Never a dill moment at plot 75

We took a trip to the Prinsloo allotment, planted some potatoes and learnt a bunch!

We’re absolutely sold on the benefits of having an allotment and if you don’t have a green thumb yourself, this might change your mind.

Let’s break down the cost and benefits of having your own plot:

In Beeston, the Prinsloo’s pay £50 a year to rent their 250 square metre plot.

That makes it £0.96 per week.

Plus the cost of seeds and you’ll need planting tools.

The average cost of a seed packet at a gardening centre is around £2 and the quantity of what you harvest will be greater than what you get in a shop.

Of course planting tools can be costly at first, but they will last you a lifetime.

Let’s say you spend around £15 on average on veg for your weekly shop, that's £780 a year.

Having an allotment, could cost you around £180 (tehe) on a year including everything at a basic level.

Last year, they didn’t have to buy a single potato because they had harvested 22kilo’s of them on their plot. They also grew rhubarbs, artichokes, parsnips, butternut squashes, beans, raspberries and much more! The great thing about this, is that you learn what fruit and veg is in season, meaning you can try cooking new dishes and exploring new flavours through seasonal cooking.

Let’s have a look at what is in season throughout April…

-Asparagus, broccoli, jersey royal new potatoes, lettuce, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rocket, samphire, spinach and spring onions-

Make sure to add these to your shopping bags as they should be rich in flavour this time of year and better for your health.

Our plot 75 owners found that their food lasted way longer than what you’d buy in the shop and even if they don’t manage to eat it, they gave it out to friends (I got to take home some rhubarb to make a crumble) or pop it back on the compost heap.

Heinz and Amy have thought about it all, they have created three different compost heaps to go straight back into their plot and help give extra nutrients for their seedlings.

There are many benefits to composting not only for your plants but also for the planet.

But what is it? Composting is the natural way of recycling organic matter. It’s made from all your raw veg/fruit ends, teabags, egg boxes, egg shells, cardboard, and plants. Once everything is piled up, it gradually decomposes into soil and can be used to grow more.

What’s so good about composting?

1. It reduces food waste, which is a huge issue economically and environmentally!

2. It cuts methane emissions from landfill. When our food waste ends up in landfill, it runs the risk of undergoing something called anaerobic decomposing. This is a method of decomposing that emits biogas as a by-product. This biogas is made of 50% methane and 50% carbon dioxide. If our food waste is trapped under layers landfill waste, it doesn’t decompose in a healthy way, unlike if we did it at our homes.

3. Your plants will love it! Compost has extra nutrients such as, potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. These three components are needing to grow healthy crops.

Composting isn’t always possible for everyone, it can be a privilege. Growing up my mum has always had a compost heap and I think I took that for granted. When I was at uni, I wanted to find a way to reduce my food waste, especially because my household had 2 vegetarians and 1 vegan. We produced so much vegetable waste but we had no garden and lived in our property for less than a year, so I really struggled to find a solution. Maybe that’s you, or maybe you live in a flat in the city. Over the coming weeks we will be exploring what we can do, depending on your living circumstances. See keep a keen eye of what else is to come…

Thinking of getting your own allotment? This is what Kez (Grace’s sister in law) said about hers:

1. People are lovely and chatty! Most of them are retired and so love having a newbie to impart wisdom to/ lend tools etc!

2. Swaps are a thing. I’ve got lots of courgettes, you’ve got lots of beans, let’s swap and share!

3. Have an ish plan. What do you want to grow, don’t just do what you think should be grown!

4. Doing it with a friend is ideal if you’re working/ don’t have lots of time.

5. If you want it to be successful you do have to actually show up!

6. Complimentary planting. Some plants work really well together by attracting pests away from the produce and onto the flowers. Sad for the flowers but good for your harvest.

7. Invest in a hose!

Already, there is so much to learn about gardening and the goodness it brings. We’re excited to learn more and teach you along the way!