10 MISTAKES TO AVOID ON YOUR FIRST ALLOTMENT PLOT / ALLOTMENT GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS 

Great video Emma. I would have added "Make friends with other plot holders, most are only too willing to help and this is a great source of advice.

I’m really enjoying your videos Emma. I applied for a council allotment 2 years ago, and finally got a phone call last week….hurray! I can’t wait to start planning and growing. Thank you for all your tips. Your plot looks amazing!

Excellent video, I have an allotment and as a Vegan it's amazing it is hard work and you have to stay motivated, and when you have disabilities it can be challenging but, just do what you can take your time and don't rush, usually I'll go to the allotment about 9am and sometimes I am there till 8pm at night it's so peaceful. Try to make friends with fellow plot holders as there knowledge is priceless, they helped me put up my 20ft by 10ft poly tunnel as I have back and shoulder issue. Also they like to offer cuttings seeds also if you have time go to the community meetings as a Volunteer, so your in the know about what's happening at the allotment.

100% agree with #10. I love coming across my photos that I took of my garden in the spring and summer months during the winter when nothing is growing and it makes me so excited and motivated to get gardening again.

Beautiful gardens. Good advice. Explained well too. I find the background music distracting though in trying to listen to what you are saying.

Thanks for the tips. I've just got myself a plot from the council and it's in definitely need of sorting. Overgrown grass, weeds flowers etc. The whole place needs work. But I've got 5 months now to get it sorted. So I'm definitely up for the challenge but this video has helped me. Massively thank you. ❤❤😊😊

Got offered a plot yesterday and I'm so excited to get started! Thanks for the video Emma, some great advice for a newbie!

Love all your videos Emma. I've been binge watching them to catch up since I'm fairly new to your channel. You give me such inspiration even though I don't have an allotment, I'm in the USA & kinda starting over to garden in my own yard. Thanks for all you share.

Documenting is incredibly valuable! I've slowly been building raised beds in my veggie patch and when I get discouraged, I look at all the before pictures and it's so uplifting to see how far I've come! My father was a master carpenter. My hubby is not. Because it's MY patch, his heart wasn't into building the beds, so I've taught myself and worked out a really good building system - and yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself! Paths - wide paths are IDEAL but I'm trying to cram the maximum growing area in a limited space. In a couple of areas, I've made REALLY narrow paths - only about 12inches wide so to make it safer, I've hammered in thick stakes in the corners and edges of the beds to use as handholds. And I 100% agree wood chip paths are brilliant - easy to maintain, easy to walk on, looks neat and tidy. Great video Emma! Cheers from Sydney!

Another fab video Emma 😊 just love watching them ❤ keep them coming. X

Absolutely brilliant vlog Emma 🥰 I love watching your progress 😊

Your talk on consistency is fantastic advice!

Thanks! Got my first allotment plot this week and your videos are so helpful!

Loved this video - hoping to make a garden allotment soon, this has excited me! Subscribed!

Another superb video. Your advice to keep a record, is tops from my point of view. As you say, the pictures taken in the summer help you to gain inspiration when looking at them on cold winter evenings.

I’m getting an allotment too and I can’t wait to get started! Loved your tip about being mindful of biodiversity. I hope lots of bees swing by my plot! But I will be coming back to your channel regularly for tips and advice! Thank you for sharing your wisdom!

Thanks Emma a great vlog and l agree theyare the most important things to get started and to keep going xxxx

Great video Emma, especially for the new allotment holder just starting off, my favourite is no 4, i used 5 pallets to start with to make two bays, after a year or so i added another two pallets , in 2024 peat will be banned, homemade compost is a brilliant replacement plus is free. Keep up the great work

I dont have an allotment only grow in my garden but I've been enjoying your videos xxx

Most definitely a compost heap..I’ve not bought any compost for 4 years now…especially when I got chickens…been at plot for 7 years now . I planed my plot before I started ..T Shape ..greenhouse- shed .. polytunnel down the middle so easy access to each place…then slowly I started on one end and hand dug for the weeds ..first thing I put in potatoes…as I dug I looked at the structure of my soil…CLAY… puts a lot of people off as it floods like mine did and goes rock hard .. Had a path down middle of plot before I got there and one side flooded and other didn’t ..as I dig the soil was crumbley and good structure…asked other plotters who told me the previous plotter had chickens on that space and used to chuck woodchip down…and I was finding bit of wood … Looked into it and relized I could solve my soil issues with woodchip ( back to Eden ) USA style of no dig..luckily there was a pile outside the plots that had been there for years.. Started on my flooded side and all my beds are covered now..no digging and it breaks down to a humus type compost ..as when I’m planting out I’m keeping the soil I dig up ..refilling it with chicken poop ( aged ).. then plant in and re mulch it with woodchip… Come September I normally remulch all the beds to allow the woodchip to rot down a bit.. Like you say plan everything and I see people come on plots that have no idea and even if you try and help some don’t want it lol… That’s why I started my RU-vid page to help with simple solutions and like you say to be able to look back on .. Plus always say to my kids when I’m long and gone there I am on RU-vid to watch lol..

Thanks Emma - good tips, especially documentation. I wish I’d thought of that but there’s always next year x

Love your tips, thank you for sharing your experience.

Great video, great advice. Looking at a plot that’s come available this week. Fingers crossed 🤞🏼

Hi Emma. I just signed the agreement for my first allotment and this video is brilliant! Thank you 😊

Lovely video Emma you are now so focus stay on that path. Anthony from South Africa Western Cape.

Would you do a Q&A eg how long were you in the waiting list? Did you have plot options? What's your favourite harvest so far?

Wonderful thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤

Thank you. Great advice all round.

Hi Emma! You allotment looks amazing

Could you do a vlog on composting. I’ve seen a lot of videos about brown and green waste and how much of each you need to put in. It seems very complicated could you give us a simple guide please 😊 loved the video as always, good for me as I got my plot in June last year !!!

Hiya Emma Thankyou for sharing your tips. Take care stay safe blessings Luv Ontario Canada 🐝🇨🇦

Great tips thanks Emmaxx

Very helpful suggestions - Thankyou

Great vid Emma. You gave some really good particle advice. makes a change :P (sorry couldnt resist lol) seriously though really good advice ,. keep up the good work :)

i was thinking of having one side alkaline and one side acidic with compost piles on each side, and keeping everything in seperate beds

Thanks for the advice

Very interesting vid, thanks!

THANK YOU I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS

Can I add - don't go it alone. Although you can learn everything from books and youtube, talk to the old hands on allotments and farmers if you get the chance, as they have been there before you and probably made the same mistakes too.

Congratulation, great presentation

I test planted my very first seedlings yesterday (alyssum) They immediately flopped pathetically but after a good water I *think* they might be ok…here’s hoping. You give me the confidence to try anyway and not overthink it which I usually do x

Great video. My wife and I have just taken over a plot and hungry for advice. Subscribed.

Very professional video.

Thanks for that Emma

Thankyou for this, it was very helpful. One question I have for you that you might be able to answer is. I've been getting a area ready for my green house, I've noticed a small patch it's less than a foot wide and it feels very boggy. It's not the whole area just a tiny portion of it. I'm not how to fix the problem. Thanks for reading.

Thank you

Crop rotation is not required with no dig. Just add an inch or so of compost each year.

Good tips 👍

Great tips (especially the documenting one - photos of your plot developing are really useful, and a beacon of hope in the dark days of winter!). One thing though: eggshells really don’t deter slugs or snails. It’s a myth. Beer traps are the way to go.

My allotment I've just got is well over grown have u got any tips on what is the best way to clear it so I can get it dug

Question. If you are on an allotment, then they're are other allotment gardeners there, can you not trade / swap excess goods with them ? Wildlife ! My own fault, I know... 5 years ago saw a squirrel in the garden, fed it, it kept coming back... several years on, we have many many squirrels appearing daily, and they love digging up the garden to bury the monkey nuts. They screw up the growing, but we love them !

Mine now allotment is about the same size as your one

Wow you've come a long way darling.. cudos to you 😮😅😊

10/10. 😉

Great video Emma!!

Documentation is very important. Human memory sucks!

Put a pond in and prepare to start being over run with frogs each year at the time when you want to be getting your garden ready for the season. I have unintentionally killed hundreds of them when ponds were allowed on our plots, gladly they banned them.

Hi Emma love your channel keep up the good work I’d like to invite you over and meet all us at Leyes Road allotments we’re in E16