Planning your plot
Note how your plot sits relative to the sun. Most plots run north–south along their long dimension, so rows planted across the short dimension will…
Tips and Tricks
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Cultivating your plot
There are three main ways to tackle persistent weeds and get the ground ready for sowing and planting — and you can combine them. Each…
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Perennial weeds
Perennial weeds include, in rough order of frequency: The worst offenders Couch grass and bindweed are the worst offenders — persistent, capable of travelling long…
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Annual weeds
Annual weeds have shallow roots, so lightly forking over the ground loosens them and they can be composted. If you take over in summer there’s…
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Our basic principles
At Hatherop Road we ask plotholders to adopt a few basic principles that benefit the whole site: Be as organic as possible Chemicals such as…
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Neighbours & committee members
Get to know your neighbours — you’ll share water taps and responsibility for access paths. Everyone has a different approach to gardening, and there’s a…
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What to plant
The usual advice is to plant potatoes for the benefit of the soil and its clearance — you’ll dig three times: to clear the weeds,…
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Your first jobs
Rubbish clearance If you take over in winter there’s likely to be dead vegetation, odd bits of wood and material to prune from fruit canes….
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Essential tools
You don’t need lots of equipment to start. A fork, tough gardening gloves and a good pair of secateurs will do on day one, plus…
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What you may inherit
Plots often carry perennial plants left by previous plotholders: You may also inherit: If you inherit items you don’t want, offer them to other plotholders…
