Allotments 4 All

Hi all,

Have just discovered this site - isnt it brilliant!!?

Well, here's my dillema; I live in a flat in Maidstone (Kent) and if I spent as much time on an allotment as I do watching UKTV Gardens and dreaming of the outdoors life then I'd probably keep myself in veg & flowers all year round...  but, seeing as I don't have a garden then an allotment seems the way forward.

But, I don't have a site yet, haven't even contacted the local rep I found on the Maidstone council website and am really scared too... all of the books I've read (had a bit of a splurge in Waterstones) seem to indicate that I should have been digging over the soil and starting compost heaps back in October.

So, is it worth me applying for an allotment now?  Should I expect to wait a long time, and by the time I clear the weed & rat infested site I am liable to inherit, will it be worth the effort?  Or have I left it all too late? (Bearing in mind that most of Maidstone was under a good six inches of snow up until today!)

I'm also a bit aprehensive about starting; Im a 22 yo bloke & a bit worried I may not get to warmest reception from the well-seasoned allotment-goers.....

Any tips gratefully received!!!! (especially from fellow Maidstonians)

Mark

Welcome! Gardens are not like Ground Force they are not instant.....
there's always next year to plan for. I would like to bet that all the "old timers" are already planning next years crop.
Rosemary

even if you only cleared a corner of your new plot, there are things to grow/sow out in april, may and june, and beyond for winter vegetables.

so, pick up that phone, get a plot and start :)
it's really very addictive, too!

svea

Oh do it!  It'll keep you off the streets if nowt else  ;D The old boys on the plot generally warm to younger folk on the plot because then they can give you the benefit of their wisdom and if you're lucky (and act kind of helpless) they'll you lots of seedlings and stuff.  You only need a bit of cleared space to get you going.  If you keep the weedy stuff covered over it can't get any worse which gives you some breathing space

I've not done my plot at all but I'm going to grow some pumpkins and squashes up some supports, oh and beans, which then don't take floor space up which would need clearing beforehand.  That's my excuse. 

The idea is to have fun - not kill yourself  ;D

Hi Mark, welcome and please don't worry about the reception you're going to get from your lottie neighbours.  I have found (and I'm sure I'll be backed up by the zillions who use this site) that allotmenteeers are almost exclusively the friendliest and most helpful people you could hope to meet.
Get yourself along to your local site (Council will provide site secretary's name and contact details). I think you'll find that people are always glad to see new recruits - I certainly received the warmest of welcomes and there's always someone on hand to chat to and offer advice when asked.  Certainly the old timers on my site love to be asked their advice but are never pushy or interfering.
So go for it that's what i say and I'm sure you'll be glad you did
Plottie :)
p.s. this is a good time to be getting a new plot - plenty of time to clear some (or all if you're feeling bold) of your plot in time for spring plantings

Welcome Mark. Get the plot you know it makes sense  ;D

It might seem a bit overwhelming, but you can always just do a bit at a time.

The best time to dig over probably is in autumn, but that doesn't mean you can't do it now :) You may just find it a little harder to break the clumps of soil down.

I took my allotment on in October last year, and dug half before the middle of January, and I am just starting to dig the rest over now.

There is still plenty of time for it all, and you could even be starting some seedlings inside now, if you have the room in your flat  :)

What have you got to lose Mark? You already have the interest, put it into practice.
You will need to put in some time, like twice or three times a week for a couple of hours.

When you clear out a little corner soon, dig it over, rake it and plunk in some beet root and broad beans right away.
Clear out another little corner and a couple of weeks later you can put in some other stuff like lettuce.
Clear out some more and the end of April and beginning of May you can put in loads of things like courgettes and beans.
These are just a few examples, before you know it you'll be an allotmenteer.

The people who posted here before me are right about you not having to worry about the reception you'll get from the well-seasoned gardeners. Just think of how popular you'll be when giving away your surplus veggies which you undoubtedly will have, especially if you can say they were organically grown (any bugs, odd shapes and size etc. will be taken as proof of organic gardening, not as shortcomings hehehe).

Let us know what you have decided and if you managed to get an allotment.
If you do make a start, I fully expect lots of questions from you on this board.

All the best of luck.

Hi

I've only just got a plot, and have started to clear things. There's lots you can grow throughout the year. I visited the allotment site  i was interested in during February and found a few had been given up during the past year, so were available - this seemed to be a short-cut method to getting a plot. There's 4 of us starting new at the moment on the site. I've got potatos chitting and have been gathering seeds ready for this season.

One thing i've found is there are all ages on the allotments - from students just starting out, to long-ago-retired old hands. Men, women, couples, singles and families.

The other thing i've found is allotment holders all seem to be really friendly and helpful people. Good luck.

To add to the above:

The plot i took on had been well tended by an old gentleman for many years up until last summer. So although quite weedy and lots of rubbish around, the soil is good, its easy to dig, and I'll be able to plant stuff in the coming weeks. Not all plots taken this time of year are a lost cause.

It may have been better if I had a few months to prepare the soil more, but it certainly isn't a waste of time starting it this year. I've started some seeds indoors, ready to plant out next months or so. Potatoes will be going in first week in April i think. Am planning on courgettes, beans (various) lettuce, potatoes and onions so far this year. Plus radish, celeriac (popping through the soil now!) and tomatoes. And more to come, i'm sure.

This time last year I was a total novice.  Mrs Wivvles decided that she wanted to take on an allotment, so she did - although it's me that does 90%+ of the work!

I did exactly what ina suggests - cleared a bit, planted something, cleared a bit more, planted something else, and so on.  I had 27 different crops growing last year.  Most of them grew, a couple didn't.  The family ate most of what was grown, some was stored, some was pickled, some was given away.  I found new ways of cooking spinach so that I could feed it to the kids.   I got an idea of what was "easy" to grow and what wasn't, how much I needed to grow, and what the family liked.

I glean information from here and other sites, I ask questions and get (mostly) useful answers, I ask the old boys down the allotment what to do, and have even been known to phone my mother up from the middle of my plot, spade in hand, and ask her for advice on how to do something.  I buy gardening magazines and watch Monty Don.

So now I'm no longer a total novice - just a novice!  I know one end of a potato from the other (usually), I can discuss the pros and cons of raised beds, I am an inveterate skip-dipper and recycler, and I can casually toss out fragments of knowledge to other allotmenteers - and sound as if I know what I'm on about!

Go on - do it - you know it makes sense!

Go on!  Have a go!

I was so nervous about the 'getting in contact' business that my friend had to do it for me   :-[ 

Together we are slowly pulling a plot into shape, although it still looks like a bomb's hit it.  Timber, couch grass, undug bits all over.  Looks really unedifying.

The old-hands just wander over and introduce themselves.  There's nothing like being covered in muck to lend ease to a conversation. Ask them for advice, what varieties they grow...  I've been offered the lend of tools, gone home with gifts of freshly pulled sprouts and parsnips, and been told that whenever we're ready we can have chives/mint/rhubarb for the asking.

It's as if the clock has been turned back 30 years. To when people actually talked to each other.

Pick up the phone  :)

Our lotty society blokes are from planet Zog  ;D  Lovely blokes but a tad barmy  ;D ;D    Two lady plot holders got their car stuck on their lotty as it was weighed down with slabs.  The society bloke arrived to survey the scene.  Reassured them he knew a bloke with a tractor and disappeared.  Three hours later, and further in the mire, they realised he wasn't coming back.  When they again saw him they chastised him for saying he was going to fetch the bloke with a tractor and then didn't.  He merely replied "I said I knew a bloke with a tractor"  ;D

Mr Wivvles didnt you realise that its the women that make decisions NOW DIG

Mark im 24 my husband is 26 and we have just got an allotment - the guys on the site think its great to have young people on board, they are a lovelly bunch of old men really

good luck and get going

So, I am going to stroll in and repeat what everyone has said before me!  ;D  Do it!  You could find you are confronted with a long wait, so you will have plenty of time to plan and get frustrated.  Plus, even if you get a plot in the middle of the summer, there are things you can plant year round so long as you have a clear patch.  As for your lottie neighbours, generally they seem to welcome newbies, especially because some sites are under threat of development if not well used, plus if these 'oldies' have been plotting for yonks on the same site, they are crammed full of knowledge about what grows, what doesn't, what pests and diseases are about, and all the gossip and scandal, which can prove entertaining when you stop for your coffee.  

Keep you off the streets Wardy...what with all of those skips to go scavenging through.  ;D  And I heard Planet Zog is THE place to live if you wanna grow really good sprouts.

Where abouts in Maidstone are you Mark?  My sis lives there, and we did for a while.

Hi mark, i too was daunted about the thought of taking on an allotment. I did a few years of research and tely watching like you and the stigma attached to owning an allotment and what my mates were going to say put me off for a few months but in the end i gave in and thought what the hell. I can honestly say i should have done it years ago. Its addictive. I have just taken on a great plot with not much to do on it except dig in some raised beds which i will be doing this week, then its getting the plants in. Im quite lucky that a mate of mine, who i thought would take the pi$$, is actually going to help me out. Try reading the book 'not on the label' you will have taken on an allotment by the end of the week.

Go on, go on, go on. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain - fresh, organic homegrown fruit and veg, loads of exercise and fresh air, the hours of creativity, lots of learning, etc...

I'm feeling rather old now, 29 and still don't have a lottie, just my little garden!

Don't forget - you don't have to just grow veg on an allotment - flowers, wildflower meadows, chickens, bees, etc are all grown/kept on lotties. Or you could just have a lawn to sit back, relax and soak in those sunny rays!

Old!  29!!  Wait til you are ancient like me at 34, then you can complain about being old young lady!!  :P ;)

Go for it  where else can you get a sun tan  like OMar, A body Like Arny and fresh veg...cheers Jim
P.S, Wardy,I Loves it hahahahhaha Typical tyke that bloke...cheers jim,,,, ;D

Hope I don't have a body like Arny!  Tan I don't mind.  It is amazing the 'help' you receive come summer when down on the plot working scantly clad.  ;D  Mind you, a lot of that help is verbal whilst watching me do all the work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will remember that tip Emma. Know what you mean about doing the work: the past few times I've been to my plot, there have been women on the site, but I've only seen one of the men there - too cold for them? (My OH stayed home to put up a light this weekend...)

Well Mark, convinced yet?

Wow!  What can I say guys?  Thanks for all the encouragement!  I just logged on during a quiet 2 minutes at work and can't believe how many posts of encouragement there are!

Well, I'm certainly feeling all bouyed up now and am certainly going to give it a try - I've got nothing to loose and so much to gain it seems; not just lovely fruit and veg but a suntan and fitness as well!  8)

Am gonna ring my council office tomorrow when it is open and speak to the allotment lady there (she only works mornings - nice work if you can get it!) and see what happens!

Will keep you all posted, and who knows, I could be getting my hands dirty sooner rather than later and actually digging over the soil instead of dreaming about it.....

Thanks again everyone, and thanks for the tips too!  Looking forward to posting lots of first timer questions (like, when is mud not mud?  ???haha) and keeping you all up to date.

Cheers!

(A more confident feeling) MaidstoneMark   ;D ;D ;D

Yeah!  Go Mark, go Mark! <<<does funny gyrating hips and hands dance - girls in office look on in amazement>>> ;D

Well done Mark, you won't regret it. I've just caught this topic and I can only retr...rehitara....retriat.... agree with what's been said.
You stated something that ALL new lottie thinkers say, 'I'm afraid I may already be too late...' Never. You can never be too late at starting out. Infact, when you get your lottie you'll be a bit too early! (That's Yorkshire logic!) Everyone on here has there own logic, EJ possibly has the worst logic ever...and that Wardy is something else... Quote 'I said I KNEW a bloke with a tractor....' Unquote. Shish!
It reminds me of that bloke from Lancashire that came to live next door to me a few years back. He put new wallpaper up in his front room. It got me thinking I should do my front room too. After he'd finished I asked him how many rolls he'd bought. He told me 13 rolls. I thought right, I'll get the same and do my front room. I did, I had 3 rolls left over. I asked him how big his room was, it turned out to be the same as mine. I said I had 3 rolls left over. He said, 'Yeah! I did too'.
(****** the war of the roses was revived.

EJ shakey fisty at kenny!

Kenkew      Still tittering  ;D ;D ;D   Now don't get me onto wallpaper.  Wallpaper is something I CAN do ..................  oops, sorry

couldn't be bothered to get a lottie, just ploughed up daddy's estate rah rah! ;D ;)

Just been on to the Maidstone allotment association - apparently there are plenty of plots free on the lottie just down the road from me which is great news.  Will be ringing the bloke who runs that site soon (apparently he is 'down the pub' today haha!!)  Will keep you all posted

Hurrah!!!!! Looks like it's going to happen.
Do you have a digital camera Mark?

Yes - let's see your face!!

I've got as far as the waiting list for my "Lottie" in Ipswich, but we're moving in a few weeks so no rush for me. As I've said before I've not grown anything since High school and I'm the big 40 this year, but I'm sure my Grandads green fingers must of rubbed off on me. Go for it and enjoy!

No digital camera I'm afraid; but my mother assures me Im devilishly handsome  ;) haha

So i rang the chap who runs the site, and I will be popping down on Sunday to choose a plot - how easy was that?!! Then comes all the digging and the hard part!!!

Am so excited that its all going to happen!  What shall i grow first??? EEK!  All the decisions and planning to be made!!

Will keep you all posted  ;D

go and buy some tools between now and sunday. and, a good veg growing book. then spend the next two weeks obsessing about how you are gonna lay it out, and what to plant. (this is evening activity, obviously. when it's light and you have time, you will of course be digging ;))

svea

Hurrah!! :) :)
I suggest ordering several seed catalogues to help decide what you are going to grow. I have Kings, Dobies, and The Organic Catalogue.
Buy some Radox - you're going to need it ;D Nearly spud planting time, so get yourself some of those too  :)

How exciting Mark!

Definitely order all the catalogues you can. And also check out our seed swapping section.

If you've never grown anything before, I'd stick to growing just what you like to eat a lot. And only get one variety of each veg, rather than lots of different varieties. You can always experiment with different flavours, etc next year and the year after and the year after.

Don't just stick to the commericially well known seed companies. Kings, Tuckers, the Organic catalogue, etc have far more variety and are much much cheaper than the more famous ones.

There's still plenty that you can sow in the up coming months. And loads of things you can start off indoors for planting out later (I don't have a greenhouse or even a cold frame, I use my living room and kitchen window sill to start off seeds!)

Ohhhhhhhh, I can't wait for your report sunday.
Just imagine there is a 'clean' lottie waiting for you, well......one can dream.

Hello everyone, I'm a newbie too! Mark, I've just sorted myself out with my first allotment ever this afternoon and it's so exciting!  I went down to meet the man who runs the allotments and he's been working on them for thirty years, and he's so nice, he's even going to prepare my plot for me and rotavate it!! From what I've just been reading, this sounds like I'm very lucky.
It was so funny, I suggested to him I might just want a half a plot cos I'm a complete novice gardener and he insisted I should have the whole whopping 80ft x 30ft plot and have a nice grassy seating area at the end to admire all my efforts!  ;D Blimey, I shall certainly need to keep asking you all for advice on what the heck I do next. He even told me that he remembered there was a rhubarb patch in a bit of wasteland nearby and we went over to look, and sure enough there it was and he's going to dig it up and I can put it in my plot!! Yiippee! Am very happy to be sharing my excitement with lots of people who will understand.
Also Mark, I'm 27 and several of my mates have got allotments now. The nice man on my allotment seemed really pleased to have another young couple about and just to have another plot being used.  :)

Just want to add my "welcome" to both Victoria and Mark - It's Sunday now so Mark may have been down to the site and already be the proud owner of his own allotment!!  Good luck to you both anyway.

Yes, it is great when younger people sign up for plots - gives the place a 'lift' .......

Well done Victoria. You'll find just about all the advice you'll need on here. If not, just shout. (Time to start chitting your spuds...now!)

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Well guys, I went down to the allotment today!!!!!  Was so excited I didnt sleep a wink last night - was trying to work out what to put where & what to start with...!  (sad I know!)

So, I got shown my site & am dead chuffed with it - it's a half plot that's been a bit neglected but generally it's not too wild which is a god send.  There's six parralel beds and one huge bed in front of a big bean pole structure which looks like something from the dark ages haha.   :D  Next to the parralel beds is a compost bin, two manure bins and an old broken cold frame.  Next to the that is a really wild spot with a disused green house on it.  The green house has been requisitioned for another plot holder, so I'll have lovely big spot to go over in the future.

Anyway, I looked in the compost bin, which is nearly new and has been left by the previous owner, and lo & behold what was it full of????  No, not lovely compost, but a colony of frogs and the old tenant's tools!!!!  Couldn't believe it; I'd only gone and bought my own the day before!  Sods law.  Was really chuffed to see the frogs though; I hear they are our best friend in the fight against slugs, so I think at some point I'll be building a little pond to try and convince them to stick around.

Today, I dug (double-dug) three beds, including the huge bed around the bean cane rack - the soil is still a bit sticky, but hopefully the cold weather we are still having will help to break it down.  I'm gonna have to buy in bags & bags of compost 'cos the soil is really very clay-ey (is that a real word???!)  Needless to say Im pretty knackered right now, and having a radox bath when I got home was soooooo nescesary!

I spoke to quite a few of my new neighbours; it was like stepping into a time warp; everyone (without exception) was so friendly and welcoming.  Got lots of tips and hints and offers of seed & cuttings when the time is right.

Finished off the day by planting one little London Rose, just so that I could say I'd planted something and have something to watch whilst Im digging over all of the other beds!

All in all, a fab day; a great allotment (stunning views!) and am now very contented; am certain I will sleep like a baby tonight....

All I need to do now is decide what Im gonna grow first!!

Hi Victoria, btw, & WELCOME!  Glad to see Im not the only novice on here  ;)

Great news Mark!  And wow did you work hard for your first visit!!  We told you how friendly us allotmenteers are, but I would just give you one little teeny weeny warning....other lottie holders will probably offer you alsorts of seedlings and plantlets to get you going, just be careful what you plant.  You do not want to inadvertantly plant club root infected brassicas or white rot riddled leeks on your plots - get those diseases and you will have them for years and years and years!  But seeds, whahay!!  Congratulations Mark!

A big congratulatory virtual hug!
Man oh man, I'm so happy for you.
Now you'll just have to borrow a digital camera. With so many people rooting for you it's time to show and tell hehehe.
You can now call yourself an allotmenteer.
All the best of luck.

Well done you  :D

Quotethe soil is really very clay-ey (is that a real word???!)

Of course it's a real word ;D Well I've used it before anyway  ;D

I have clay soil too, and the remedy is lots of organic matter, and apparently then you're laughing, as the clay particles hold on to the nutrients better than most other soil types. So get yourself some poo or compost, or get some green manure going  :)

Glad to hear about your new lotty complete with compost bin, tools and frogs  ;D   What an encouraging start  ;D

Mark its great to hear you've got off to a great start. I too started work on my new allotment on Weds. I have now become an expert on panel stripping for fences. Spent the rest of the day digging out what will become my raised beds but will have to work quick as ive already sown enough seeds to fill the beds in seed trays in my back garden. Keep up the good work.

:)

Dear all,

I suddenly realised that I've been so busy with work and dig-dig-digging that I'd not given anyone an update on how things are going....

Well, I've dug till my hands bleed (owww) and things are getting slowly touched into shape - now have five beds all double dug & edged and looking really smart - hardly any weeds making a re-appearence either.  Have put up a fruit cage (rather shaky bamboo poles and netting - we will see if it lasts!) and have ten strawberry plants which are ROMPING away, four grape vines (which are doing absolutely nothing - think I may have watered them to death - oops!) as well as a row of red onions, a set of main crop spuds, some rainbow chard and some raddishes all in and just begining to show.  Haven't got my earlies in yet 'cos they have been chitting so slowly - but will chuck them in the ground next week and hope for the best....

Best of all, my shed arrives in a fortnight!  How excited am I???!!  I can't wait; all my work colleagues think Im completely insanse 'cos I practically wet myself at the mention of the word!  ;D ;D ;D

Anyway, things are going well, although I have to say my planting patterns are a little bit wild; I seem to be putting things in as and when the ground gets cleared in order to have something to watch grow whilst I tend to the rest of the site;  and there's still so much digging to do!  Still, Im sure I'll be more organised in the future; just right now I want to get things going and the soil weed free.

Hope everyone else is getting busy in the spring!!!

Mark xxxx

thanks for the update, mark

make sure you keep a record of what you planted, when and where ;D
a diary, like
this will also help you with your rotation for next year.
svea

You are already talking like a real allotmenteer hahaha.
I can't believe how quickly you are moving ahead.
I have the sneaky suspicion you may just have started a hobby (or is it life style?) that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Ah, I wish I could see pictures of your lottie.
Did you have any help or did you do it all on your own?
Those same colleagues that are now thinking that you are insane will gladly accept your surplus courgettes (you are going to grow them aren't you?) or whatevers. Don't forget to tell them it was organically grown, if that's what you do, it increases the value of the gifts hahaha.
Keep it up Mark and show the world how 'insane' you are, on this board you are part of the 'sane' people.

Speaking of courgettes Ina.  My husband bought one from the Co-op yesterday and it was 70p  :o :o :o

That's good but why don't you sow them yourself and have the joy of seeing pop out of the soil? They are so easy.
Don't put it outside yet Wardy, too cold, I wait till the middle of may (or the beginning with protection).

Ina I do grow my own but don't have any ready yet as it's too early.  I needed one for a veggie chilli I was making and my OH was at my niece's house so I phoned and asked him if she had one.  She said she did but my OH forgot to bring it back with him.  Doh!  So he had to buy one.  Incentive enough for everyone to grow their own methinks.  I grow the usual ones but as well as that I grow the little custard yellow ones and pick em small.  Steamed or fried they are fab  ;D

Oops Wardy, I misunderstood your posting. I thought you bought a courgette plant but now I see you meant a courgette. Hahahahaha, sorry.