Allotments 4 All

Hi all
im new :) i live in mansfield nottinghamshire
ive just got home from staying with my brother who live in wales  he has had a allotment now for 2 years and WOW  is he doing some good stuff.He got me so in the mood to get my own allotment even thou i have never done anything like this before im so excited and looking forward to a challenge  now..

so we went to see about getting one and was told there was one coming up soon and we would be next on this list  which i thought was amazing i expected to wait months or even years. the lady phoned me 2 days ago and said  so sorry  we have none after all. she said theres a BUT  thou   she says there a peice of land left that can be made into an allotment  she would let us have the first year free  give us fencing  but we have to put it up ourseleves  and  theres no water  we would have to harvest water with butts ect. 

so ive not been able to sleep im so excited to get stuck in and learn ect. But i went and saw the land today and measured it  its 80 foot by 37 foot and over grown    what should i do  run or jump at it   i really want it but my dad says its taking too much on.
can anyone give me any  advice  what would you do, were to start ,any tips  for a beginner n total novice?

thanks liza

hi liza,your dad is prob just doing his best to prevent you from failure,bless him.i would go for it to be honest..ours was totally overgrown and it didnt take THAT long to clear it...we got ours at this time of year,perfect really,as youve missed the busy season so you can take your time getting it ready for next year.have you any idea how long the waiting lists are for in your area? if its years i would certainly go for it now...your enthusiasm is so positive! good luck and do stay in touch to let us know youre getting on! all the best,rach x

Putting up the fence will be easy but it is a 2 person job really so will be easier if you can find someone to help you.
Collecting rainwater is easy if you can have a shed or greenhouse on your plot as you just attach guttering so you can collect all the rain from the roof, you can easily link together multiple waterbutts or you could use an IBC tank to increase the amount of water you can store.
The fact it is overgrown should not put you off as most plots that become available have been neglected for quite some time & will be very overgrown anyway. Getting it cleared will go something along these lines;
Strim it.
Use the cleared vegetation to start a compost heap.
Draw up a plan for where your paths, beds, shed, greenhouse, compost area etc... will go.
Make the paths.
Cover the beds you can't dig over straight away, uncover & dig them over one at a time.
It will be limited what you can plant this year but next spring your plot will be ready for whatever you choose to grow.

use a compass so you will know where the shadows fall (esp if you have a shed)

And - welcome to the A4A site, you'll get all the help you need here  :) :) :)

hiya, liza, welcome to the site  ;D
do you have any help, it would be easier for you.
we drew a plan, marked it all out, covered the paths with heavy cardboard and opened out compost bags or plastic, then we put wood chips (free from the council) on top, made it easier not to walk on the beds, we covered them with anything we could, including carpet..that meant we could work a bed at a time ..there were two of us so that made it easier, if you really want it, go for it  ;D

Jump at it, dig what you can this year, and cover what you can't in black plastic. Or keep it strimmed, which takes a bit of work but will kill a lot of weeds if it's done regularly. Take it a bit at a time.

Hi Liza welcome to the site.... you are always welcome to come down to our site in Derby for advice or inspiration, from DebP...
;D

Free fencing is good. I had to fence my entire plot roughly the same size as yours and it cost quite a lot.
I used wire mesh and posts.......a few weeks ago the parish council organised some big loads of manure and dumped one load on my fence squashing it flat. Waiting for their rent bill in October when they're getting a present of a photo of my fence and and a deduction of the roll of wire mesh. I have told Town Clerk about my fence but they didn't offer compensation.

Good luck I wouldn't let your Dad put you off......get him to help he might enjoy it.

If you get going now you'll be able to get any perennial fruit crops you want to grow in shortly e.g. Raspberries, blackcurrants they take a few years to really get going so it's worth getting them in before spring.

Hi Liza :) Welcome to the mad house.  ;)

Now I don't want to be the fly in the ointment here but,
when you take on an allotment that is overgrown and you have done nothing like this before its very, very hard work!

You get blisters where you didn't think they could grow.
you develop a slight stopping walk as your back aches
You sweat like you never did when clubbing
You stress when looking for a good source of manure
You go broke buying 'stuff'
You lose mates as you rant on about 'your allotment'
You continually look at free ads for sheds, planks of wood, compost bins and anything remotely usefull.
You are always going into Wilko's and poundland looking for that bargain
Etc, etc.

However the sense of achievement you get when you harvest your first crop is WONDERFUL!!

Seriously though, do a little at a time, cover areas you have weeded with whatever you can get your hands on and you can, if you hurry, plant peas, runner beans, Charlotte spuds and a host of salad crops right now.

Good luck

Jackie

Hello and welcome Lisa :D,

They have said it all, good luck. Go for it you will regret it if you dont. One bed at a time is the best way you dont get overfaced that way ;).

Wishing you the best of luck.........dont forget to post some before and after pics. Nosy lot us, you know!! ;D ;D ;D

thank you all so much!  great advice i have been reading this forum allll day lol  i am deffinately  going to take on this challenge  i really cant wait im going to tell the lady on sunday so get ready for lots of silly questions   i already love it here and have learnt so much  ty
im going to try and post some before n after photos  well of course i onlt have the before ones right now lol  ill see if i can find the correct board

Quote from: Ishard on July 18, 2008, 17:29:13
Hi Liza :) Welcome to the mad house.  ;)

Now I don't want to be the fly in the ointment here but,
when you take on an allotment that is overgrown and you have done nothing like this before its very, very hard work!

You get blisters where you didn't think they could grow.
you develop a slight stopping walk as your back aches
You sweat like you never did when clubbing
You stress when looking for a good source of manure
You go broke buying 'stuff'
You lose mates as you rant on about 'your allotment'
You continually look at free ads for sheds, planks of wood, compost bins and anything remotely usefull.
You are always going into Wilko's and poundland looking for that bargain
Etc, etc.

However the sense of achievement you get when you harvest your first crop is WONDERFUL!!

Seriously though, do a little at a time, cover areas you have weeded with whatever you can get your hands on and you can, if you hurry, plant peas, runner beans, Charlotte spuds and a host of salad crops right now.

Good luck

Jackie

Go for it its like a disease when you get started.free fencing.free years rent,free work out...cheaper than any gym membership.
and if its not for you no loss.
invite your brother over for some help and advice

Grab the chance,take it steady and enjoy :)

hi liza
i'm in a similar position to you, i've just taken on a plot without water at the moment, it was very overgrown with nettles, brambles and raspberry bushes most of it has been cleared now and i've dug over about a quarter of it, you've got till next year to get it sorted and you don't have to do it all just do a bit at a time.
i say go for it you've got nothing to loose and if you don't take i bet you someone else will jump at the chance  ;D 

Ishard, you forgot about skip diving! Or is that just me?!  ;)

Go for it

thanks all for the words of encouragement and  advice i am meeting the council lady today and taking on the land i am so excited that i cant sleep  again! im sure ill be back later with lots of questions

Hi,
We took ours on about 2.5 years ago and it was in a mess we still have some work to do but, if you do a bit at a time it's brilliant to see the results.. keep taking pictures too as this will spur you on to dig like you've never dug before, and I'm still amazed that I can grow veggies. 

Good luck

Oh yeh sorry Posie, I did forget  ;D

Skip diving Liza is a sport you will come to enjoy, and the more successful you are at it the more you enjoy it!  ;) ;D

Welcome to the site Liza!

Go for it, you will not regret it. I don't have an allotment, just a garden patch with does keep me busy, but the best parts are working on it and eating the first fruit or veg that you have spent so much time deciding on during winter.

My favorite part is in early winter digging over the plot and its cold out, but a clear calm day and they the sun shines down on you...........absolute heaven and tranquility.

Doesn't get better than this, who needs lots of money to have a great life!?

Liza, just wait till you start collecting seed catalogues!!!!