Help & Advice
 

 

RHS Help & Advice
Planning an allotment
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