hello, I'm new to gardening but I love to grow things.
I have been thinking about getting an allotment as I walk past one on the way to work.
Does anyone have any advise on what to expect. I have no idea realy and just wondered what it was all about.

thanks

Smita Patel

According to the council 23% of allotments are not being used so chances are there is a plot or two on every site in the borough (there are 33 sites in total) The best thing you can do is get the name of the allotment and get the council to send you a map and a key to the site. Then go down and have a chat to other allotment holders.

It is a bit tough the first year, with a lot of digging etc. but it is better then going to the gym and at around £25 for your first year it is a lot cheaper than the gym too.

If you start a bit at a time and plant it up straight away then you'll get more results then trying to dig it all over in the firs year. Little and often is the best approach. And when you bring home your first bag of veg you'll think it's the nicest food you've ever tasted.

Good Luck

I have noticed new-comers trying to tackle a whole allotment at the outset.
First it's Round Up, then "Digging for Victory" digging like crazy, plastic sheeting and carpet all over the place. Then only planting a few rows of lettuce and discovering that the rest of the plot has become covered with weeds.

Mr. Mean's advice is to only dig over a small part of the plot at a time, then fill it with veg before moving on to the next. There’s nothing worse seeing all your hard work go to ruin, it just makes you feel like giving up.

Little and often is best for new plot holder. Build up slowly and don’t bite off more than you can chew!

There's a lot to be said for round up. It is nearly impossible for new allotment holders to take on a 10 pole plot and expect to dig it all over in the first year.

It is definitely worth getting some 'Round Up' weed killer. It will kill everything and then after a few weeks you can start digging all the debris out of the soil.
Mask off the patches that you have dug with black plastic or old carpet so that nothing else grows on it until you are ready to use it.

When you got to use a patch of ground dig in plenty of manure and organic matter to improve the soil.

RoundUp is probably one of the safest weed killers you can use as it attacks the green foliage and is neutralised by the soil.

Sorry, I don't agree. I think that some of the Round-up stays in the soil fixed to nitrogen and can be taken up by the following seasons growth.

I know it can be a god send to those who are new to digging but I would still like people to be aware that there is no miracle cure for growing - it is very hard work and with any Quick-Fix there is always some sort of pay off.