Acquiring
a New Plot
It’s that time of year again. The bills are going
out to allotment holders for the coming year and many will look at the bill,
consider what they have achieved on their plots in the last year – or not - and
how they can better use their money and their time. As my daughter always tells
me ‘You get out what you put in!’ This, of course does not mean the financial
commitment [well! perhaps a little]. It mostly refers to the effort/ energy/
work/ time. Of course, when some people decide that the plot is not longer a
viable venture, this is an opportunity for others, who have been on waiting
lists for – perhaps years, to achieve their first plot. How exciting!
The plots I rent cost me, in the region of, £200 each
year. This includes the rent for my plot, the shed and the seeds and, a
contribution for my ploy-tunnel. It doesn’t include lorry loads of manure,
canes, nets, fleece, environmesh and all sorts of other little items I think
might be worth having but are not essential and most of them I can persuade my family to buy me as
Christmas and birthday presents.You can also save on seeds by saving your own. Also, I know that, even in a poor performing year [in
the last two bitterly cold winters, when I had to buy many of my vegetables] I,
more than, covered those costs against what I would have bought in the shops of
fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, by a long way! Of course, my allotment
association is definitely one of the cheaper ones and – if I dare say it – one
of the better organised [though I have seen a better one!]
I do still have to buy mushrooms, citrus fruit,
potatoes and onions [the latter two after about February until the new season starts in April]
but, apart from that, I have preserved - frozen fruit and vegetables to use on
those occasions when the ground is too frozen to harvest in winter. This may
not always give me the vegetables I want to eat at any given time and it does
result in gluts which must be dealt with but, all-in-all, financially, a plot
is worth having.
But, and there is a BIG ‘but’, for the plot to be
productive, it really needs to be planned and it is most important to put in
the effort, time and work. This is difficult when people have commitments to,
perhaps, a young family or a demanding job. Little children are not usually
welcome if they are allowed to impose on other plot holders [similarly with
dogs, unless well under control] though, most plot holders are happy to see
children and young people getting involved and becoming interested in the whole
process.
Do think about the time involved. If you have a
demanding job and can, really, only come to the plot at week-ends or less
often, remember that as your plants are growing, so are the weeds [and as it is
their natural environment, the weeds will take over!]
Okay! Let’s assume you feel you can take over a plot
and make it successful, productive and life enhancing. First of all you must
plan what you will grow. Lots of plot holders only grow for the late spring,
summer and early autumn months, which is fine, if that is what you want to do.
Some plot holders are only interested in growing fruit – eating it, freezing
it, preserving it. This is also great and is a really very low maintenance
model though, do look at the rules of your plot membership. Usually trees are
not acceptable, unless fruit trees are on dwarf rootstock. Talk to your field
rep. about this. [ I have to admit to planting fruit trees on my plot without
asking but, having since read the Tenancy Agreement more carefully, I’m now
careful about keeping my little trees under control so that they don’t impinge
on my neighbour’s plots]. Of course, fruit trees are not the only fruit to
impinge on your neighbour’s plots. Raspberries produce runners which will
appear up to a metre away from the parent plant and can be very irritating for
your neighbours. Similarly, blackberries, loganberries, tayberries can put out
long branches which grow across footpaths and neighbours plots.
Right! This is an excellent time to look at what the
seedhouses have to offer. [In the UK, the main ones are Dobies, Thompson and
Morgan, Marshalls, Suttons, Unwins – they can all be accessed on-line. If you
prefer heritage or organic seeds, I do recommend The Real Seed Catalogue] Of
course they will set out their stalls for you to choose from and you will feel
tempted to buy far too much – I always do, even though I should know better
though, many types of seed will keep for several years if you do buy too many.
I also share with my children who each now have their own plots [as they share
with me!]. check out will keep and what must be used in the year of buying.
If you have been allocated a full plot you might
have lots of room to try out and grow a wide variety of produce. But, probably,
in these days of long waiting lists you have only been allocated a half or even
a quarter plot [and this might well be enough for you]. Even then it might
have been untended for some time before your predecessor decided to give it up
[very irritating for lots of people and a headache for the allotment’s
organisation]. It might take you some time to bring it back. Pests, such as
slugs, and many perennial weeds will have become established. It will take time
and patience to eradicate them. [Actually, they will never be eradicated but,
they can be controlled to a level where you control them rather than them
controlling you].
Do plan! Think about:
·
what you like to eat
·
what you can grow all year
·
what you can grow easily in your
conditions – soil,
weather, temperature, etc, check them out!
·
how much room do you have?
·
what tools do you need? – spade, fork,
rake, dutch hoe,
trowel, watering can? – buy only what you need when you need
it
you may find to don’t need some of this stuff and that there other
tools
essential for you [eg secatuers] – but,
do buy the best quality you can afford.
·
how long will the crop be in the ground
which might prevent you growing another crop?
·
when
do you need to buy seed? when do you need to sow? when do you
need to transplant? what are the care considerations [watering, staking,
etc]? when do you harvest? what do you do with the crop when you
have harvested? what are the pests/diseases which must be watched for
and treated to ensure a good crop? what do you have to do to achieve optimum
results?
There
are lots of sites on-line available to help you with this information. Do check with
the seed houses you buy from and do Google!
It sounds so complicated but, of course, you don’t
need to do all of this stuff in one sitting. You can also, until you get the
hang of it, buy young plants from your local garden centre or from the main seed
houses. This can be a brilliant way to get started and is very encouraging.
Even well experienced gardeners do this as it means they don’t have to go
through the process of propagating and growing on when they don’t have [and
don’t find it economic to provide] the conditions for ‘growing on’. It has to
be said that there have been occasions when my seeds have failed or I have not
been able to transplant my seedlings as at the right time, when I have had to buy
young plants, plugs, mini plugs, etc.
If you have been lucky enough to acquire a new plot
this new year, good luck and - most of all - enjoy it!.
