Starting with a new plot
Having just had eye surgery, I am not able, for a couple of weeks, to do anything practical on my plots. Fortunately, I saw ( no pun intended) it coming so, I’ve done most of my digging in the autumn. This gives me time to sit at my computer and write.
Some of you, during the last few weeks will have had that long awaited phone call or email telling you that you have been successful in gaining a new allotment. I say ‘new’ but, in actual fact, most allotments have been producing intensively for 100 years or more. There are advantages and disadvantages to that. The ground is probably reasonably well tilled and fertilised but, it will probably also have an accumulation of pests and diseases.
If you were lucky enough to have acquired your plot in the autumn you have already had the chance to dig it over, allowing the frost to break up the ground. But, if you have just acquired it then that is one of the first chores. And, let’s not beat about the bush, having an allotment is actually quite hard work. It’s not just for picking strawberries on a sunny day. Your allotment costs money – the plot itself, the seeds, fertiliser, tools, etc and, if you don’t look after it, chances are, you will lose it. And, really you do want it to be as productive as possible.
Some people don’t seem to be able to make the jump from digging the ground to ensuring it produces crops. So, the first thing you must do is PLAN.
What do you like to eat? What will your ground grow successfully? ( ask your neighbours or your field rep or you plot manager). What is already there? You may find that you already have some fruit bushes, raspberry canes, strawberry plants, artichokes, asparagus (you should be so lucky! )
Make a list of vegetables you would like for the whole year and work out when you need to sow or plant to ensure you have vegetables all year round. This doesn’t always work out. In the last two years the really cold winters have played havoc with my winter vegetables, especially brassicas, ( cabbages, sprouts, broccoli, cauli, kale, etc) forcing me to buy.
Some seeds will keep over for a few years (brassicas, lettuces) so, you can sow just a few seeds from several different varieties. Others, like parsnips won’t keep so, use the whole packet. Except for spring onions, I always buy my onions, shallots and garlic as ‘sets’ (small bulbs) rather than seeds, and from now until end of March is an excellent time to plant these. Now is also the time to buy seed potato (these are actually potatoes, not seeds as we think of them). They will need to be chitted – see previous BLOG, ready for planting in March/April, depending on where you are gardening. If you can still get hold of them, a blight resistant collection is a good idea. Don’t buy too many, they take up a lot of space.
During your first year, you might find it easier to buy young plants from the garden centre or you allotment shop. Although it is much more expensive, it will give you time to sort your plot.
TOOLS - to begin with you will need a spade, a fork, a watering can, a trowel. Buy as good quality as you can reasonably afford. Clean them after use and don’t leave them on your plot. I suggest that the spade has a ‘tread’ where you put your boot when digging. My experience with spades without a tread has been that they cut through the bottom of my boot when the ground is a bit hard. It is recommended that the handle of the spade and fork come up to mid-chest so that you are not too bent over when digging. That said, you might also consider the weight of these tools. My favourite spade is small and light and only comes up to my waist. As my plot is on a slope I usually dig from top to bottom, which gets around being too bent over with the shorter spade.
A ‘line’ is useful for ensuring your rows of seeds are straight but, you can make your own from a couple of short stakes and a ball of string.
If you have fruit bushes or trees you will need to invest in a good pair of secateurs, but, that can wait. For now, you have probably spent enough.
ORGANIC OR NOT
Lots of new gardeners start out with the intention of growing and eating organically. This is an excellent idea -taking care of the soil and the environment and eating healthily. However, you may find that, until you get established, and know what will work and what won’t that you end up with no produce and a plot full of weeds, diseases and pests. My suggestion is to ‘work towards’ being organic. Remember that you may do all the right things on your plot to eradicate, especially pests but, if your neighbours are not organic you will find that every crop eating bird and plant eating insect sets up home on your plot. Not spraying your tomatoes for blight will ensure you have no tomatoes and anger your neighbours who are trying to protect theirs. Better to have produce which is not so very organic than no produce at all. It is still probably healthier than the fruit and vegetables you can buy in the supermarket. But do feel free to disagree with me.
HEIRLOOM SEEDS
If you like to try some unusual and old ‘heritage’ crops, there are various suppliers of seeds, fruit bushes and trees and potato varieties.
One of my favourite suppliers is The Real Seed Catalogue – do Google them or try www.realseeds.co.uk/. They are a small independent producer of heirloom and open pollinated seeds (not hybrids - you can save your own seeds from these plants for following years) providing an interesting and excellent range of unusual seeds. Their site is well worth a visit where they provide a monthly sowing guide and their seeds now have an important place on my plot.
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