GET PLANNING!

As much as we love to get going straightaway on our veg patch or allotment it's always good to start with a plan, as Becky Searle explains

- Becky Searle

When planning an allotment there is no right or wrong way. Many of us develop our own ways over the years, and many people throw caution to the wind and skip the planning stage altogether. There is something to be said for sowing from the heart and then trying to cram everything in when it is big enough to plant out, but a little planning can go a long way, especially if your ideas are bigger than your space!

The first thing I do in the new season is make a list of all the things I want to grow that year. I sort through my seed collection while doing this and note the seeds I have and the ones I still need to get. This will keep me on the straight and narrow and ensure I don't miss any sowing dates through lack of planning. As I acquire seeds through swapping with my allotment neighbours, ordering or receiving my copy of Kitchen Garden magazine I can tick them off on the list.

HOW MUCH TO SOW?

The next stage for me is knowing when everything will be sown. I use my list of crops to grow and write each one into a different month so I know what I'm going to sow and when. That way, when I go to my greenhouse to sow I will have a clear idea of what I need to get on with.

HOW MUCH TO SOW?

The next problem that arises is how much of everything we want to sow. Of course, what we sow at the beginning of the growing season won't be the whole story for the rest of the year, but we should be realistic with the amounts we sow. I try to work out how much of something I will need or want for my family and sow around three times what I need.

When I prick out I will choose the best two-thirds and then I'll plant out half of those once they have been grown on. Inevitably, some will not germinate or won't thrive, some will do worse than others once pricked out, and some will succumb to slugs once planted out. I will then have backups to replace my fallen friends.