Page 14 - Allotment Gardener Issue 1 2024

HOW
TO PLAN
YOUR PLOT
We are excited to welcome RHS multi-award-winning garden designer Zoe Claymore as NAS ambassador. Here she provides some introductory tips on planning your allotment.
5 Working with water
How are you going to capture and store
water on your plot? Water is going to be key to your growing, particularly veg success. With the more erratic weather patterns we are seeing, it is important to consider how you can capture and store water on your plot to support you over leaner times. So, consider space for a water tank or butt. On mine I’ve planned gutters off a shed into a water tank. If you don’t have a shed, consider laying out a series of pots to capture the water.
6 Considering composting
Where will the waste go? To grow more
sustainably - and economically - it is a great idea to save space and start up a compost station. Having at least two bays is helpful for turning the compost and many people on my allotments use old pallets. Try to situate it with plenty of room to move barrows around and on a level, well-drained spot. You want excess water to drain away.
7 Boosting biodiversity
(and reduce your pests)
How can you boost biodiversity? For me, our plots aren’t just about production anymore, but are about the planet. To boost pollinating plants, consider growing fruit, veg and flowers side by side - like you see in my allotment bed photos here. Other aspects to add include
a small fruit tree or two, which are entire ecosystems in their own right. On my plot I’ve
Winter and early spring are a fantastic time to consider making structural alterations to your plot, to not only make it more productive, but also more beautiful and biodiverse for years to come. I’ve been overhauling my space over the past few months and whilst there are countless questions that you could ask when designing your plot, here are my top 10 points to consider when evolving your allotment - or really any veg growing space.
1 Sizing up your space
How big is your plot? Before you make
any big changes to your plot, measure out the area and draw up a scale drawing. You need to know how big the area is to accurately plan your plot and planting (see point 10). This will save you money later as you will be able to buy the correct amount of materials/plants and mean you can accurately place out where things are going and make informed decisions.
2 Looking at light
How much light do you have? This is
vitally important, as it will determine how well your plants grow and what you can grow. Right
plant, right place. To work out your light levels, you need to know two things. Your aspect (north/south/east/west) and your light levels (sun, part-shade, shade).
3 Seeing your soil
What sort of soil do you have? Soil is
where all your plants grow. It is their home and foundation so it is important to understand, otherwise you could be throwing money away on plants that simply will not work. It is helpful to know the texture of your soil, (clay, sand, chalk, loam) as well as the nutrient content. You can get DIY kits from garden centres, or, if you want something more thorough, try the RHS Soil Service.
4 Planning the practicalities
Where will you store the things that you need to garden? Ensure there is sufficient space
to house the tools you want and measure them before you purchase storage containers. Nothing is worse than buying something that won’t fit the items you want. I inherited a lockbox on my plot but it is too small for the larger tools, so I’ve saved up and invested in a wooden shed.
14 | Issue 1 2024 | Allotment Gardener