My Plot

[Patrick King]

ok i got my plot today  ;D it is better than it looks. I get next years rent free if i clean it up. yay  ;D
(the area in the red lines is mine. you can see where people have been taking short cuts with the cars.
Shed not mine  :( so gona have to look for a shed.
on the reciept it says its a 10 rod plot but i think its bigger. soil is really good under the grass. i was up there for about 5 hours to day shifting some of the grass. The best thing is one of the allotment taps is on my plot  ;D.

[Patrick King]

[manicscousers]

so glad it's settled ..just the right time as well..enjoy yourself, a bit at a time  ;D

[betula]

Enjoy.

I like to draw a plan to give me some Idea of what I want from the plot.

Hope you get some help with the digging.

[grawrc]

It looks like a great plot. Plenty hard work ahead though! Pace yourself.

[asbean]

Wow!  You'll need to take that in easy stages - not too much in one go.  Stand back often and admire what you've done (with a glass of something tasty in your hand)

[Patrick King]

yeah my dad is going to help shift the stuff. one of the people i meet today said i can borrow his petrol  strimmer and rotavator which will be a great help later on.
once the site is cleared im am going to plan whats going where. you bet im gonna be taking a drink down with me. it was really lovly today was able to work till 7pm. hope tomorrows the same.

[sheddie]

Hi,

Looks a good size! - it's amazing what difference a quick attack with a strimmer makes. Good luck and congrats!

;D

[Patrick King]

ok been down the lottie to day and dug and forked quite a bit. heres where i am up to.

what the most effective way to remove this grass there is few roots and weeds it mostly over-grown grass.

[Patrick King]

ok heres the first draft of my design

(yellow block is sweet corn)
what do you lot think?

[heyho]

Firstly I thought I had it bad with my overgrown plot (see my thread) but it is nothing compared to yours. As a newbie myself the best thing I invested in was a rotavator for the day. Cost me £35 +VAT. I did clear as much as I could first though. And as my plot is an old allotment from many a year ago the soil broke up really well.

Now once again I am a newbie to this so please all don't shout at my advice but I woudl have though it would have been better to section your plot off into root, brassicas and others and have your specific strips within these sections. That way you can rotate easier. Hoep I'm not talking to much rubbish.

[greenfinger]

I never of looking at my allotment like that. really good idea!!!!

just gone onto google map and done the same type of allotment planning.

your plans look good!

[ceres]

I'd agree with heyho.  I'd divide into areas for umbellifers, brassicas, legumes, alliums, salad + misc and potatoes so that it's easier to rotate.  I think about what I like to eat and can eat a lot of.  E.g. in your plan, there wouldn't be enough potatoes for me and you have no beans (runner, french, broad), salads, fruit, chillies, peppers.  I started off with 2 full rows of beetroot and have eventually figured out that I actually only need a quarter of a row.

Also bigger beds with fewer paths gives more planting space.

[Patrick King]

heyho i though i had to remove all the grass be for i could use one of those. the ground under it is perfect so i have been told by many people who have come to see it.

i didn't think about dividing them into those category's. can you help list what i have in my plan into the category's please. im not to sure which go where. (newbie)

when i go down there this afternoon i will measure the plot so i can sort it better.
The plot is a weird shape, but im sure with the help of this forum i will get a good layout. Also all planting is going to be in the ground not raised beds.

[goodlife]

How about getting hold of old paving slabs and when your plot is clear lay paths which would divide growing area for each type of crop...eg. make cross through your plot with slabs. Then you have one area for potatoes, one for brassicas=cabbages,brussels, broccoli, cauli etc... One plot for onions,leeks,salads, herbs., carrots and fourth for sweetcorn, peas, beans...
Then each year you just swap the plot in rotation...

[ACE]

How about getting hold of old paving slabs and when your plot is clear lay paths which would divide growing area for each type of crop

Why waste all that growing space. Just a narrow walkway between crops should be suffient.

[goodlife]

[/quote]

Why waste all that growing space. Just a narrow walkway between crops should be suffient.
[/quote]

Well,  for pair of wellies and wheelbarrow 1 1/2 foot wide path is not much loss for the space...and if it stops getting stuck in mud in winter I think it well worth it. How narrow is your walk ways...?

[ACE]

Why waste all that growing space. Just a narrow walkway between crops should be suffient.
[/quote]

How narrow is your walk ways...?
[/quote]

Don't really waste the space on walkways, just the spacing between rows. Why would you want a wheelbarrow on an allotment that was full of crops.. Stuck in the mud?  If it is that bad I would not be walking on it.

[betula]

If you work clay soil you do need paths :)

[ACE]

If you work clay soil you do need paths :)

I do and I don't.

[betula]

Well you must get very muddy boots and compaction of your soil  :)