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New allotment - where to start??

georgeolivia6georgeolivia6 Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
Hi there!

I am new to all this so looking for some tips of how to get started. We were thinking of pulling out all the old beds as the wood is rotten and they are very large which would make them difficult to use without stepping inside.
then we were thinking of flipping one half of the plot, covering with cardboard and manure and leaving for a few months while we do up the other side and the path? Would this be better than covering with plastic?

We want to be able to use some beds ASAP so we were just thinking of going through the other half of the plot and removing all the weeds and grass by hand and putting in new beds and a new path?

can we bury the old weeds and grass using hugelkulture to save us removing it from the site? Or would you recommend turning the grass and covering it with a tarpaulin?

How quickly are you able to use a garden bed after using manure or hugelkulture? And are you able to put the old wood/decking from the garden beds at the bottom of the hugelkulture?

Many thanks for any advice!😊

Posts

  • Mr. Vine EyeMr. Vine Eye Posts: 2,394
    edited February 2021
    Label everything! Put your name or plot number onto anything you plan to keep there. 

    If you get a polytunnel or greenhouse, solder your plot number onto it.



    Good idea about using half the plot while keeping the other under card and compost. Keeps it manageable. Yes much better than plastic. 

    We spent weeks picking all the degraded plastic sheet segments up that had been left.on our plot when we first got it.

    We did the same, but I just kept mowing the front half.as we didn't have enough compost, card or means of getting it there easily.
    East Yorkshire
  • georgeolivia6georgeolivia6 Posts: 2
    @Mr. Vine Eye

    Thank you - this is very helpful! 

    There are compost bins full of compost currently on the plot - will I be alright to use this?

    many thanks!
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    I'm not sure about the hugelkulture thing, I think you need very deep beds for that. I have some raised beds that are about 18inch high with about 4inch of branches and twigs squashed in the bottom, the problem I had was they dry out very quickly.

    If you gather any cardboard you can get and lay it out as beds this can be covered with any compost or manure you can either buy or beg then plant into this. Any compost you have on the plot can go on as long as it well broken down. Mow if possible the plot and compost the waste then laying  plastic over large unused areas will definitely help to keep weeds down and allow you to tackle smaller chunks at a time.

    There is a thread in "The Potting Shed" on allotmenting it's worth going on there as you'll get some very good advice 
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    You don't need wooden sides for deep beds,  you can just mound the soil & compost. If there's deep beds already just take the rotten wood away and clean them up.  Check out Charles Dowding for advice on no dig raised beds. You can bury weeds and  grass but not couch as it will take over. Do one area at a time. 
    AB Still learning

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