Another visit to plot this afternoon to cut down the asparagus and put it in the compost bins , mulched the bed with compost from used grow bags Very windy today but at least it was dry
Hi, I’m totally new to the allotment and how to look after one so bare with me…
The plot we have is a plot that has what I would class as 3 sections as the land slopes. So it needs digging. It has old crops in it that the previous owner doesn’t want.
Would you dig it all over and cover? We have access to a Rotorvator. Should we do that?
Hi @BOTB, welcome to the forum and to Allotment life. A picture or two would help us give best advice. A lot depends on what you want to do, what the state of the plot is and how physically capable you are. When you say old crops if they are annual (peas beans carrot etc) then yes remove anything finished or that you don't want. There may be perennial crops you might want to keep, say soft fruit, Asparagus etc. If there are perennial weeds (bindweed couch grass etc) then yes try to dig out as much as you can . If they are present DO NOT rotavate as you will just spread them all over. Digging over and covering is a good way to go, but we always advise don't overdo it and strain yourself. Over a lifetime of Allotmenting I have seen far too many come in all guns blazing, get hurt and disappear never to be seen again. Good advice available on the RHS and National Allotment garden websites. Good luck.
Hi @BOTB, welcome to the forum and to Allotment life. A picture or two would help us give best advice. A lot depends on what you want to do, what the state of the plot is and how physically capable you are. When you say old crops if they are annual (peas beans carrot etc) then yes remove anything finished or that you don't want. There may be perennial crops you might want to keep, say soft fruit, Asparagus etc. If there are perennial weeds (bindweed couch grass etc) then yes try to dig out as much as you can . If they are present DO NOT rotavate as you will just spread them all over. Digging over and covering is a good way to go, but we always advise don't overdo it and strain yourself. Over a lifetime of Allotmenting I have seen far too many come in all guns blazing, get hurt and disappear never to be seen again. Good advice available on the RHS and National Allotment garden websites. Good luck.
Hi and thank you for such a detailed response. I bought the RHS allotment book which is detailed and helpful.
This is it. We have started digging the part with chard in it.plot goes up to the raspberry canes.
Managed short visits to my plots yesterday and today . Yesterday I cleared the last of the tomatoes from greenhouse and outside, also planted some winter salad in the vacant bed. Today I sorted through a bag of stored Charlotte spuds, it's too mild and so they are sprouting already. Hopefully it will cool down so the others will store into spring, I have 2sacks of Spunta, and one of sarpo mira.
Went to plot yesterday , main job was to cut down Autumn 🍂 raspberries and mulch using the compost from the grow bags I had tomatoes 🍅 in
Went up this morning and burnt them , already had a load to burn 🔥
Went down there today and raked up abit to make it look like it’s not a dumping ground because I’m finding bits that weren’t there the last visit.. there’s a new greenhouse on it so I’m not sure why anyone would think so but there you go.
I have just finished ripening the last of the tomatoes on the windowsill, so that is officially the end of the growing season for me. I always keep a record of what I grow, how well its done, costs, ect. and it has amazed me how good a growing season its been. I have astonishingly produced things that would have cost £500 to buy 🤯 never would I have spent that much, or eaten that healthily unless I had grown it! That includes all the jars, and frozen things ready for winter use, wow. In the end it cost one fifth to produce.
Went to plot today and pruned Summer raspberries ready for burning 🔥 Tied up a large bed ready for winter planting Lots of new bark chippings in car park had 2 barrow loads for a couple of paths
Posts
Very windy today but at least it was dry
The plot we have is a plot that has what I would class as 3 sections as the land slopes. So it needs digging. It has old crops in it that the previous owner doesn’t want.
A picture or two would help us give best advice. A lot depends on what you want to do, what the state of the plot is and how physically capable you are. When you say old crops if they are annual (peas beans carrot etc) then yes remove anything finished or that you don't want. There may be perennial crops you might want to keep, say soft fruit, Asparagus etc. If there are perennial weeds (bindweed couch grass etc) then yes try to dig out as much as you can . If they are present DO NOT rotavate as you will just spread them all over. Digging over and covering is a good way to go, but we always advise don't overdo it and strain yourself. Over a lifetime of Allotmenting I have seen far too many come in all guns blazing, get hurt and disappear never to be seen again.
Good advice available on the RHS and National Allotment garden websites.
Good luck.
I bought the RHS allotment book which is detailed and helpful.
Yesterday I cleared the last of the tomatoes from greenhouse and outside, also planted some winter salad in the vacant bed. Today I sorted through a bag of stored Charlotte spuds, it's too mild and so they are sprouting already. Hopefully it will cool down so the others will store into spring, I have 2sacks of Spunta, and one of sarpo mira.
I always keep a record of what I grow, how well its done, costs, ect. and it has amazed me how good a growing season its been.
I have astonishingly produced things that would have cost £500 to buy 🤯 never would I have spent that much, or eaten that healthily unless I had grown it! That includes all the jars, and frozen things ready for winter use, wow. In the end it cost one fifth to produce.
Tied up a large bed ready for winter planting
Lots of new bark chippings in car park had 2 barrow loads for a couple of paths