Hello, I am thinking of applying for an allotment as I am very keen on growing my own veg - I have a little success and it is just such a kick to eat something you have grown all by yourself! What I would like to know is how much time, ideally, should you spend each week during the growing season and during the summer. I work full time, so before I commit I would like to have a rough idea!

I work full time but spend a lot of time at the plot. When it's light enough after work I go for at least an hour, more if possible, 3 or 4 times a week. I try and spend most of Saturday and Sunday there too in the summer. During the winter I only go to dig up veg and little else. It's very difficult to quantify but you'll find if you enjoy it you'll make the time. In my first 2 years I had a 9-5 job Monday - Friday, I worked Thursday and Saturday evenings (6pm - 2pm) in my sister's restaurant, went to college once a week and spent another night with my college friends doing extra work and still managed to find time to look after the house, garden and plot. I admit I could be found there at 5am on very nice mornings but it is manageable if you have the will.

I dont often make it there during the week, maybe once to water when its really hot, but i do a 4 hour or more stint on the weekend which seems to keep on top of things (except picking courgettes, you REALLY have to go every day )I grow a lot of things that you can harvest all at once and keep well, potatoes, onions, squash, garlic and leeks. Tomatoes and stuff i grow at home for convenience, despite the allotment only being 100 yds down the road!

mandy

If you are only able to go a weekends you can still get good results from an allotment, but it does need more planning, especially what veg you grow. Courgettes and Runner Beans which need picking every day probably won't be worth it and it is better to grow the Runners at home if you have a spare few feet. If you are able to go several times during the week then more options are available to you. If as, is quite probable, you get a weedy over-grown site, you will need to clear it first. There are other threads which will tell you ways of doing that. The important thing will be to clear a bit at a time and plant that and not to try to do too much at any one time. Look on it as a long-term project and you can really enjoy it!

Hi I'm a first timer allotmenteer. Took on a huge weed bed late last summer and all I can say so far is it's the biggest stress-buster going!!
There is nothing more relaxing than pottering around an allotment as the sun goes down... you soon forget about daily stresses.
I work full time but the odd half an hour after work soon turns into a couple of hours and before you know it you are there every spare minute.
I'm really looking forward to my first growing season. I have a lot to learn but the best thing is there are always people who just love to help.
My advice is give it a go, you dont have to use all your plot, so you can make as much or as little work as you want.

Bibs