A new allotment

Lucky you.. Had a joint share with my chum is was big, unfortunately we had to give ours up, due to me needing Hip and Knee replacements.. And my chums mother being ill she spent a lot of time over her mums. Too much for us on our own as still working.
Enjoy it.

Got mine last year- love it.
Covered 3/4 with weed membrane straight away & tackled the 1/4. Planted strawberries, raspberries & beetroot. Then started peeling back the membrane to do another chunk. Planted potatoes and runner beans. Next chunk done - planted corn on the cob, then leeks, lettuce and courgettes. Final section done then finished off with butternut squash.
Cabbages, kohlrabi & parsnips not good (all donated to me by other allotment folk). Only took about 8 weeks to get it sorted & planted. Sessions were between 2-4 hrs. Tiring but a good workout - I’m a fairly fit 70….
Cleared by end Oct & re- covered with membrane for the winter. Will start again in March. Have fun & hopefully hours of enjoyment. Initially stored by tools in a waterbutt with lid as there was no shed- now I’ve bought a lockable cupboard.

Maybe once you get the stump below ground level, you could hammer some copper nails into it - I've heard this kills off established trees so might work with a stump that still has some roots attached. Then cover with black weed covering, a double attack!

I would love to have an allotment, but regrettably my skills, energy and available commitment are only enough to cover four raised beds in the garden and a small greenhouse. But I still love growing flowers and veg and I am told by my future son-in-law (who is not a gardener by any means) that the taste of my few carrots are second to none!

I love reading about your new allotment karmalady - please keep this thread up!

A couple of friends and I discussed allotments over lunch today. One said her husband had been told by the council to tidy his up. He is a fair weather gardener.

We all agreed that if you feel better for being outdoors and enjoy spending a huge amount of time planting, digging etc then that’s fine but veg is so cheap in the supermarkets that it’s hardly worth it.

Hmm, some veg is cheap Primrose it’s true.
On our allotment we enjoyed growing varieties that aren’t readily available in shops - golden beetroot, rainbow chard, snow peas -, eating them on the day they were picked, knowing that they hadn’t been sprayed/ plumped up with water / airfreighted in.
Allotments do need time and energy so you do need to enjoy working.

I don’t know what you’re planning to grow karmalady, but good on you.
I don’t think Primrose and friends are correct though. My dad had an allotment until last year, and it generated so much produce that it saved all the family money because we got his surplus. They had fresh vegetables every day, but I’d say particularly for fruit, they had fresh fruit or frozen stewed fruit for dessert every day of the year. Plums, pears, damsons, apples, raspberries, gooseberries, blackberries, currants, strawberries. My mum also made jams and chutney, and soup. My parents are now 95 and 96, so it didn’t do them anything but good.

I am having a day off today, after 6 full days work. My allotment will start generating for me next year, I have eaten organic produce for many years and producing my own will save me very many £££s. It is not just about that, it is about being able to go somewhere calm surrounded by greenery, meeting new people. Also kneeling down and hand weeding is very mindful, my last and local allotment helped me so much when I was suddenly widowed. Then I moved four years later

I am not planning to put anything in this autumn, my whole focus is on clearing, tidying and only then working out the structure, which will be in place for a very long time. Working plans will take into account the permanent beds eg asparagus plus the rotational beds, probably a rotation of 4. Comfrey bocking 14 to provide my compost with better nutrients than manure, bigger paths and of course some flowers and a utility area for my none-rotting composting bins. My beds will be reachable from both sides and the ends. I am planning ahead

The beds on site are not in good positions so I will be moving them in early spring and replacing rotten wood with sides that can be dismantled, are warm and don`t harbour snails. Quite possibly all will be 1m or 1.25m wide

I can recommend my best tool, used it a lot successfully, a roughneck cutter mattock from amazon. It is 36" long and weighs 3.5kg. I could not do without it and my heavy gorilla prybar does the finishing job of prising the root mass upwards. I will sharpen it on sunday

The stump is still there but a little bit lower. I will wait a few days and maybe the sun will dry it a bit and I will take my makita sander up. The worst scenario now is that there will be a hump under the plastic, a lot better than the horrible trip hazard but I think I can still work on it a bit at a time

I unearthed three more saplings yesterday, small diameters but already the roots were hard to unearth and I had to cut them. I got three more sets of bush roots out and am trying to get as much bramble root out as I can but it is nigh on impossible

My plan is to have a rest day today and write down my daily plan for the next few days, planning ahead. I am hoping that my spending has ceased for now, had to buy a warm jacket from amazon yesterday, my fleece is not suitable for cold weather. Met two new people yesterday

re the stump, yes I already have the copper nails and some potassium nitrate (saltpetre) I will be using those to help accelerate stump rotting before I cover the area. It will still take years

I have been getting my act together, ready for tomorrow, getting tool sharpener and oil out. I have to take them with me, I am petrified of bringing bindweed back to my garden. I did a couple of small tools though

Ok, the spending has not stopped. My very old and well worn hunter gardening shoes have a split in them. So sad about that, they are no longer available. I do have wellies, garden shoes and heavy neoprene unworn hunter clogs but none are suitable for the work I am doing now

Dunlop on amazon look similar so I have ordered those and some warm insoles. Then my gloves, I found my warm winter gloves and leather gloves and heavy thick gloves but my everyday utility gloves are all used up. I have one pair left, I had to order more

I kneel often when pulling up things and even used my mattock while kneeling but that wastes so much energy, I have ordered the roughneck micro mattock, which is very light. It will be better to use that when dragging ivy off the ground and lifting shallow rooted plants

I try not to think of the expense

So pleased that you are enjoying the allotment Karmalady I’m sure you will break even, moneywise, eventually!

But the benefits to you will outweigh the costs I’m sure.

Thanks oops, wise words and I am hanging onto that

9 days work, average about 5 hours a day plus travelling and off- loading at the recycling centre. I dug the last shrub root out today, some have been in for 12 years and had huge root balls. I hope I don`t have nightmares about that work, it has been horrible at times, I thought I might not have the strength but I did it and am suffering a bit of impact injury ie aches from bouncing the mattock against hard wood

I covered two more temporary beds and removed more ivy, also dismantled two more rotten wooden raised bed edges. There is one heck of a heap of wood built up for me to transport to recycling. I am not burning them on site. I will have to do a lot of sawing into manageable transportable pieces but hey- ho, like the step at a time with the shrubs, it will get done

Tomorrow I am covering the first area over bindweed, ivy, brambles and roots. It is all quite flat now, I raked it. For that area I am using builders black plastic, it is going to stay in situ for a long time. I need to order more, about 1/3 of the plot needs to be fallow while I sort myself out

I have received one garantia 400litre thermo -composter and have ordered another and also ordered two bases as apparently rats are about. I started clearing a space for the bins, will need to take a spirit level up to finish the job

As soon as the wood is gone, I want to start setting two new recycled plastic 15cm raised beds into position. 125 x 250 cm. I had similar on my last allotment, they never rot and are easy to handle. My kitchen is full of cardboard, this will go onto undug spaces, it is not too weedy. I will cover with cardboard and start to transfer soil from the present wooden beds. One will be for asparagus and the other for something simple, like potatoes. Once filled with soil, I will cover until spring

I spoke with an old man today, he was passing and gave me some good advice about roofing my shed. I can just lay new felt over the old felt. Lots of the timber on the walls has warped and is fragile, it is very dry and giving it a couple of coats of a good oil based preservative will help. I am actually going to buy the felt before winter, also felt nails. I am ok up my stepladder and won`t be standing on the roof

This is a marathon post, I know that. I am so glad to be onto the next, easier stage

It's surprising what energy it gives you when there's a huge task to tackle. Three years ago I dug a vast hole for my pond, when I was awaiting two hip replacements and was on crutches, but I loved every minute of the hard work. My son brought bags of sand to line the hole as I had to concede I couldn't lug those around with no free hands!

We have rats everywhere on our allotments and they will invade my shed if I let them but I keep any holes filled up. At one point someone's pet rabbit found its way onto the site and gobbled up my neighbour's sweetcorn but I haven't seen it recently. Pigeons are our biggest pest as they will wreck almost anything.

Mizuna, yes you forget everything when there is such a worthwhile objective. I was speaking to someone yesterday who said that when she is up there, she forgets all her stresses and same for me too, I become single-minded

Today I have laid down and stapled 40 sqm of thick black plastic, the tree stump is just below ground level, I used my makita sander to lower that a bit more, while wearing a dust mask. That area, being finished and covered is so good, as though a big weight fell from me. I was never sure if I could do it

The rest of today I spent taking screws out of waste wood, the long lengths are laid onto the plastic and they can be sawn throughout winter. The shorter lengths can go into my car
for the tip. The plan then is to remove more weeds from three beds and to dismantle a couple of beds and a decrepid cold frame

Tomorrow, at last, I will take a measure, some stakes and some orange builders string. My two new beds are arriving tomorrow. I want to lay cardboard and transfer soil, maybe manure and then cover for winter.

My aim has to be to make an efficient, easy design. Wide weed-free paths, beds that are easy to hoe and maintain

Mizuna thank you. I have just ordered a cartridge of flexi weatherproof gap filler for the shed

I've never had an allotment but always look at them somewhat enviously. I regularly visit the graves of my relatives and adjoining the lovely cemetery are allotments. People are often working there when I visit the cemetery to lay flowers. I love to think about the cycle of life when I am there. Sometimes flowers poke through the railings from the allotments and I occasionally snip off one or two to put on the graves. I am sure no-one, living or dead, will mind. I know my Gran would be pleased as she would like to think of me saving money. It would be the sort of thing she would have done .

Your excitement and pride are tangible, Karmalady, and we are all enjoying your achievements vicariously. I have neither the skill nor the energy to emulate you, but I am full of admiration and hope we may see pictures in due course.

I am hoping my energy lasts Grannysomerset and so far so good. The aches are certainly there through the night and when I wake up but they do go. I am trying very hard to get a good system in place for my winter years, when I might only be able to potter. I have no specific plan, yet, there is too much to do right now

I put 2 125 x 250 cm beds down today. They are wonderfully easy and will never rot. If anyone wants to have more details, just ask. They can be dismantled and moved. Cardboard is in them now but tomorrow I have a marathon manure transfer session ahead, then old bed soil will go on top, then a cover

It will only be once for manure as comfrey bocking 14 is going to be planted. I had only 10 plants at my last allotment and my soil became so fertile. I have some in my house garden, it never moves and is not fertile and has also the most lovely bee-friendly flowers. It can have 3 cuts a year and heats a compost pile very quickly. It is actually better than manure. Everyone digging the manure heap looks exhausted. It is about 100m to the far end of the site and I cannot be doing that after this year

I have another nasty area to clear and I spotted bindweed but thankfully no bushes. I might flatten the area and just use black plastic for a while. I was going to put comfrey there but bindweed will establish so in future It may well be a patch for beautiful dahlias, after the bindweed is under control

There is one big essential job and that is the shed roof. Tomorrow I am going to put wood down to make a stable base for my stepladder. My felt is arriving tomorrow, 5 x 1 m and I got polyester felt which should last a lot longer. I am going to measure and allow extensions at each edge then I will be marking on the dining room floor and cutting out at home. I have butterflies at the thought but never too old to learn

I think I can improve my shed a lot after reading Mizunas post, just filling in holes is a good start. The panel pins have arrived, I will use the oil based preservative first and maybe it will soften the wood a bit, it is so brittle right now. The pins need to be very thin to avoid splintering the wood any more. Maybe I need to get some wood filler too, so the panel pins have something to grip

I kept waking up in the early hours, wondering what the heck I have done in taking on an allotment that needs so much work and is eating money. Those thoughts were fleeting but it is not hunky dory, not yet.

Assuming that winter rains are going to happen soon, my priority has to be to waterproof the shed roof and another priority is to have a safe stable base for my stepladder as well as being a space in which I can keep my 570 litre keter storage box, which arrives today. It will be somewhere dry underfoot where one day I can sit and relax

Meantime I will have to store the large package of keter parts in my living room. I cannot move in my garage

In my waking moments I have decided to clear and flatten the area to the right side of the shed, just nettles, rubbish and a few weeds. I can do that today and will buy and lay 45cm slabs, the cheapest I can buy, 6 at a time will be the most I want to carry in my car. I have laid a similar slab here at my house and it is very good, I can do it again. First slabs will go close to the shed, so I will get a stable safe base for my ladder. The many trips with them in my barrow from car to plot is daunting but I can do it

Once they first 6 are down and flat, then I need to take my ladder and get the guttering off. The lower part of the roofing on that side is in a real state. The manure shifting will have to wait

Crikey Karmalady you are a force to be reckoned with.

Want to try running the Country? I’m sure you could organise anyone.

I so admire your passion and energy, just be careful up that ladder.

Karma regarding the tree stump another suggestion is, if you have access to a chain saw is to cut a cross cross pattern su
It lets the wet in and the stump is supposed to root more quickly. I have been told to pour diesel ion but not very environmentally friendly especially if you are growing edibles

This web site is helpful

I am going to put new felt over the whole roof tomorrow, the roof leaks and is bowed but is not soft underneath. I bought polyester felt, I think the polyester makes it less prone to cracking. I cut the felt in my kitchen, the lengths include allowances for all the edges. At least it is easy to cut with my sharp new scissors

Honestly? I am apprehensive, as usual I am making a small list of what tools to take. The ladder was ok but almost as wide as each slab so I will be placing another slab next to each of those, I need to get up another step, being 4`11 is such a pain

The gutters are off and I put oil based runny preservative all over the walls and me. The wood did seem to relax and the smell deterred a wasp

I bet I don`t sleep again tonight, my mind was sorting the roof last night

Gwyllt, thank you, I managed to get the stump to below soil level, it will rot and I did use stump killer but will be very observant that new tree shoots might appear from old roots

Thank you Jaxjacky, I am going to read that site

A question about asparagus, which I have never grown. I have a new 8 x 4 bed and have put cardboard down and some manure today. Tomorrow I will put quite a bit of compost then cover for winter. Should I get 2 varieties? When is best to plant the roots? This bed will not be shading any other bed when the plants get tall

I did not intend to do much today but have spent 6 full hours there, only men on the plots today. My shed is looking so much better and the wood has come together again. I filled gaps and even started taking my muddy claggy shoes off when I went in. The roofing went well, apart from the sides, the wood there is not good for holding the nails but the top is good and that is what counts. I am sure that the roof is now watertight

I started to clear the area between shed and compost, full of nettles and docks, some more plastic is down covering half the area. I built a garantia compost bin nearby, on a vermin -resisting base, it holds 400 litres and I put compost and brown materials in to give it some weight. I have another to build tomorrow.

I am expecting some good bocking 14 plants, they will take off faster than just bits of root. It will be so much easier to add comfrey than manure from the heap which is 100m away. First time I used manure, ever, was today, gosh it is heavy. I can`t be doing with all that lifting in a few years time

I have been looking at stabiliser grids to put on the pathway onto the plot and in front of my shed, damp clay is horribly claggy. What was good today was being able to put tools down onto the slabs, which are only scattered randomly at the moment. Making a slabbed patio area for spring will be good

Sleeping was much better last night, worked out that I can use diverters to fill my water butts. I will have to get some longer pipework, one for each diverter. I also decided finally to only get 100 litre water butts, each will have a base which will fit on a 45cm slab with room to spare. Anything bigger would be tricky on the loose laid bases

It really is the last haul and perhaps two more days will do it.

karmalady I grew 9 plants in a 4 by 4 foot raised bed. I had just the one variety and found that this amount gave enough spears for us to have a few each day - it was a short season though.
If you can find varieties that will extend your season it would be worth doing.
We planted the crowns on raised ridges so that the roots went down either side. We planted in the Spring and didn’t expect (or get) a decent harvest for a couple of years.
I’m sure you know that asparagus likes to have a rich, sandy plot dedicated to just itself; no intercropping or companion planting. It really is a primadonna!
We did have to keep a sharp lookout for the dastardly asparagus beetle - beautiful shiny beetle but devastating as it desiccates the plants.

That said we enjoyed our few weeks of luxury each year. And the foliage was useful in flower arrangements.