GREEN FINGERS

Allotment benefits

If someone promised you a year of happiness, fitness, relaxation and new friends all for the cost of an average meal out (that we’re not able to enjoy now anyway), you might think they’d had one too many kale smoothies. But, according to the UK’S lucky 330,000 plot holders, all these benefits and more can be found on the humble allotment. And that’s before you’ve thrown in as much fresh fruit and veg as you could ever want.

Glimpsed through a train window, the nation’s allotments may seem unlikely patches of nirvana. But, these rows of carrots, hoop cloches and Heath Robinson-style water systems can feel like exactly that – a space to care for, free from all life’s humdrum hassles. Demand for local authority allotments has never been higher and, as spring gets into its stride, it’s the ideal time to get out on your plot, put your name on a waiting list, or start sowing and planting at home.

Why should you want to grow fruit and vegetables when they’re so easy and affordable to buy? Well, because the fruit and vegetables are only part of the attraction.

KEEPING FIT

As anyone who has ever tried to clear a flowerbed infested with couch grass will know, tending to an allotment is a serious workout. And at anywhere between £12 and £50 rent for a whole year, it’s also much cheaper than yoga classes and you’ll be outside in the fresh air. Allotments do wonderful things for the brain, too, providing a neutral space away from the demands of the office and home. It’s pretty much impossible to feel miserable when you are digging over the ground on a sunny weekend morning with a flask of tea. The repetitive, slow tasks of preparing soil and sowing seed are like a meditation, connecting you to the cycle of life and taking away stress.

PLOT FRIENDS

On an allotment, you can grow all the fresh fruit and veg you could ever want

There’s nothing like a shared interest in beetroot varieties or the finer points of slug prevention to draw like-minded people together. Finally, someone who won’t roll their eyes at your love of making compost! Plot holders are generous souls once they’ve worked out you’re not the kind of fly-by-night who will demand all their growing wisdom and then disappear after breaking your first trowel. Stories of lasting friendships and incredible acts of generosity abound on allotments, from gifts of free seeds and fruit bushes to people helping out and even weeding when their plot neighbours are unwell. Many sites have annual vegetable shows, too, if you want to get competitive with your carrots!

INCREDIBLE VEGETABLES

By growing your own, you can harvest organic crops that have had no chemicals used on them. Pluck strawberries, sugar snap peas, tomatoes and sweetcorn at their peak moment of ripeness and maximum vitamin content and eat them before the sugars have turned to starch. Pick baby salad leaves, chillies and spinach as and when you need them rather than leaving shop-bought bags of the stuff to turn slimy at the back of the fridge (we’ve all done it). Grow unusual varieties you can’t easily buy such as round cucumbers, mini kiwi fruit and expensive crops such as asparagus, cape gooseberries and even samphire. And at a time when we’re all concerned about the amount of plastic we’re using, you can avoid adding to the landfill burden with supermarket packaging.

Taking on an allotment can feel daunting, especially for a beginner. But it doesn’t have to be with these simple steps…

GO HALVES

Most of us have busy lives and can only get to a plot once or twice a week. Twice-yearly inspections by the council are common and if your patch isn’t looking cared for, you may receive a ‘notice to clear’, so you do have to ‘use it or lose it’. A full-sized plot is too big to manage if you’re doing it alone, so ask for a half plot and you won’t regret it. Teaming up with a friend to share the workload is a good idea, too.

TACKLE IT IN SECTIONS

If you’re a newbie, chances are you’ve inherited your plot because someone has either lost interest or moved on. Either way, the site is likely to be overgrown with weeds. There could be rubbish lurking under the surface, too. Many people lose heart when faced with the enormity of this task but it’s easy to tackle if you break it into sections. Cover a manageable area of a few square metres with a tarpaulin pegged or weighed down with bricks and leave it in situ for two months. Once uncovered, dig this area over, carefully removing weeds, stones and rubbish, and then move the tarpaulin to a new section. Plant the just dug area with potatoes, which are great for breaking up new ground.

YOU’RE NOT A GREENGROCER

It’s best to just grow what you want to eat. Choose three or four crops in the first year and get used to those before branching out. Potatoes, herbs, tomatoes and runner beans are a good start. Still not sure? ‘Talk to your allotment neighbours,’ suggests Di Appleyard of the National Allotment Society. ‘They’ll know what grows well, may have spare seedlings or raspberry canes and may be able to identify plants you’re unsure about.’

STREAMLINE YOUR TOOLS

A spade, fork and hand tool such as a trowel are really all you need to get started. Ladies’ forks and spades are slightly smaller and lighter. Secateurs are handy, too. But it’s worth taking a few precautions. ‘Stay safe,’ says Di. ‘Make sure you wear strong footwear when working the soil and that your tetanus jabs are up to date.’

SAVE TIME WITH SMART TIPS

Buying small plants rather than raising crops from seed will make things easier in the first year. When it comes to visits, several short trips are better than one long session, since you’ll be able to spot potential problems before they get out of hand. ‘I have half a plot and go one or two evenings a week and half a day at the weekend in growing season,’ says Di. ‘In winter, I spend half a day a fortnight there, more if there are big jobs to do.’

GET ORGANISED

The first thing you should do is set up a compost bin – buy a kit or check out Youtube for videos on how to make them. A water butt to collect rainwater is also invaluable, especially if you’re some distance from a tap. Some allotments have a ‘no shed’ policy, others are pretty relaxed. A small shed to store tools is useful and a greenhouse will expand what you can grow, but it’s perfectly possible to have a thriving allotment without either if you can carry your tools by car.

It’s best to just grow what you want to eat