New Members – Thomson Terrace Allotments CIC

New Members Checklist

Welcome!

If you are new to allotment growing, it will take a year to get to know the seasons your site and what works best where including patterns of sun, succession planning, etc. We recommend keeping a annual diary of the work you do, what seeds your planting dates etc.

As a plot holder, you are responsible for the cultivation of your plot and the paths adjacent to your plot – so you must cut the path grass and keep it safe for walking.

There are many experienced growers on the allotment who are more than happy to offer what has worked for them in the past. Our international community often plants produce that is unique to their home land. The plot gives you the opportunity to experiment with varieties that are more tasty and not found in your local shop.

You should learn how best to store your produce so to keep your harvest extend through the year. In the UK, you are able to grow brassicas throughout the year and can continue to grow more delicate produce such as salad, spinach under cover in a polytunnel or cold frame. Learn about other storage techniques such as bottling (canning), fermenting, dehydrating or freezing so to extend your summer harvest throughout the year.

YouTube has a wealth of educational knowledge to offer new growers – a few links are offered on Gardening Links.

Frost Dates for Oxford:

Our FIRST AUTUMN FROST is generally mid October (15 Oct)
Our LAST SPRING FROST is generally early May (1 May)

Preparing the ground

Most plots require some cultivation of the ground (removing weeds, etc.) prior to planting.

You may wish to till or no-till (no-dig) the plot to ready it for planting
Depending on the season (winter or spring) you may wish to use a non-chemical weed suppression to kill off grass and weeds
For non-chemical weed suppression, remove large weeds and roots(compost them). Strim/cut weeds grass near to ground. Cover with cardboard (remove tape, minimize heavy printed card). Cover with 50-70mm compost. Generally can plant with 6 months. Alternately consider black woven fabric (is sold in wide enough to cover plot width). Should be fully removed prior to planting.
Generally ground needs rejuvenation once a year with top off of compost (20 mm) or compost/manure mix. Be careful NOT to use hot manure as this may burn your plant starts. Generally this means to let the manure sit 3-6 months prior to adding it to your plot. Speak to other plot holders for advice.

Seedlings

It is very economical to buy your own seeds rather than ‘plant starts’ you find at gardening centers or shops. Seeds will last over multiple years and you can ‘Save your seed’ from your harvest to use the following year. Real Seeds has some great free advice on how to save seeds.

You will need to start the seeds 6 weeks to 3 months or more ahead of planting the seedling in your plot.
The timing of when you start your seed starts is tied to when frost is and soil temperature when you plan to plant-out.
Most plants should be sowed and grown as seedling to a size (generally 75-100mm) that is appropriate to ‘plant out’. We sow them inside with warmer conditions to get a jump start on germination and growth. This helps speed up fruiting and also the larger plants going into the ground will protect it (somewhat) against predators such as slugs and birds. Carrots, radishes, beets (for example) and can be direct sown meaning seeds go right on bed.
Most seedlings sowed in December – March are started in containers or trays at home using south windows or perhaps with grow lamps. You may need to ‘pot-on’ the seedling to a larger size pot(stimulates healthy roots) but start with very small trays, that will help you save money on potting soil and space for early germination.
Some seeds are very slow to germinate and need to grow to the correct size to plant out such as peppers while other such as cucumbers or squash germinate quickly so timing and the calendar it critical.
Charles Dowding(no-dig gardener) has a great wall calendar that identifies when to sow seeds, when to plant out, but there are many free sources on the internet including Garden Action which gives a monthly growing guide for Oxford. to
If you plan to sow perennial flowers, these seeds should be started as early as October-December for plant out in spring. Annuals such as Marigolds can start much later as they germinate and grow much faster.
Onion(sets) and garlic generally is planted October 1 (depending on variety) as many they need to go through a frost as part of their growing cycle. Onions and leeks can also be grown as grown as seeds and planted out. (save money)
Seed potatoes are sold in the shop

Wooden Beds or no-beds?

Throughout the allotment, you will see a diverse way of creating your planting bed. We have many gardeners that swear by wood-sided beds and others who direct plant into the ground. It’s personal preference.

If you prefer beds, consider recycled material or used pallet sleeves that you can find on the internet.

For paths, many just use the ground directly and others wood chips. Be careful using as mulch on your planting unless you are aware of the source which is free from chemical treatment.

Bed width or plant spacing consideration

No matter if you choose to have wooden beds or not, consider bed width and plant Module spacing for your plot.

Some plants may need to have mesh covering at different times of the season to protect harvest against white fly (carrots, leeks, brassica) or birds (strawberries) Other early crops may need fleece to reduce chance of frost damage. So how you support the mesh or fleece is one consideration. Many plot holders will use blue water pipe and set bed withs to approximately 1 meter.

Plant spacing should be considered for the bed width. Most seed packs advise of plant spacing as a function of how big the plant will grow. Most times the spacing is much greater than you need(clue: when you have two spacings on the seed pack).

You can offset rows of plants to have the spacing diagonal or interplant different varieties such as leaks between lettuce. You should consider the dimension of weeding tools in your spacing such as a hoe. Using your hoe at the first sign of weed seedling will save you time weeding your plot.

If you have a 5-pole plot and wish to grow a great variety of produce/plants, have a look at Square Foot Gardening ideas, with or without beds.

Watering and rainwater collection

Throughout the allotment we have trough but encourage all growers to install or use the rainwater collection system on their plot. Rain water is softer and better for all plant material. Our trough system is chlorinated city water and can be damaging to plants.

Water trough are provided throughout the allotment and are intended for seedlings and young plants. Troughs are covered and covers should always be closed after use discouraging birds or other animals from falling into tank. Do not use troughs to clean tools or hands as this contaminates the water. Troughs are shut off approximately Nov-March to avoid freezing. Plot holders are encouraged to install and maintain rain water collection systems to temporary structures on their plot.

Slugs

Yes. Like all allotments, we have slugs.

Best protection, keep your plot clean of material – slugs love to live under wooden bits.
Prevention of slugs is through good daily inspection and when you find slugs physically remove them. Eventually you will control them.
Many gardeners have poured beer in sunken yogurt cups(slugs drown). Also consider Nematodes every 2 weeks during growing season.
Slug pellets are dangerous to everything in nature and ARE band in the UK.

Crop rotation and blight

Many gardeners choose to plant all crops in different locations every year as good practice(crop rotation). Professional growers do have mixed opinions if this is necessary. White rot, is a fungal disease of onions, garlic and leeks. When white rot occurs it takes up to 4 years for fungal to die in that bed. Crop rotation is helpful to avoid white rust.

Potato and tomato blight generally occurs late in the season(late August/September) often during wet summers.. Blight is an air-borne fungus and one plot can have it and it quickly travels across the allotment. To avoid (or delay), practice good cultivation including continuously removal of yellowing leaves through the growing season, stake up tomatoes to keep plants dry and off the ground, and remove all lower leaves below the first fruit branch or truss. At first sign of blight, remove all green tomatoes and remove plants. Tomatoes that have turned brown should be discarded. Green tomatoes with no sign of blight can be ripened at home or made into green chutney/salsa.

Harvesting, Composting and Bonfires

You will have seasons of goodness, perhaps more than your family can handle, Share your surplus produce to others. We have a list and details of local groups which will help distribution any food donations

Plant waste grass and weeds should be composted for your use. Many plots may have black composting bins (up to 330 liters or 5 bags of compost) or self made bins often made of recycled pallets. Home made compost should comprise generally of 50% green waste (plants) and 50% brown waste (dried leaves, brown paper), but there is no exact formula. Depending on your compost set up(heat), it takes up to 12 months for the material to turn to black goodness. But will save you money in the end.

Compost is sold in the shop.

Wood cuttings and pruning such as bramble takes too long to break down and should be taking to the bonfire pile at Plot 156, which we do a controlled burn once or twice a year. You may bring other wood waste from your plot to this pile but please wood only (no painted wood, metal or plastic). Waste material from your site should be removed by you to your home or the Redhill Recycling Centre.

If you do not have composting bins, there are shared large bins across the allotment.

Your first tools

To start you will need a few hand tools: a pick, hoe, spade and hand tools. A wheel barrow is also good to have. Often you inherit tools with the plot, but have a look at FB Marketplace or Nextdoor for freebies.

Like all allotments in Oxford, there we have had break-ins. Most often just trouble-makers that break into sheds looking form power tools or sharp tools such as knives. Most often if a shed gets broken into the hand tools are just thrown around.

Storing any tool at the site is at your own risk Petrol power tools and fuel are not allowed to be stored at the site.

Enjoy!