Scot plot guide Q3:layout 7 - Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society

9 How do I get started?This section aims to give a few simple pointersbased on the experience of real people who havestarted from scratch, just like you.CommitmentThe first thing to realise is that having an allotmentcan be a wonderful experience. The more effortyou put into it, the more you’ll get out. At the veryleast, you will need to be able to commit severalhours regularly each and every week, come rain orshine, winter and summer. Hopefully you’ll enjoy itso much that you will spend much longer.If you have to go on a waiting list, learn aboutgrowing while you wait. There are plenty of booksand magazines that give simple month-by-monthguidelines on what to grow and when. Localgroups may run classes and workshops. When youare planning what to grow, bear in mind that theScottish summer is shorter and cooler than in thesouth of the country. The best advice is often fromother gardeners, always remembering that there isusually more than one way of doing things.Maggie RodenYour plotFirst check your new plot for hazards, althoughyour allotment provider should do this before it isleased to you. Be on the lookout for anything frombroken glass to barbed wire, rusty nails, bramblesand nettles. If you have children, wait until you arehappy that they will be safe before bringing themalong.Start with getting some basic tools for the job,including protective gloves and sturdy footwear. Allgood hardware stores and garden centres have arange of tools. Spend more on a few decent toolsrather than buying lots of cheap ones. Start offwith just one or two essentials such as a diggingfork and hoe, you can add more later on.Sometimes getting the whole plot under control atonce may be too much. Clearing your plotsystematically a little at a time is often moreuseful. This way you’ll concentrate your efforts ona patch that can become productive quickly. Assoon as you have dug over an area, get somethingplanted in it. If you don’t, the weeds will quicklygrow back. Small beds with paths in betweenenable you to prepare only the soil that you aregoing to grow in. Start off modestly by plantingsome ‘pioneer crops’ like potatoes, which aresimple to grow and help break up newly cultivatedsoil.You can cover (mulch) areas that are waiting to becultivated to suppress the weeds making it easierto deal with later on. There are a variety ofmethods of mulching, from spreading recycledorganic materials to covering the ground with blackplastic membrane. Growing ‘green manures’which are dug back into the soil will help tosuppress weeds and add to fertility. Do not usecarpets - some of the dyes carry toxins and theBarbara De La Rue14 Allotments - A Scottish Plotholder’s Guide