New to all of this

[ShaneClissoldParticipant]

Hi Everyone,

I am not a person who writes on these type of things so forgive me if i waffle.

I recently stumbled across Charles and have to say i wish i had of before taking over a rather large project. I have never gardened in my life before but after a certain age i have had the urge to produce my own veg. I live in the UK in London but im from Australia and have been here for about 18 years. I recently got hold of an allotment in April 2017 and worked hard as it was an overgrown mess of 3+ years of neglect. I dug a lot of the ground by spade…a very smale spade, it was hard work i even back then i started thinking surely there is an easier way. My wife reminded me that there was but as im not rich so i couldn’t afford to have other people do it so it was me…

I cleared it down in April 2017 and dug it out not knowing about no dig planted stuff and had some success. In October 2017 i had a lot of personal issues and work was very heavy so didn’t get down to the allotment as much as i should have so it got overgrown again. I Finally got down there in mid March and started again.

April i found Charles so have started to incorporate what i can starting with my own compost which i have put to the most important part of this. I started a compost heap in June of 2017 and by the time i came back in March little had changed to the pile. This is actually where i found Charles and started to change my Pile. I had built it from pallets i had gotten free and immediately saw a what i perceive as a mistake, my bins had nothing to keep heat in and i believe let to much air in. I have enclosed my bins now and the heat and composting over only 5 weeks has gone up exponentially. I have been lucky enough to find a local coffee shop that gives me 30kg of coffee grind every week, along with a post on here that suggested to try Morrison’s for their banana boxs and now i have a lot of cardboard.

I have also been able to get a constant supply this week (070518) of pallets so i will build another 2 bays for compost over the next few weeks.

I have posted a few pics of a very bad plot and what i have done over the last few weeks. I have marked it where i can to show what i have done and am welcome to any constructive criticism. I am really wanting to make this work as it is a outpouring for me of life difficulties.

I work full time and about 50 hours a week in IT so only really get an hour a day on good weather then Saturdays and Sundays to get down there.

Hope you guys can drive me and support me and im trying to get enough money together to get to one of Charles weekends!

Thanks in advance.

Shane

[ShaneClissoldParticipant]

I suppose what im asking is advice as well on what i should doe with the areas i have covered. I only covered some of the area with plastic under it with cardboard and manure (not well rotted rather fresh last week 050518). I have enclosed some other pics so you can guage the rather large project i have take on.

[NeilfrazermParticipant]

G’day Shane, welcome to the forum!
I feel that many new people at my allotments (SE London) come with pre-conceived ideas of knowledge involving the old ways, though I have converted a couple of working people who realise the benefits of no-dig and are benefitting already; if for no other reason than their plots are instantly no longer covered in weeds and do not get the dreaded warning letter from the allotment chairman!
It looks to me you are further down the path though (no pun intended….)
Ist job for you, I humbly suggest is to crop your rhubarb and make a pie.
As you are (I guess) desparately trying to maintain order whilst trying to become productive, is to go for crops which a) you eat and b) require little maintenance, so, I humbly suggest you leave those which need caging and spend a little money on some ready made plants which can be planted through the mulched cardboard. They shouldn’t need too much watering as we’ve had masses of rain (for London) this spring and the ground should be quite wet under the covers… mine are here in Bromley.
I guess some of the sages on these pages will give some better guidance..
BR
Neil

[ShaneClissoldParticipant]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your reply.

I have today finished off a little more and in that Allotment 8 Pic I have covered the grass covered bed in cardboard and Manure (not well rotted, quite fresh) and placed B&Q composite over it, is this ok to start with while i wait for my composite to work its cycle?

Cheers,
Shane

[NeilfrazermParticipant]

Shane,
Given your circumstance i.e lack of time, lack of good compost available, yes I think that is a great start. I’ve done exactly the same as you, as I’ve suffered exactly the same constraints.
Okay, its not real compost as a purist will quickly point out to you, but you have a living to earn, taking you away for long periods from your allotment. However, have a peak under your cardboard in 4 weeks time and I will guarantee it is still reasonably damp. Only today i saw one of my neighbours busy digging his allotment, and he felt really good about it, not realising that all he was doing was drying out the top 200mm of soil! You, I guess are not in a position to water on a daily basis. This time last year we had no rain in london for at least 6 weeks, so for this reason alone you are on to a winner!
I am working on my committee to try and get a petrol driven shredder to chop up fresh staw / manure so it composts quicker….
BR
Neil PS where in London are you?

[ShaneClissoldParticipant]

Im in Sutton Neil, not that far from Bromley.

[NeilfrazermParticipant]

Do you want to meet? Please drop me a line at neilfrazerm@hotmail.co.uk
Could do Sutton or central L.

[ShaneClissoldParticipant]

G’day Neil,

Have sent you a mail to the above email address mate.

Cheers,
Shane

[Author]

Posts