Have you ever thought about growing your own fruit and vegetables but lack the space in your own garden? Find out all you need to know about how to start allotments for beginners, along with our newbie planting suggestions.

How to start an allotment

1. Plan your plot

If there is no space for crops in your garden, contact your local council on allotment opportunities in your area. Once get your allotment, go for a plot size suited to your needs - half a plot is adequate for most people and ideal for beginners. Here are some initial plot planning steps:

• Decide what style of vegetable beds you'd like
• Decide what size of beds you'd like.
• Make sure you include space for sheds / greenhouses / compost bins / water butts etc.
• Make sure you consider where you'll place trees, fruiting bushes, and other perennial (stay in the in the ground year on year) plants.

2. Weed maintenance

The biggest burden of an allotment owner... the weeds, and most allotments need continual hoeing and weeding. When prepping a plot, once you've cleared the weeds, dig the soil and remove weed roots. It’s worth investing in a push hoe and a draw hoe to be fully prepared for any weed problems.

• Potatoes smother weeds, so plant them in the weediest areas.
• Perennial crops like fruit needs no cultivation, but must be planted in areas that are clear of all perennial weeds.

3. Soil conditions

Once you get out all the roots of the weeds. Compost their foliage, and drown the roots in a bucket of water for 2 months (then you can add them to a compost heap). Turn a layer of compost into the first 5 –10 cm of the soil and you are ready to plant!

Plants to grow in allotments for beginners:

Here's our selection of plants we highly recommend starting with if you're a beginner. 

• Perennial fruits & veg – tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, and asparagus.
• Herbs - parsley, rosemary, thyme and mint.
• Edible flowers like passiflora and cynara cardunculus.

Extra reading

Want to learn more about growing your own allotment? Discover all about allotments throughout history in our long-read, or further your beginners allotment plan with a look into staff behind the scenes with Jonathan at his Northern Manchester Allotment.