Allotments 4 All

hello all, i am new today to this site and would like some help if you can please, my husband and I have been trying without much success to get an allotment in our area Gateshead Tyne & Wear all the councils we call and all the numbers they give us we are told the same story not a chance of  a plot for years all sites are so coverted up here they normally go to family members ( rightly so i suppose) anyway as we have a fairly good size garden we thought we would put in some raised beds on a south facing wall running east to west ? ( we hope that is the best place) as they are shaded to the east in the morning and get sunshine till late in the evening we thought that would be the best place. We now need to get soil and compost to fill them so that is my first question does anyone on here know a good place in the Tyne & Wear area to get the soil i think we would need about 3 tonne approx as we have 3 beds now in. 2nd question is what would be the best veg to plant within the next couple of weeks to maybe get a harvest early next year or before if pos. I am so excited about finally getting on we hope to have chickens next year also as we have plenty of room in an area of our garden which is not used much. any help or advice would be gratefully received by these totally inexperienced but very enthusiastic newbies. all the best to everyone i really hope to be on here as much as pos it looks a great site and there seem to be some really helpfull people on here. regards sandy

Hi Sandy ,welcome to A4A ;D

Hi Sandy, welcome to the site. Have a look at the Wiki, lots of advice about where and how to start. Can't help re the local aspect of the question, but use the "Search" function to look at previous posts on the subject.

You can buy little plants of various cabbagey type plants from various seed companies, look online for those, then you get a bit of a head start.

Ask away, real experts will be along shortly...

;)

But while you're waiting for one, here's my contribution:

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,44450.0.html

;D

thank you so much for the lovely welcome and link to the previous tread, there is so much more to plant now than i thought. looks like me and hubby going to be very busy next couple of weeks i will post pics asap step by step as and wene we get going. best wishes to all

Welcome to the site Sandy...  ;D

Welcome! I'm a newbie to all this so not very useful for offering you advice (sorry!).
I do believe though that we're coming up to the right time to plant Broad Beans for over wintering (October I think?) and also Garlic, winter onion sets. Maybe not too late for dwarf beans. Also winter brassicas - I've ordered some plants for my lottie, only took it on a couple of months ago, so only just getting past the point of pulling nettles out!

What ever you plant I wish you luck and great enjoyment from your veggie plot.

No doubt someone else will be able to provide you with more expert advice!!
xx

Probably you've already thought of this, but if you are limited for space it is worth trying to grow as much as possible vertically. Tall plants at the back of the bed, shorter ones in front, of course.

many thanks barnowl good advice, nice to hear from all who sent welcome wishes.

What was I thinking? Sorry to have omitted the welcome, which of course you are, work must have distracted me  :)

Welcome.  For the first time this year I have put my nettles in an old water butt and covered with water.  It is better to wear gloves when doing this.  I now have a lovely brown liquid, which I am told when diluted is good for plants or as a spray.  Can't remember which or both, but am looking at stinging nettles in a new light.  We all have to learn and you will certainly learn a lot from this site.

Welcome to the madhouse Sandy & hubby and good luck.  ;D ;D ;D

Welcome Sandy and hubby........ ;D

hello all,
just a quick update we managed to get a contact number for some topsoil and got 3 tonne for £85.00 delivered (arriving tomorrow morning) so it will be all hands on deck to get it shifted from our drive into the raised beds tomorrow evening pray for good weather!! so i though invite all the kids and their  parnters round for dinner and they can all help shovel it up and move it ( bribery always works in my house). so on saturday we are off to the garden center to get our first plants yippee!! i cannot wait to get started on the good stuff. best wishes to all lets hope its a nice weekend.

Very well done Sandy & OH,
Sincere best wishes for the future!
;D

you are a little late for many things for this year, except as they say for over wintering things (garlic and broad beans and some winter salads like lamb's lettuce and also Pak Choi) but this is a good time to get some fertilising stuff like manure (but make sure it's safe - the UK has had a herbicide-contaminated manure scare this year!) on your beds to get them ready for a good spring crop.
If you don't plant the beds straight away, cover them with plastic or tarps or thick straw to discourage weeds.
You can plant soft fruit in the autumn - it's a good time to put strawberries and bushes (gooseberries etc) in for the next season. Don't forget those can be planted in other bits of your garden, like a shrub! and strawberries can do well in containers too.
Welcome to the site and good luck with your new venture.

Hi Sandy

Sounds like you are making a brilliant start.  You may still be able to get a few veggie plants from garden centres or similar just to give you something to pop into your new deep beds!  You can of course start garlic soon along with broad beans.  I would also try spinach and swiss chard - I know it is late but just a few seeds to try and if they do OK then you are up and running so to speak!

I would imagine that by now you have shifted at lease some of your topsoil!  Satisfying - at the end of a hard working day or what!???

Keep us in touch and let us know how you are doing!

Old Bird

;D