starting up allotment plot

[mitzzy]

I have a blank canvas so to speak on my plot . Not been worked for about 2 years or so . council clearing up last of glass , wood and other stuff left on plot today . Scraping top of soil .

any suggestions for  cheap fencing ,must be secure as  I have toddler on site.

I have paletts for compost bin , a shed  waiting to go on plot .
should  i just set up for next year or grow a green compost crop ( or is it too late for that now ?)

mags

[mitzzy]

[rdak]

mitzzy- strongly advise you check with the council, as fences are forbidden on our allotments- and think it may be a national law (stops people claiming land as their own after 7 years)

[mitzzy]

It is allowed in our allotment ( maybe a scots thing  ??? ) all our allotments are fenced .
I had council guy round yesterday re glass on site ( they have a clear plot policy  so that should have been done )
I mentioned fencing to him

mags

[rdak]

ok.
how high does your fencing need to be, and what's your budget? what size perimeter?

[mitzzy]

i just have to fence the end of plot . I think rough estimate about
 25 -30 foot  . I need to find our measuring tape
Plot is huge !!!
budget very limited ! £ 100  i think  

need it to be about 4 high  I was going to do what  most of the others have done . wood bottom and add fencing ie chicken wire or mesh later .


mags

[rdak]

I find that chicken wire tends to be very expensive. here's an idea- get some pressure treated tree stakes, about 5 foot tall, 1 foot to be driven into ground. cost about £2 each, space 6 foot apart so you'll need about 5 of them = £30.

Then either
a) nail 6 foot bamboo canes between the posts every 6 inches, so you'd need about 40, at 25p each, that's £10

or
b) run wire between the posts at same intervals, not sure how much wire would cost. With this method, you could plant some blackberries to climb the wires, and in a few years they'll form their own fence.

[mitzzy]

thanks Ross
that's given me more ideas on fencing . I need to have  toddelr proof LOL

he's a bit of an escape artist !!!

mags

[Ceri]

your plot sounds big enough to 'donate' some land for a sandpit/digging area for toddler.  Maybe some plastic outside toys could be kept at the lottie? I only mention this as the kind of 'help' my boy gave in the past tended to be of the digging where newly germinating seeds kind, along with burying himself in the soil.  He is now four and scorns such childish behaviour!  He prefers to wander around to the other plots, lean on his little spade and chat with the men of the land rather than stay with mum.

Several of the larger lotties on our plot have little lawns as well!

[mitzzy]

hi

I have made up a rough plan of what i want to do with plot and i thought i area for my little monster would be a good idea :)

the allotment area is fenced round and gate are padlocked so he should be safe, just don't want him to annoy other plot holders .


I got him some tools from adsa in their sale for the plot and we have been groing runner beans in a pot this year . he's so cute it's called " myplant" LOL


mags

[derbex]

If you're really limited on budget -why not just fence off 'his area' and put him in that with some toys -tell him it's to keep mum out :). Then follow Ross's suggestion with the wire, pretty cheap from what I remember, though you might need a couple of straining bolts -still not that expensive.

Is there a reason your plots are fenced -here in tropical Essex it's to keep the bunnies out, so we pretty much have to use chicken wire -I don't know about the legality of it, but every plot is fenced and the secretary told me I would need to do it if I wanted to grow anything.

Jeremy

[mitzzy]

most of the plots are fenced ,seems to be the thing to do . I need to fence to keep toddler in one place :)

I am lucky that that all i need to do is close up the other end .

mags

[YT2095]

perhaps you could use the plastic netting sold on rolls to keep birds of your plants, and staple that to some stumps or use wire ties and bamboo canes every 4 foot or so.
it`s alot cheaper than chicken wire, maybe you could grow a climber in it, like Honey suckle etc..
my wife has made a border using only flowers, a 2 foot by 30 foot length of mixed cornflowers along the bottom of the allotment, not only looks nice, but serves a practical purpose too :)

[shifty581]

Hi Mags

In the Midlands we are allowd to use old corrugated tin roffing.
You can pick them up from scrap yards.
Tony

[mitzzy]

hi

Some kind person had left some ver useful wood suitable for fencing on my plot and the man next door ( allotment wise ) has source of corragated sheets . :)

so I have just got to finish diggin it all up and then I get the fence up !


Mags