Having an allotment or gardening space is great! Time just seems to stand still as I work on a little patch, clearing some weeds or digging away in a new patch. As a mom however with other responsibilities, I’m conscious of how brief the snatches of time can be. Before long, the alarm you set to remind you to do the shopping or go get the kids from school will be ringing.
I often see folks arrive at the allotment with that similar look of joy as they arrive to do some work that soon dissipates with time as the effort they put in does not equate to hoped for bountiful harvests. Oftentimes, they will work really hard either digging, sometimes getting round to sowing but not often having a lot to show for the efforts.
Over the past two years, I’ve had a lot more success and I think it is due to the approach I take- prioritising and setting a routine for the tasks I’ll do with the short periods of time I get.
- WINTER (December-Mid February)
Keep going to the allotment & clear down beds:
Keep going to the allotment, the warmer winters we’re having mean that this is precious time to use for plot management. Focus on digging over beds and adding compost if that’s your thing- the ground is wetter and easier to work. Weeds aren’t growing as much or as fast, so you can make faster progress. The same applies if you’re using a no dig approach( except in this case you’ll be laying down cardboard and adding compost).
Add compost if needed:
It’s also a good time to add compost if your soil needs it. Source some compost (and get someone to help) to get it over all the beds. As you clear each area, you can cover it over to stop weeds coming back. Cardboard or any old tarpaulin will do. Avoid old carpets- they are heavy work as they get sodden and wet! They also leach chemicals into the ground, reducing the overall fertility of your soil.
Work on one improvement project at a time:
Most books and blogs will advise you to carry out maintenance jobs around this time. I’d tend to agree. If it’s your first year- focus on the big ticket items like getting water butts set up and a composting area going. It can be tempting to do more than one job at a time, but don’t!
In future years, identify one or two projects that will deliver big results. For me this year, it’s setting up a hot bed- a warmish area to start off spring seedlings. After this, I hope to get an outdoor hose pipe stand in place, as we really struggled with our old set up last year.
If time and money weren’t a limiting factor, I’d have a new seating area with pergola and harvesting space too! Make a note of any other jobs which need attention. I use wood chips for my paths and noticed these are in need of re-setting. As you’ll see below, the jobs are mostly ‘once and done’ for this time of year- not often repeated on a weekly basis.
What my weekly winter routine looks like:
- Add to and turn my compost heap
- Work on one improvement project
- Continue to clear beds
- Harvest and process produce
- Write out a full plot plan with what I’ll grow next year and order seeds
SPRING (mid February-Mid May)
Daylight is finally at a sufficient level to get seedlings going. So focus on the growing element first; which means getting seeds going.
Decide what plants you would like to grow, not too many, around ten basic annual vegetables will be a great starting place. My list includes peas, beans, spinach, kale,lettuce, cabbages ,potatoes, carrots, strawberries and onions for basic annuals.
In March, you’ll inevitably have more seeds to manage as all the warm loving plants need to be started. You don’t want to feel overwhelmed at the transplant stage so pace yourself!
Spring routine:
Focus now turns to seed starting and transplanting. The to-do list is a bit longer at this time of year and weekly spring routine priorities are as follows:
- Sow seeds each fortnight in batches.
- Transplant or sow direct every other week as time allows.
- Water seedlings that are undercover
- Sort out any old covers such as fleece, netting and other supporting structures start to be required around this time of year.
- Harvest and process any produce.
- Turn Compost & Clear any beds that haven’t been done.
SUMMER (May-August)
The hectic pace of spring reduces and we get into a gentler rhythm at the allotment. There’s more smiles and joy as the first bits of produce for the year start to bear fruit. BUT there’s still a way to go. You might not believe it, but seedlings still need to be sowed, although your focus might drift towards watering mainly, try to be sparing and keep some time back for sowing which often gets neglected.
My summer routine:
- Sowing and seedling care: Keep sowing especially in June and July for what will be your winter harvests. Seedlings will need some extra attention especially because of the heat.
- Transplant: Continue to transplant every other week to get plants outdoors, and ideally before the high summer heat.
- Water: Aim to do this very well, done just once a week will be sufficient if done properly. The main rule of thumb, being to focus on getting water to the roots so it is deep enough and doesn’t evaporate. All the work done adding compost in the early spring will pay dividends now to help keep moisture in.
- 5 minute jobs: At this time of year, there are lots of ‘five minute jobs’ to do- staking tomato plants, tying wayward vining beans and peas along their supporting canes, removing netting and the like. Allow some time to do these regularly.
- Weeding and path maintenance: With luck, the weather will have been kind and your beds filled with new plant growth! But weeds are most prevalent at this time of year. Ideally, you’ll have enough knowledge to be able to spot which ones are the weeds when they are tiny, as that takes the least effort. If not, label and grow plants in straight lines. Cover any weedy paths with wood chips and if you have a grass path mow it from June onwards.
- Composting: Keep your eyes on the prize! Good compost is like a ‘good heart, hard to find, so please be gentle with this heart of mine’. Add to the compost and turn as needed.
- Harvesting and processing: The sweet delights and treats from the allotment really pack a punch now, as peas and spinach and lettuces are harvested. Enjoy the fresh treats! Don’t forget to harvest- it’s surprising how many people skip this step!
A final word on watering as we have hotter summers each year, this requires a multi-pronged approach. Last year, I invested in some solar powered drip irrigation for the greenhouse with a view to reducing the number of trips needed. It worked a treat and is something I’d recommend doing to ease the pressure over summer. This alongside having water butts on my plot makes a huge difference in how much effort is required to water plants. Finally, don’t forget to mulch with either compost or hay depending on your context. This also helps a lot in increasing moisture retention especially for new transplants.
AUTUMN (Sept-November)
We take a summer break throughout August and so I will often enlist the help of others in looking after the allotment. Focus during this month is on watering and harvesting as it’s at the behest of my helpers. It does result in some ‘catch up’ work in September, but I’ve found it was manageable and not too daunting, although it may be a bit more weedy than I’d like.
These final months of the year are dominated by harvesting and storage and processing. I’m trying to keep a ‘full winter bed’ each year rather than have empty beds over the winter. So this year I’ll try to start more brassicas as well as the alliums I already do, with a view to overwintering more produce for a headstart in the spring.
My Autumn Weekly routine:
- Harvest, store and processing: Many plants will be reaching their zenith, with tomatoes, beans, pumpkins and beetroot all ripening over the autumn. Prioritise harvesting if you can when you visit the allotment- the temptation at this time of year is to try to ‘neaten’ the plot, weeding. There’ll be plenty of time for that in winter.
- Sowing: Every other two weeks, this is a good time of year to get alliums in the ground ready for a great summer harvest next year. Also consider winter lettuces, carrots and other cold loving plants. This time of year is often called a ‘second spring’ and with good reason- as it’s surprising how welcome green leafy veggies are at the height of winter.
- Transplant: Continue to move plants outdoors as they get established. Once they are robust enough and with a warm November breeze, they will get deep roots- enough to withstand any cold snaps in January and February
- Compost and clear down and set up new beds for next year.
As December draws near, there’ll be days to daydream a bit more, so make plans for any improvement projects and schedule them in for your winter routine. It’s also a great time to carry out reviews of the year, what went well (and what didn’t!). And finally get the seed catalogue or bookmark your favourite seed websites, and look at what you’d like to grow next season.
What do you think about my routine? What does your routine look like? Is there anything you would change?