My first growing season
January 2024 - that is when I received the call letting me know that some allotment plots had become available at a site just 5 minutes walk from my front door. I was beyond excited! Trepidatious, but excited. One visit later and I had signed up to take on half of a very well maintained plot. My half is at the back of the plot and was a big blank space - perfect for me to make it my own.
In the 10(ish) months since I have built raised beds in the rain, taken too many trips to B&Q to procure compost, and learnt that keeping on top of an allotment is bl**dy hard work!
Here are the five biggest things I’ve learnt so far:
1) Pruning and trimming is a lot to keep on top of… With the help of one of the members of the allotment association I have got back on top of the hedges and I now vow to keep on top of the trimming myself. They’re in a manageable state now and I cannot let them get out of control again! I plan to do the same with my apple trees in November as they are in desperate need of pruning.
2) Perseverance will get you a long way. It is possible to get bindweed under control if you are tenacious and keep on picking and picking whenever it pops up!
3) Slugs don’t need to be the enemy. By protecting with various types of netting, and planting out tender crops when they are slightly more established, I managed to keep the majority of my crops safe from the slimy nibblers.
4) Observing the seasons on the plot has led me to make a few changes to where I will plant certain things next year. I underestimated how big the fruits trees on my plot would be when they were covered in leaves and fruits, and in fact they shaded quite a few of the beds towards the centre of the space. With a bit of pruning I think that will be less of an issue next year, but nevertheless I will move some of the crops that need much more sunlight to different beds for next year.
5) No matter how hard it feels at times, the sense of pride I feel when I get to pick and eat something I’ve grown cancels it all out. Here’s to many more growing seasons on Plot 16b!
