Any ideas for a new plot (250-650 feet²) please

Hi All,

I've just been offered an allotment. I don't know if that's more of a British thing...? It's a private, rented plot on a piece of large communal land.

It's new to me, but has had previous tenants.

I'd appreciate any ideas about what I could start to do with it at this time of year. I wasn't expecting to get one so soon as people can wait for up to ten years.

I would want to find out if anything has been left in the ground, and chat to neighbours if I can about what grows well there to start with, but also just really dig right in (forgive the pun!) and get what I can out of this opportunity. It is a welcome, but unexpected one, so I haven't been saving up, and I'm not looking to spend too much all at once

I know that now is the time to start thinking about improving the soil, and plant bulbs/garlic etc and I do have books and magazines, but I am a total novice, so any tips would be most welcome. The idea is mainly to grow veg, but they do allow some flowers.

I'm in Scotland. The high in Oct will be 54F and low will be 43F. We are predicted to get 80 hours of sun. Summer is generally 68-77F. I can't actually tell you about the soil because I don't know that yet.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Many thanks for reading.

Laura


This message was edited Sep 25, 2015 9:20 AM

Wow! What an incredible opportunity! What a huge property!

You probably won't be growing Tomatoes - it will never be warm enough. 8')

Yes, fall is the season for improving your soil. A simple test kit could help you quite a bit. It would show what basic nutrients are missing and the Ph of your soil. As this plot has been used for a lot of years and a lot of crops, you may be surprised at what you have or what you lack. After you figure out what you are missing, you can add nutrients to correct those problems. One easy fix is to grow peas.

Winter vegetables: peas, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, bok choy, all the cole vegetables.

80 hours of sun for... the entire winter? In one day? Per month?

As your summer temperatures are not very high, you need to find vegetables that like a cool summer. Do you have high humidity to go with your cool summer? If so, think about lettuce - there are thousands of different kinds to choose from. All the leafy greens love this climate. Look for things not normally available in your area like cilantro or artichokes.

There are lots of cool weather flowers also.

You need to do a little research and find what plants grow well in your area. If you want to grow something a little different, do some research into what plants will grow well in your circumstances. A lot internet nurseries have a way to put in your specific growing conditions and make suggestions on what will grow in your area.

Have fun!

Daisy

Wow, that's great. It's a huge space, too! While working on improving the soil on the entire area, you might think about starting with a small portion of the garden to grow the various vegetables. I have had a large vegetable garden and it can be overwhelming to keep up, especially as a newcomer.

I am also a gardener with cool summers and warmish winters. You will find lots of cool season vegetables to grow! One simple thing to do is look around and see what the others are growing at this time of year. If they can grow these vegetables, you can, too.

I use a book called "Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades," by Steve Solomon. While the specific recommendations for the soil amendments might not be helpful, since the soil itself is no doubt different, the description of the types of vegetables that you can grow and the instructions on how to grow them will apply to you. He also has an excellent guide that will apply to you with a calendar showing when you can plant the different vegetables.

Daisy's ideas are great! Onions might also work for a fall planting; you might check it out.

Do you have a ready source of compost? Can you post a picture of the allotment?

Have fun!!

And also, don't try to fix the entire space. Decide where you are planting and fix those spots. I don't grow rows, I grow clusters. Dig out an area that's about 10 gallons and amend that spot and plant your plants - a cluster of lettuce, or beets or.... Then move down a few feet and do it again. If you like rows, go for it but I love my clusters.

If you think about it, you will not have plant roots in 100% of your space so its not necessary to amend 100% of your space. The more soil you turn over, the more weeds and undesirables you will have to deal with. Down with all rototillers!