Allotment time forgot

[BTCV STEVE]

Hi all i am working on a community project and i could do with some help and information on the first steps.

i have 8 allotment patch which have not been used for the last 20 years and i now have the task to get them in order.

but, yes there is a but i know i cant do them all in one go so i am planning to work the one patch to get it into working order.

i have a local school who would like to help and i have to set up community groups, people who need a little help.

the site is over grown and covered in fly tipping, but, (yes but again) i we want the site to be totally organic

so my question is can anyone give me some good links to places to buy item needed , plants, or even any where i can get free stuff as budgits are low very low.

or if anyone has some good information on what to grow when and where.

all help greatful

[BTCV STEVE]

[oakmore2]

Freecycle may be a good way to start getting hold of equipemtn, wood for raised bed s(if that's what you want). etc...

I got a lovely shed for my lottie for free!

Good luck with it.
xx

[oakmore2]

Sorry, forgot to say Welcome to A4A!!  ;D

[BTCV STEVE]

cheers oakmore2
i will check on freecycle i heard about that the other day but for the life of me i could not remember what it was called.

and i think i will need a lot of luck this could be a very big project very fast.

[OllieC]

Welcome to the site!

On Gardeners question time someone recently asked how they could convert an acre of wilderness into a garden using organic methods. The answer was to spray with roundup & go organic the next day!

Good luck with it - sounds like you have a good number of helpers so that's a start...

[BTCV STEVE]

round up that was a bad joke.
ollieC

we dont do round up NO No NO NO!

well right now i got a lot of people saying yes they will help but with the weather and now moving into winter.

we will see how meny come out to play.

[Amazin]

Let's hope they all have a sense of humour, eh?

;)

[tonybloke]

welcome to A4A.Iit's an addictive thing, gardening!! ;)
If the site has been fly-tipped in the past, check for any hazardous items (paint/asbestos/chemicals/poisons/etc) before you get too involved in food production.

[caroline7758]

Welcome, Steve! Let us know where you are- maybe there are some local members who could help you out.

And keep coming back here with your questions.

[STEVEB]

do you have funding?

[Crystalmoon]

Hi BTCV Steve, welcome  ;D hope you get many helpers & thoroughly enjoy transforming your new allotments   ;) 

I dont suppose you are the Steve I met when I went on a BTCV working holiday in Surrey about 12 or more years ago? That would be far out if you were, lol   
 

[BTCV STEVE]

cheers to every one for your replys.

ok yes we have fly tipping and there asbestos but as it has been out doors for years it a little more safer and i am not to worried as i have work with the safe many time and the local council have agreed to take it all away.

we have some funning but more is always needed. but again i have ways to get some more funding.

soory noi was not the guy you meet in surry but happy to chat if you have supported btcv.

the site is in the south wales valley in blaenau gwent.

[loopyloulou]

well if it helps offenders often have to do community service and locally weve had ppl make a community garden for a hospice, was in the paper, so maybe try asking the courts service or something if theyd release people to help clear the site as part of theyre community service? not sure how youd go about it all but worth asking or looking into? u could try asking local colleges is there a horticultural/farming college near u?
advertise on the freecycle cafe for people might be worth as try, the cafe group is usually linked to the main board so when asking on the main board for equipment ask them to look at ur post on the cafe for details of how to offer more practical help... wheres anika rice when you need her???
while glad the council is taking the bulk of the junk away id still be concerned that there was asbestos present and that it could be in the soil? if possible id get the junk off the land 1st and then slowly work on weeding and clearing the smaller pieces of junk as no matter where i dig on mine i seem to find glass and cans and so on, yuck, well buried some of it, grr!
and my plot was sprayed as it was supposed to be rotivated but the stuff they sprayed it with was absorbed by the leaves kiulled the roots of the plants first but didnt linger on the soil so i was able to start growing straight away, that said i dont know what it was but theres bound to be someone else on here that does! hope that helps if only a little  :)

[BTCV STEVE]

Cheers loopyloulou
we think alike i have a heavy mob coming onto the site to clear it and the asbestos i hope is only on the surface its great the council have said they will take it away for free anr the other stuff there.

its funny as there is not that many weeds on the site in places its thick and i hope to leave them as wildlife areas to start with at least.

we are hoping we don't have to spray the site with anything other than water.

thank you for your help every one has come but with some good ideas.

[saddad]

The bits with the strongest weed growth is the best soil... most wild flowers like poor soil, so try it the other way round!!  :-\