Allotment - Anyone have a plot?

Gimpymoo

Gimpymoo

Gimpymoo

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It is food related and there is no way I am going into GD.

We are thinking of getting a small plot, I am not green fingered but having a go would be fun and would give all the family something to do and it is only a short walk up the road.

Anyone have one?

Any thoughts/recommendations/help/tips?

Anything appreciated, thanks.
 
I gave mine up.
I work away every now and then and in the summer a week without water and everything done.

It's quite expensive to get started and a lot of hard work to get it all clear and ready.

Then theirs the waiting list that can be years, took me 3 years to get one.
 
The one I am looking at has plots available at the moment and as you say, most have a long list which has got me thinking about jumping in.
 
Gimpymoo said:
The one I am looking at has plots available at the moment and as you say, most have a long list which has got me thinking about jumping in.
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That's good. If you have get one. But expect hard Graff and disappointment.

Things will get eaten by pests, so think about defence.
Also imo no point growing standard veg, it's about using different and generally older breeds. That taste good, rather than look good with long shelf life and getting veg that suits your needs. I make a lot of sauces so I grow Amish Paste tomatoes. You would never find them in supermarkets.

This place is a good starting point, with some random breeds and good descriptions.
http://www.realseeds.co.uk/
 
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My local council is struggling to fill their plots up now.

Shame, as its a great hobby for the right person. You have to go into it 100% or you will fail. It also helps if you have a few extra hands to help at the beginning. Most allotments you take over will be a bit like the Amazon! Tough work to get it cleared.
 
No allotment but have 2/3rds of acre of garden.

Any amount of large scale vegetable production does take a lot of time, and a continuous comittment. We have irrigation so going away for a week wasn't a big desk but you are endless wedding, picking, pruning, tieing, protecting , prepping , applying fertilizer, insecticide, slug pellets, netting. You then see the price of fresh veg in a farmers market and realize you,were working at 50p an hour....


There is a out of fun to be had, but more work than anything. More fun to just have a few vegetables to look after than a serious production mini farm.
 
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Yeah I love my allotment. My top tip is simple;

Grow small amounts of things you really like to eat.

The amount of people I know who have allotments, and end up with kilos of chard or courgettes etc that they have no idea what to do with always makes me chuckle. It can really put you off.

We've always tried a good variety different veg (usually species that are hard to get here / expensive / different varieties). Try some fennel, or globe artichokes, asparagus etc. It keeps you interested and really makes a difference on your plate!

Also, I try and grow veg that will produce the majority of the year round. So the sweetcorn has just finished - beetroot is still going. Then romanesco will come through, then leeks, the PSB etc etc.
 
I've been on a waiting list for nearly 5 years, waiting list round here is ridiculous. A lot of people want allotments but they're so few and far between and mostly occupied by old boys who've had them for decades.

Good luck!
 
I'd echo the above. Only grow what you like to eat, and don't grow too much.

We've had an allotment for about 8 years and have found that it works best if you change what you eat to be more seasonal. That way you benefit from not only eating all year round from your plot, but the veggies you do buy will be cheaper.

My other advice would be: don't bite off more than you can chew. For the last year I've had about 1/3 of my plot covered in weedproof membrane as I didn't really have the time to devote to a full plot. It's kept the weeds down in parts I'm not working and, as I rotate my beds each year, it give me a head start on next year.
 
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