Research
There are many reasons for renting an allotment - not least of which is to grow fresh produce. There are the health benefits of a place you can escape to unwind in peace and quiet, with some gentle exercise away from everyday pressures. Conversely, allotment sites are sociable places, great for meeting like-minded people. There is a growing trend towards a wider mix of cultures and ages alongside the traditional plot holders. Tips on growing and cultivating abound making this an ideal environment for the novice gardener.
Start by contacting your local authority for information on available allotment sites; local authorities have a duty to provide allotments. These may be statutory, temporary or there may be privately owned sites available to rent. Information about a local horticultural society or allotment association may appear in the local papers or at the library.
A full plot is 10 rods (approximately 250 sq m/300 sq yd), but half plots are usually available if this is too much to manage. Ground rent is normally very reasonable. Most but not all sites have water; but check what other facilities are available such as a storage shed, compost, toilets etc. Check also if there are any limitations in the lease which, for instance, prevents fruit tree planting or the erection of structures such as greenhouses, polytunnels or sheds, and if there are problems such as theft and vandalism. Popular sites may have a waiting list.
You may wish to join a local or national society for guidance and benefits. The National Society for Allotment and Leisure Gardeners * (NSALG) offers advice to its members on allotment matters and a low cost quality seed scheme. Many allotment gardeners grow organically and the Henry Doubleday Research Association * (HDRA) advises its members on organic gardening and runs the Heritage Seed Library.
To help with growing and planning there are some useful reference books*. Many of these are inexpensive, but some good ones are out of print, so it is worth checking with second hand booksellers.
Planning
Once you've got your allotment you need to decide what you want to grow. Make a list of what fruit and vegetables you like to eat, and consider areas such as a fruit cage, herb garden, cut flower border, wildlife patch and green manures. Ask your allotment neighbours about local pests such as badgers and deer and think about incorporating suitable defences if none are already present.
Larger structures can be costly so consider how much use they will get before installing them. A greenhouse is a luxury whereas a windowsill is normally sufficient to raise transplants. Compost bins and rain water butts also need careful placement in the early planning stages.
Consider how much time you will be able to spend at the site. If time is limited then incorporate low-maintenance ideas such as planting through plastic mulches to reduce weeding time. Allotment crops will rely on regular watering if they are started off using over-exuberant irrigation. Some crops, such as runner beans, need regular harvesting to ensure continual yield, so if you're off on holiday offer a PYO beans scheme to your neighbours.
Cultivation
It can be rather daunting when faced with a blank allotment plot, but the whole area doesn't have to be dug over (especially if you employ a 'no dig' system'). Crops can be laid out in rows (which makes hoeing easier) or beds (which provides more even competition between plants). Individual raised beds can be managed intensively, leaving pathways between beds uncultivated.
Any areas not required immediately are best covered with carpet or similar, smothering the worst of the unwanted vegetation and weakening perennial weeds. Rotovators can be hired to make quick work of large areas, but perennial weeds will be chopped up and spread around if not dealt with first. Systemic herbicides are useful for this purpose, as some perennial weeds such as bindweed and horsetail are difficult to dig out.
In the first year of cultivation crop rotations usually aren't feasible unless the whole area to be cultivated is ready. In successive years however rotations can be incorporated, thus assisting in the prevention of soil-borne pests and diseases.
When planning what crops to grow try to estimate their harvest time to avoid gluts. Some crops, such as broad beans, are at their best for less than a week but can be preserved well by freezing. Others, such as garlic and onions are generally harvested all at once, leaving new, bare ground ready for cultivation. If you don't plan to visit your allotment regularly then grow quick-maturing crops such as radish and lettuce at home, using the allotment for low-maintenance crops such as winter squashes and maincrop potatoes. To avoid gluts of one particular crop stagger sowings and use different cultivars that take varying times to mature. The cropping season can also be extended by using cloches, fleece and transplants to get maximum cropping from your plot at the beginning and end of the year.
When bare patches of ground appear, especially in autumn, cover them with plastic or low-nutrient organic mulches, or sow overwintering green manures. If left bare weeds will quickly dominate, leading to lengthy periods of yet more ground clearance.
* Contacts & references
NSALG, O'Dell House, Hunters Road, Corby, Northants NN17 5JE
Tel: 01536 266576
Fax: 01536 264509
E-mail: natsoc@nsalg.org.uk
Website: www.nsalg.org.uk
Garden Organic (previously the Henry Doubleday Research Association), Ryton, Coventry CV8 3LG
Tel: 024 7630 3517
Fax: 024 7663 9229
E-mail: enquiry@gardenorganic.org.uk
Website: www.gardenorganic.org.uk
The New Vegetable and Herb Expert by Dr D G Hessayon (ISBN 0 903505 46 0)
RHS Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Editor-in-Chief Michael Pollock (ISBN 0 7513 3683 1)