Make a plan of action. What this is will very much depend on what your new plot is overgrown with and how easy it is to see any wood/metal/assorted items in the undergrowth. If it is difficult to see everything, perhaps consider dividing the plot into patches and clearing these one at a time. If the plot is largely covered in grass, there are a number of clearance strategies you could follow and these can be mixed and matched depending on how much time you have in any given month and whether you want to follow an entirely organic growing regime.
See the Guidance sheet “Reclaiming an overgrown plot”.
If you have a large amount of unwanted rubbish on the site talk to the committee about this.
The soil at Roding farm is very fertile, but because it is a clay soil it will become compacted and heavy to work if not cultivated regularly. Where this happens, winter rainfall will also not be able to easily drain away and the earth may become waterlogged in places. It sounds obvious, but don’t try to do too much at once. An allotment is always a long term project and nobody is expected to be able to work miracles.
Everyone who takes on a new plot has 3 months grace allowed to start to get things under control, which doesn’t mean the plot has to be perfect in three months, just that you need to be working on it regularly and continually. Committee members and fellow plotholders are always ready to help with advice.
Committee members are guaranteed to be around to speak to you on Sunday mornings between 10am and 12pm.
