I had a little bit to do which is why I went down with help on Sunday but I'd been beaten to it.

I'll need to keep my eyes peeled for weeds resurfacing  but the hardest bit is done now so YAY!

SMP1704 the plot has room for 8 beds 13 x 8 with a 2 ft path down the middle and 18inch paths between the beds along the width, they won't be raised beds this year, though I'm thinking about putting some in next year, I'm trying to go with a lets see what happens attitude for this year and just grow bits and see which varieties take the best.

My little girl is in charge of flowers but I have already had requests for sweet peas so will be growing those, sunflowers, marigolds, nasturtiums (sp) and a mixture of wildflowers as well.