I got mine this March, so these are not the words of an expert, but some general advice I’ve found helpful – don’t try to do everything at once. Do one bit, get it good enough, and then move on. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed but if you make steady progress you can get on top of it easy. Do a little bit, enjoy your time there, come back tomorrow (or some other day, schedule permitting).
MoonOverBTC on
Standing like that you’ll scare the crows.
Large-Amphibian-6811 on
Gold dust us easier to find than an allotment nowadays. Good luck to you, remember, it’s a “you learn something new” kind of “hobby” as well as being a great stress reliever, have fun.
UnfinishedThings on
I got mine today too. Its an overgrown mess and I dont know where to start
SnooBooks1701 on
And T Posing to assert dominance over nature
Proper-brew on
Congrats!! I got mine in March this year and it’s been a learning curve/a lot of digging…! Enjoy 😊
Cocoa-Bella on
Start by picking up anything you don’t want in the allotment – any large sticks or rocks that might be on the ground. Then check each raised bed to see what is happening under the tarps. Watch the Sun and shade to see if you have full or partial Sun – that can help you to decide what to plant. Check the other allotments to see if they use a lot of chicken wire or other wildlife prevention- consider if you will want to do the same. Then, you can start in on weeding and prepping for next year! Build up your own compost pile and have fun.
obviouslynotatenor on
I’m very jealous! I’ve been on the waiting list for a year and have moved exactly 0 spaces according to the council.
helenator86 on
Love your scarecrow
cptSchmiep on
Congrats! Does it feel awesome? 😊
One of the things that I found pretty important is that
1. if you want to take a break or don’t feel like going, that’s fine and you should absolutely take that break
2. make a point in going to your allotment every now and then without doing (a lot of) work and just enjoy it. Maybe bring a book, take some pictures, have a cup of tea, whatever makes you happy.
This helped me to make sure I still enjoy going, even if it’s been a lot of hard work most of the time 😊
Have fun!
shan-ann on
Congratulations.
May all your weeds be wildflowers
SkankHunt4ortytwo on
Good to know. I’ve been on a waiting list since 2021. Just another 2y to go
R0gu3tr4d3r on
Nice. Waiting list in my area is….. 21 years.
Spirited-Okra-9151 on
Congratulations! I would say this is the best time of year to obtain one too 🙂
Ok-Fox1262 on
I bet you’re really digging that.
67hipo289 on
Happy for you, what’s your plan?
sherpyderpa on
Now that’s a really happy face. Well done with getting your allotment. Hope it brings you so much happiness. It’s a lovely place to escape from the usual hectic places in life……..Ü
geeksofalbion on
Congratulations on your plot, you can now officially call yourself an allotmenteer
frodojp on
Yay!!!
bigmartyhat on
They’re a lot of work and the slugs/snails can make you lose hair but it’s very rewarding. Happy planting/growing!
xKolibri on
Congrats! Here’s me still on a 7 year waiting list 😭
motsonian on
Yeah, it took so long for me to get an allotment that I had moved to a different country when I got the email
grippipefyn on
Congratulations on your new space.
If you’re new to growing veg then YouTube is your friend. Grow veg, Charles Dowding, Huw Richards, Terry King are my favourites also Green side up. Sadly Steve the curator died last year but his vlogs are still up there and are a great source of knowledge.
Congratulations! I got mine a week or two back and I’ve literally just got home from my first day digging and preparing it for spring. I’m pretty excited!
Good luck with it all!
Anna_o69 on
Best of luck to you! I recently lost my garden and can totally understand the excitement. Let’s hope next year will be a better one for growing 😁
ordinarybloke1963 on
what are your plans for the allotment?
Dry-Trifle3200 on
ConGardulations Lol 🙂 Enjoy!!! it is the best way to pass the summer
Fantastic-Weather196 on
Hard work and double digging . . . but worth it for the rewards . . . 👍🏻
Spoon-Fed-Badger on
I started my allotment by planting a few fruit bearing trees, a few berries like red current, raspberries and gooseberry bushes, and a few rhubarb crowns as they will just go every year without effort. The first summer I did courgette, tomatoes in the greenhouse, butternut squash, and pumpkins. I also did potatoes and carrots. All easy peasy. Once you get a taste for growing and the time it takes to properly nurture your plot you can move onto the tricker stuff 👌
Wes_Raffle on
My ex and I were added to a waiting list in 2012 and I got a plot in 2018. But it was in her name and we’d split up (because she’s the worst human) so I couldn’t take it. I was so wounded
Barnabybusht on
Say goodbye to your weekends!
GarwayHFDS on
Good luck. Looking forward to next year’s harvest……..get some old comfy clothes and a decent pair of gloves.
Qindaloft on
Sadly their getting rid of a couple by us. So sad
BimbleKitty on
Easier to manage with no dig beds. Sow green manure to over winter and protect and feed the soil.
In fact thats the key thing, the soil. Allotments have usually been carefully looked after for a hundred years, the soil can be like chocolate cake, rich, dense. Carry on adding manure, compost, nitrogen crops etc. you’ll do fine!
allyboo1620 on
Good luck 😊X
Philsie136 on
Congratulations, I hope you enjoy
MiseOnlyMise on
Congratulations, I wish you many good summers of decent weather for it.
double-happiness on
You can take this advice or leave it, but I have had 3 allotments over the course of several years, and I would always want to grow [Russian comfrey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphytum_%C3%97_uplandicum) on an allotment. You will really find it very handy, and your neighbours may well take an interest. Once it’s established, if you want to curry favour you can give them the off-shoots or even split a clump off. Plus the bees love it.
NarrowCarpet4026 on
As an American, what is this exactly? Does the government in the UK grant you land for gardening.
Vor1on on
Good luck, my mother just got one to and as a loving son I had to clear it 😉 we now have a huge mound of weeds ect including bindweed so going to have to get rid of it.
Luckily the one we got had two sheds one large one small and lots of raspberry plants and current plants
Now I have to dig it over for winter
boudreaux10uk on
Good luck with that plot!! It’s a good idea to clear it as best you can now and then lay down some tarpaulin or other heavy plastic sheets over the area. Be sure to weigh them down though! That’ll give you a head start for early next year as you won’t have the weed issues from the winter to deal with. It also gives you time to decide what you’re going to grow – I’d recommend potatoes and beans as an easy starter, plus onion sets and easy salad crops. There’s a fair bit of trial and error and the weather plays it’s part but start easy and as you get more confident try bigger things. Don’t be put off by setbacks which are inevitable and use the knowledge of the allotment holders around you – that’s also a great way of getting to know people!!
Gerbertch on
Make a sun chart! Easy to do while you’re just working away, just take a photo of the lot throughout the day and see which parts get good sun and which parts are shaded.
46 Comments
Forgot to say: any advice or tips are welcome!
You’ll do beautifully!! Keep us posted!!
I got mine this March, so these are not the words of an expert, but some general advice I’ve found helpful – don’t try to do everything at once. Do one bit, get it good enough, and then move on. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed but if you make steady progress you can get on top of it easy. Do a little bit, enjoy your time there, come back tomorrow (or some other day, schedule permitting).
Standing like that you’ll scare the crows.
Gold dust us easier to find than an allotment nowadays. Good luck to you, remember, it’s a “you learn something new” kind of “hobby” as well as being a great stress reliever, have fun.
I got mine today too. Its an overgrown mess and I dont know where to start
And T Posing to assert dominance over nature
Congrats!! I got mine in March this year and it’s been a learning curve/a lot of digging…! Enjoy 😊
Start by picking up anything you don’t want in the allotment – any large sticks or rocks that might be on the ground. Then check each raised bed to see what is happening under the tarps. Watch the Sun and shade to see if you have full or partial Sun – that can help you to decide what to plant. Check the other allotments to see if they use a lot of chicken wire or other wildlife prevention- consider if you will want to do the same. Then, you can start in on weeding and prepping for next year! Build up your own compost pile and have fun.
I’m very jealous! I’ve been on the waiting list for a year and have moved exactly 0 spaces according to the council.
Love your scarecrow
Congrats! Does it feel awesome? 😊
One of the things that I found pretty important is that
1. if you want to take a break or don’t feel like going, that’s fine and you should absolutely take that break
2. make a point in going to your allotment every now and then without doing (a lot of) work and just enjoy it. Maybe bring a book, take some pictures, have a cup of tea, whatever makes you happy.
This helped me to make sure I still enjoy going, even if it’s been a lot of hard work most of the time 😊
Have fun!
Congratulations.
May all your weeds be wildflowers
Good to know. I’ve been on a waiting list since 2021. Just another 2y to go
Nice. Waiting list in my area is….. 21 years.
Congratulations! I would say this is the best time of year to obtain one too 🙂
I bet you’re really digging that.
Happy for you, what’s your plan?
Now that’s a really happy face. Well done with getting your allotment. Hope it brings you so much happiness. It’s a lovely place to escape from the usual hectic places in life……..Ü
Congratulations on your plot, you can now officially call yourself an allotmenteer
Yay!!!
They’re a lot of work and the slugs/snails can make you lose hair but it’s very rewarding. Happy planting/growing!
Congrats! Here’s me still on a 7 year waiting list 😭
Yeah, it took so long for me to get an allotment that I had moved to a different country when I got the email
Congratulations on your new space.
If you’re new to growing veg then YouTube is your friend. Grow veg, Charles Dowding, Huw Richards, Terry King are my favourites also Green side up. Sadly Steve the curator died last year but his vlogs are still up there and are a great source of knowledge.
Congratulations!
Excellent, you must join us R/ UK Allotments.
[UK allotments ](https://www.reddit.com/r/UKAllotments/s/Sjxq95ICma)
Congratulations! I got mine a week or two back and I’ve literally just got home from my first day digging and preparing it for spring. I’m pretty excited!
Good luck with it all!
Best of luck to you! I recently lost my garden and can totally understand the excitement. Let’s hope next year will be a better one for growing 😁
what are your plans for the allotment?
ConGardulations Lol 🙂 Enjoy!!! it is the best way to pass the summer
Hard work and double digging . . . but worth it for the rewards . . . 👍🏻
I started my allotment by planting a few fruit bearing trees, a few berries like red current, raspberries and gooseberry bushes, and a few rhubarb crowns as they will just go every year without effort. The first summer I did courgette, tomatoes in the greenhouse, butternut squash, and pumpkins. I also did potatoes and carrots. All easy peasy. Once you get a taste for growing and the time it takes to properly nurture your plot you can move onto the tricker stuff 👌
My ex and I were added to a waiting list in 2012 and I got a plot in 2018. But it was in her name and we’d split up (because she’s the worst human) so I couldn’t take it. I was so wounded
Say goodbye to your weekends!
Good luck. Looking forward to next year’s harvest……..get some old comfy clothes and a decent pair of gloves.
Sadly their getting rid of a couple by us. So sad
Easier to manage with no dig beds. Sow green manure to over winter and protect and feed the soil.
In fact thats the key thing, the soil. Allotments have usually been carefully looked after for a hundred years, the soil can be like chocolate cake, rich, dense. Carry on adding manure, compost, nitrogen crops etc. you’ll do fine!
Good luck 😊X
Congratulations, I hope you enjoy
Congratulations, I wish you many good summers of decent weather for it.
You can take this advice or leave it, but I have had 3 allotments over the course of several years, and I would always want to grow [Russian comfrey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphytum_%C3%97_uplandicum) on an allotment. You will really find it very handy, and your neighbours may well take an interest. Once it’s established, if you want to curry favour you can give them the off-shoots or even split a clump off. Plus the bees love it.
As an American, what is this exactly? Does the government in the UK grant you land for gardening.
Good luck, my mother just got one to and as a loving son I had to clear it 😉 we now have a huge mound of weeds ect including bindweed so going to have to get rid of it.
Luckily the one we got had two sheds one large one small and lots of raspberry plants and current plants
Now I have to dig it over for winter
Good luck with that plot!! It’s a good idea to clear it as best you can now and then lay down some tarpaulin or other heavy plastic sheets over the area. Be sure to weigh them down though! That’ll give you a head start for early next year as you won’t have the weed issues from the winter to deal with. It also gives you time to decide what you’re going to grow – I’d recommend potatoes and beans as an easy starter, plus onion sets and easy salad crops. There’s a fair bit of trial and error and the weather plays it’s part but start easy and as you get more confident try bigger things. Don’t be put off by setbacks which are inevitable and use the knowledge of the allotment holders around you – that’s also a great way of getting to know people!!
Make a sun chart! Easy to do while you’re just working away, just take a photo of the lot throughout the day and see which parts get good sun and which parts are shaded.