What is the best time to start a new allotment plot? Some might argue there is no “best time”. It’s just whenever you manage to get to the top of that elusive waiting list and get hold of those magic keys! And yes, that is probably the best time to start a new allotment plot.
But is there a certain time of the year that is best? What challenges does starting an allotment plot at different times of the year create? And how can you get the best out of your new plot as quickly as possible?
When is the best time to start a new allotment plot?
Autumn is probably the peak time to start a new allotment and is often when new contracts are agreed with tenants. During the Autumn time, many crops are finishing, the weeds are dying back but the sun is still out for a good amount of time and weather is usually quite mild. This makes starting a new allotment plot much easier.
Cutting weeds back in the Autumn time is still daunting. If you are lucky enough to get given an allotment plot is fairly good condition, then you might find the weeds are mainly at bay. however, if you’ve been given a bit of a jungle, here are a few tips:
- Focus on the perennial weeds. These are ones that will come back again and again unless you get the entire root out. Think blackberry bushes, dandelions and bind weed. The more of this you can eradicate now, the more your future self with thank you!
- Work sections and cover what you can’t do straight away. Groundsheets or weed suppressant material is great at this time of year and can be left on until the spring when the weeds beneath will have died back. Work the rest of the plot in smaller, manageable sections.
- Remove any large shrubs or cut back trees now while your plot is still in it’s early days. It’ll be harder to do this later once crops are growing.
Autumn time usually means winding down in the garden. So creating a new allotment plot now is really ideal. If you can clear the weeds and build the basic structure before the first frosts of winter arrive, your plot will be ready to go in the Spring time.
What if you get your allotment plot in the Spring/Summer?
Of course, as I said earlier, the best time to start an allotment plot is really whenever you manage to get those magic keys and sign that contract!
If this is in the spring time, then how much you manage to grow that year will very much depend on the condition of your plot. If it’s a complete overgrown mess, you might find it easier to work smaller sections, planting as you clear and keeping the parts you haven’t tackled yet covered with groundsheets.
However, if your plot is in a pretty good state, I would recommend direct sowing as much as possible to play catch up.
Lots of things can be sown directly into the ground in the Spring time (particularly later spring), such as:
- Beetroot
- Lettuce
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Beans
- Sweetcorn
- Peas
- Dahlias
You might be too late to start tomatoes, strawberries and Brussels sprouts from seed, but these can be bought as plug plants and planted out straight away. That will give you a good harvest (providing you can keep them alive! But that’s another story…)
The later into the summer months you get your plot, the less you’ll be able to start straight away. I would advice buying most crops as plug plants at this time of year or else they might not have long enough to grow.
Is there an advantage to getting your allotment plot in the summer?
Actually I think there is! Summer time is when everything is in full bloom on the allotment plot. So if you have a new plot, now is the time to go down there and observe. Where does the light hit? Where are the shaded areas? What perennial crops are already growing?
Fruit bushes and other perennial plants can be pretty hard to identify in the dormant winter months, but in the summer when the fruit is starting to develop, you’ll be able to see exactly what’s growing and how well it’s doing! And free plants are never a bad thing!
The best time to get an allotment plot
So the best time to get an allotment plot really depends on your perspective. Autumn may be best for hard work and getting the plot ready for planting in the spring time. But spring and summer will offer the opportunity to see what’s already growing, where the sunlight hits and how weedy the plot will get giving you an advantage when it comes to preparing it for the following year.
Of course, the best time to get an allotment plot is whenever you make it to the top of the list and are handed the keys!
Happy Gardening!
