1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:05,919 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Gardening with Ben. You'll go to 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,439 a podcast for all things green and growing. I'm Ben, 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,400 your allotment guide and here to help you cultivate your 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,079 garden and your passion for plants. Whether you're a seasoned 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,600 gardener or just starting out, this podcast is for you. 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,879 Each episode will dig into tips, tricks, and techniques to 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:30,000 make your garden and allotment thrive from planting, sewing, and growing. 8 00:00:30,199 --> 00:00:33,640 We will share all the tips and add advice. We 9 00:00:33,679 --> 00:00:37,039 will also have regular episodes talking about what we have 10 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,840 been up to on the Alltment. So sit back, grab 11 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:48,079 a brew and enjoy today's episode. Hey everyone, and welcome 12 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:52,399 back to Gardening with Ben. We're back after a busy 13 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,039 weekend down at the Allotment. Wow, we certainly got plenty 14 00:00:56,119 --> 00:00:59,960 on and hopefully we'll be getting plented on next weekend, 15 00:01:00,439 --> 00:01:02,479 So make sure you stay tuned for later in the 16 00:01:02,479 --> 00:01:05,000 week when we'll talk about what we're hoping to get 17 00:01:05,079 --> 00:01:09,920 done down there next weekend. Fingers crossed the snow don't come, 18 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,079 we'll have to see. But what are we going to 19 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,200 be talking about today? Well, today we're going to talk 20 00:01:18,239 --> 00:01:23,120 about tips for new biz, Tips for new starters, on 21 00:01:23,239 --> 00:01:27,599 allotments and sharing any advice from what I've learned over 22 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:32,040 the years of having an allotment on the best way 23 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,599 to start an allotment and to get it all in shape. Really, 24 00:01:38,079 --> 00:01:42,719 so welcome to Gardening with Bennett. If you new, make 25 00:01:42,719 --> 00:01:44,920 sure you do give us a follow up. These podcasts 26 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,560 do come out every single day at the moment, so yeah, 27 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,760 so we're going to be talking about how to get 28 00:01:52,799 --> 00:01:56,120 started on on a whatment when you're looking at getting 29 00:01:56,159 --> 00:02:01,120 an allotment or a piece of land when you wanted 30 00:02:01,159 --> 00:02:04,879 to do your allotment. The biggest tip I can give 31 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,479 to having an allotment is to make sure that there 32 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:13,080 is water on site. Yes, they do cost more to 33 00:02:13,199 --> 00:02:16,280 rent a year, like my plots one hundred pounds a year, 34 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,879 which is a lot of money when you think about it. 35 00:02:19,439 --> 00:02:23,080 But some plots you can get like for twenty pounds 36 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,439 a year and stuff like that, but they don't come 37 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,319 with water and you'll think, oh, well, I can just 38 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,120 save it from my shared or save it from the 39 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:37,000 rain throughout the year, but trust me, it's never enough 40 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:42,599 rain to catch to be able to water your plants. Now. 41 00:02:44,159 --> 00:02:46,879 I obviously have plenty of water, butts around my allotment 42 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,520 and try and catch as much rainwater as possible, especially 43 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,159 through the winter months to water because they turn our 44 00:02:55,199 --> 00:02:59,639 water off at a sight like around now till around 45 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:04,719 it pulled time, So I need to save as much 46 00:03:04,719 --> 00:03:09,719 as water as possible. And there was a year a 47 00:03:09,759 --> 00:03:12,120 couple of years ago when we had a heat wave 48 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,199 and literally I were talking to people that had allotments 49 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,639 and they didn't have water on site and they were 50 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,000 struggling to keep things watered as it were too hot. 51 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,599 They'd ran out of water and they couldn't get any 52 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,439 more rain water to water the plants. They had to 53 00:03:28,479 --> 00:03:30,879 bring water to the site with them to keep things 54 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:36,159 watered because they couldn't get enough rain to water. So 55 00:03:36,199 --> 00:03:38,199 that is one of the main things I think that 56 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,840 you need to look for when you do get an 57 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,800 allotment if you're looking at getting one now. Obviously, once 58 00:03:44,879 --> 00:03:48,319 you get your piece of land, you see it and 59 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,719 you think, wow, that's a mess, because trust me, they 60 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,599 never come in a good step. They always come looking 61 00:03:56,759 --> 00:04:02,400 like a bomb site and full of weeds, full of rubbish, etc. 62 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,840 Like that. So the best way to get started on 63 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:11,280 allotment is strim it all down if possible, if you've 64 00:04:11,319 --> 00:04:15,479 got a strimmer, strim it all down and cover it over. 65 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:22,959 Cover the full plot over with either black membrane, any tar, poling, 66 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:29,360 any weed pressing cardboard. Cover the plot over so that 67 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,759 no sunlight can get to the weeds to get them 68 00:04:32,759 --> 00:04:36,839 to grow back. So cover it over and then you 69 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:41,920 can see the size of your plot and where to start. Basically, now, 70 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,480 I've had my plot twenty years and I've still not 71 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:50,120 got it all tided and done up as my main thing. 72 00:04:50,199 --> 00:04:52,759 What I suggest is that you start at the bottom 73 00:04:52,959 --> 00:04:56,560 and work your way back up the plot, and you 74 00:04:56,639 --> 00:04:58,920 can do it over a number of years. Don't try 75 00:04:58,959 --> 00:05:02,319 and do it all in one. Trust me, I've learned 76 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,000 from that mistake. Like when I first got my plot, 77 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,319 I got a rotivator and I rotivated it. One of 78 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,360 the worst things that I ever did was rotivated because 79 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,560 it just chops all the weeds up into hundreds more 80 00:05:16,079 --> 00:05:19,120 and you'll get a load more weeds going back. The 81 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,879 best way to do it is dig it all out manually. 82 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,319 And yeah, you might say that's a big job in itself, 83 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,519 but trust me, if you've covered it over, most of 84 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:31,560 it will be dead and you'll just digging out the 85 00:05:31,639 --> 00:05:37,240 roots of plants, and that way you can uncover a 86 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,319 bit at a time. We'd a bit, uncover a bit more, 87 00:05:40,399 --> 00:05:43,040 we'd a bit, and once you've weeded it, you can 88 00:05:43,079 --> 00:05:45,680 even cover it back over until you actually need it, 89 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,160 rather than leaving it all uncovered and all the weeds 90 00:05:50,199 --> 00:05:53,720 start growing again. Because I've seen plots where people have 91 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,480 cleared them all within a weekend, literally in a weekend, 92 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,800 like fetched an army of people down or fetch to 93 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,759 JCB down, scrape off all the top and pilot at 94 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:08,680 the bottom, and they've been back full of weeds wear 95 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,680 in a few weeks and they end up giving up 96 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:13,959 the plot because they think it's an easy thing to do. 97 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,000 If you're thinking that it's easy to have an allotment, 98 00:06:17,079 --> 00:06:19,600 trust me, it's not. It's a full time job in itself. 99 00:06:20,079 --> 00:06:23,120 Hence why I go down every weekend. I'd go down 100 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,160 every day if I could, and I still probably wouldn't 101 00:06:25,199 --> 00:06:28,399 be on top of it. There is a massive job 102 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,319 having an allotment, keeping it all tidy, watering all your seeds, 103 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:36,399 potting them all up, et cetera, et cetera. So yeah, 104 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,720 I don't advise to get a rotivator when you're first 105 00:06:39,759 --> 00:06:41,920 doing it. You maybe want to get a rotavator after 106 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,720 you've dug it over to break up the soil, but 107 00:06:44,759 --> 00:06:46,680 you need to get the roots out first before you 108 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,959 start using a rotivator, or you will get absolutely loads 109 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,079 more roots on the plot, and that is one thing 110 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:57,000 that you don't want. So obviously, once you've cleared it, 111 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,920 you need to start working out a plan of your allotment. 112 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,839 Have a look at where the sun comes up, see 113 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,759 where it goes down, where most of the plot is 114 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,000 covered in some that for the day. See how much 115 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,000 sunlight gets to certain areas. Then draw a plan. Draw 116 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,160 a plan of your a lot. Draw what you want 117 00:07:15,199 --> 00:07:17,199 to grow aware and where you want it to grow. 118 00:07:18,079 --> 00:07:22,279 And think about your paths as well. As you need 119 00:07:22,319 --> 00:07:24,439 a lot of paths in between your beds and stuff. 120 00:07:24,519 --> 00:07:27,319 Don't think that you should have massive beds. It's good 121 00:07:27,319 --> 00:07:30,160 to have smaller beds and plenty of paths to go 122 00:07:30,279 --> 00:07:32,680 around so that you can reach to the middle of 123 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,480 the bed and you can weed easy and keep things 124 00:07:36,519 --> 00:07:40,439 clear and tidy. I did this. I used to have 125 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,319 big beds, but then I started making them smaller so 126 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,839 that I could get around them pretty easy. And now 127 00:07:46,879 --> 00:07:48,600 all my beds are in place and all my paths 128 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,000 in place. I've got my lay out. I just have 129 00:07:51,079 --> 00:07:54,199 to clear it every year and dig it over and 130 00:07:54,399 --> 00:07:56,959 just sort out of the paths every year and do 131 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,279 it that way. And once you've got your beds bill 132 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,879 and you're on top of it, you can literally just 133 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,079 keep changing where you plant stuff every single year and 134 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,600 it's perfect pretty much. So obviously, like say, you need 135 00:08:11,639 --> 00:08:13,720 to know where to grow things, whether it needs a 136 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,399 sunny spot or a shady spot. Have a look at 137 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:21,160 where the sun does shine on your plot. Then obviously 138 00:08:21,279 --> 00:08:25,000 the next big thing for your plot is whether you 139 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:29,600 want a shed at a greenhouse. I highly recommend both 140 00:08:29,639 --> 00:08:33,879 of them. However, I wouldn't go for a glass greenhouse 141 00:08:34,039 --> 00:08:37,200 on an allotment because you don't know how safe the 142 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,799 plot is or whether people are going around and stuff 143 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,519 like that. And if a window smashes, you'll end up 144 00:08:43,519 --> 00:08:47,320 with thousands of pieces everywhere, So never look getting a 145 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:52,919 glass greenhouse. I'd always go for the perspex one. And yes, 146 00:08:53,399 --> 00:08:55,600 the wind can blow the perspects out, but what my 147 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,600 dad's done is screwed would either side of the panels 148 00:08:59,639 --> 00:09:02,919 so that it won't come out at all, and it's secure, 149 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:08,840 it's down, it's in an open area, and he's never 150 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,840 had any damage on his greenhouse. It's not bent, it's 151 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,159 not buckled or anything like that. It's screwed down well 152 00:09:14,279 --> 00:09:18,120 to the ground. It won't move at all. So I 153 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:23,000 always make sure that your greenhouse is secure. Obviously, I've 154 00:09:23,039 --> 00:09:26,200 not got a greenhouse. I've built myself a shed out 155 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,200 of perspect because I'm like six foot five, so I 156 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,440 needed it tall. I used to have a greenhouse and 157 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,240 I used to find it awkward to get around it, 158 00:09:33,879 --> 00:09:39,320 so I built myself a shed and did it that way. Obviously, 159 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,519 a sheds good to have because then if it is raining, 160 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:45,360 you can potter around in the shed and you can 161 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,039 have a brew and have a sit down, have a 162 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,440 chart out, store your seeds and stuff like that, but 163 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,320 never store any expensive tools on the allotment. Never put 164 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,960 a lock on your shed either, because if you put 165 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,159 a lock on your shed, then people think there is 166 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,559 something in there to steal, and that's when people break 167 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,240 into them and stuff like that. I've seen plenty of 168 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:09,600 people lock the sheds up and then like people just 169 00:10:09,639 --> 00:10:12,360 break smash the shed up just to get into it. 170 00:10:12,919 --> 00:10:15,240 If you yet, mate, so I don't have a lock 171 00:10:15,279 --> 00:10:18,919 on my shed whatsoever. If somebody wants to go in 172 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,759 my shed, they can do. They'll get it anywhere, so 173 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,960 I might as well just leave it unlocked for people 174 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,320 just wondering. Like I say, I have nothing of any 175 00:10:28,399 --> 00:10:32,320 value in my shed. It's only my cat food feedback 176 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:41,159 ap But yeah, and next up after obviously you're thinking 177 00:10:41,159 --> 00:10:44,679 about a shadow or greenhouse, a polytonnel. If you're looking 178 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,759 at getting a polyton on it on your plot, don't 179 00:10:47,799 --> 00:10:52,120 get one of these sort of lights, little squares, all 180 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:57,039 plastic type thing you usually find cheap at like one 181 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,000 hundred pounds for a smallish one. And they look like 182 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,279 little squares who either white or the green plastic. Because 183 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:08,120 these are absolutely rubbish, they shouldn't be allowed to sell them, 184 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:12,399 I don't believe, because they'll just they're just disintegrate, they 185 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,919 just rip when it's windy. They absolutely useless. They shouldn't 186 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:21,120 be allowed to sell them. If you're looking atgat a polytunnel, 187 00:11:21,279 --> 00:11:26,039 look at the bigger brands like Northern Polytunnel, First Polytunnels, 188 00:11:26,759 --> 00:11:31,120 all the polytunnel brands out there. Yes they are expensive, 189 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:36,080 but they steel poles and mine cost me five hundred pounds, 190 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,799 but mine's are twenty five foot one. You can get 191 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:43,320 smaller ones, but they are expensive. But trust my last years. 192 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,360 My polytunnel has been up now fifteen years and it's 193 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,879 still standing strong. I'm taping bits up because yes, the 194 00:11:49,879 --> 00:11:54,759 plastic has started go on the folds, but it's still 195 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,799 standing and it's standing a lot longer than what would 196 00:11:58,879 --> 00:12:05,279 another the cheaper ones would they just buckle, absolutely rubbish. 197 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,720 Next up is paths, some paving and stuff like that. 198 00:12:09,879 --> 00:12:13,000 If you wanted to save money on your allotment, obviously 199 00:12:13,639 --> 00:12:16,679 look around and see what freebies you can get. This 200 00:12:16,759 --> 00:12:23,360 is when, obviously you know, become a skip finder. Yes, 201 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,799 you start looking at skips, start seeing what people are 202 00:12:25,799 --> 00:12:29,000 throwing out, start checking out for people doing up the 203 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:33,519 gardens and stuff like that, because getting freebies for the 204 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:37,840 allotment is absolutely perfect. Now Facebook Marketplace obviously you can 205 00:12:37,879 --> 00:12:42,159 get free stuff as well, and yes, keeping out for 206 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,919 greenhouses on there, keeping it out for sheds, keeping out 207 00:12:45,919 --> 00:12:48,679 for paving slabs because if you get paving slabs for 208 00:12:48,759 --> 00:12:53,240 your allotment, they're like gold trust Like if paving slabs 209 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:57,679 appeal on Facebook marketplace have gone literally straight away and 210 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,120 the perfect for paths. If you can lay all your 211 00:13:01,159 --> 00:13:05,120 paths in paving slabs, get it done, because obviously that 212 00:13:05,159 --> 00:13:07,919 it's easier to maintain, it's easier to sweep them down 213 00:13:08,519 --> 00:13:11,360 and you won't get no weeds growing if you put 214 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,679 black membrane down underneath them and put that on top, 215 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:17,559 and it's more level to walk on and you don't 216 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:21,080 get McKey or anything like that. So yeah, look out 217 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,720 on Facebook, Marketplace or gum tree for free bears and 218 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,600 try and use them if possible. So yeah, that is 219 00:13:28,639 --> 00:13:32,919 my basic tips for anyone that's planning on starting an allotment. 220 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,720 I hope that you found it useful. We'll talk about 221 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,759 more topics in podcasts to come, so stay tuned for that. 222 00:13:41,039 --> 00:13:43,519 But if you're new to following us, if you're new 223 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,399 to listening to us, give us a follow and feel 224 00:13:46,399 --> 00:13:49,679 free to like it, share it, and I hope that 225 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:51,840 you come back for more podcasts. And if you're listening 226 00:13:51,879 --> 00:13:55,799 on YouTube, hello on YouTube, and welcome to Gardening with 227 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,279 Ben's podcast. While we're finishing now, but I hope you've 228 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,960 enjoyed it as obviously these are going out on YouTube 229 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,480 as well now, so lots more listeners and lots more viewers. 230 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,919 So until next time, everyone, remember keep smiling, keep shining, 231 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:15,960 and keep gardening with Bet. Everyone, thank you for joining 232 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,960 me on this episode of Gardening with Ben. I hope 233 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,000 you have found some useful tips and instigiration for your 234 00:14:23,039 --> 00:14:26,120 own gardening and a lot long journey. If you have 235 00:14:26,279 --> 00:14:30,720 enjoyed today's episode, please make sure to follow and subscribe 236 00:14:30,759 --> 00:14:33,960 to the podcast so you never miss a new episode, 237 00:14:34,159 --> 00:14:35,919 And if you have a moment, I'd love for you 238 00:14:36,039 --> 00:14:38,799 to leave a review and share the podcast with fellow 239 00:14:38,919 --> 00:14:43,840 gardening enthusiasts. Your support helps us grow this community and 240 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:48,120 continue bringing you great content. We can also follow us 241 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:51,919 on social media on every platform for all Gardening with 242 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,840 Ben for daily gardening tips and days. Happy gardening, and 243 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,759 until next time, remember keep smiling, keep shining, and keep 244 00:15:02,039 --> 00:15:03,799 gardening with them.