How to Set Up Your Allotment for Next Year

Whether you’ve recently gotten an allotment or a large piece of land, or you want to completely revamp your current plot of land for growing produce, you’re in the right place. This post will provide a quick guide to help you get ready to grow.

Start An Allotment From Scratch or Not?

This decision depends largely on your preferences and the state of your land. You should at least clear the plot of any debris or rubbish that can get in your way.

Sometimes, the land has beds already dug and in place. Or you might have walkways, paths, and other structures. It can be easier to leave these in place, especially if they’re in logical places and in good condition.

On the other hand, there’s something to be said for completely digging your land over and starting from scratch. It’s a lot of work, but it allows you to plan your allotment according to your preferences.

Get the Right Tools

In any case, digging over plots and creating raised beds is a lot of work. It can take some serious elbow grease to get going.

If you want to save time and energy, make sure you get some proper equipment. If you have a larger allotment, you might benefit from hiring or buying farming equipment. This will allow you to get the right tools to dig the allotment over and create beds, and you can also source structures like greenhouses or sheds.

Planning the Layout

Before you can work on creating beds, laying walkways, and building structures, you should first get an idea in your head of what you want the allotment to look like.

You might want to design an allotment that’s as efficient as possible, allowing you to grow as much produce as you can fit in the land. This might be the option if your goal is to be self-sufficient and feed a family from your allotment. 

Or you might want to create an allotment with different zones, including a zone to relax and enjoy the outside world. 

If you’re planning to have animals like chickens, then you need to plan an area for them, as well as a way to keep them away from your plants.

Planning Your Plants

Finally, you need to figure out what you want to grow, when you can grow it, and where to grow it. 

There are a few things to consider here. First, what does your family eat? Onions, cabbage, and carrots are common staples and good options for your larger beds. But as well as staple crops, consider a few interesting extras to explore.

As well as thinking about what you eat, think about what plants are good to grow together or apart. Different plants have different effects on each other and the soil. Some plants, like potatoes, leech nutrients from the soil, so you should consider this when planting.

You also need to work out what plants need to be planted at certain times of the year. Ideally, you want to have a long harvest season, so vary the planting times.