WE PRICE MATCH WHERE POSSIBLE! CALL US ON 01909 768840

Allotment Ideas and Tips to Make the Most of Your Plot

Growing your own greens at home is very rewarding, but it can also be demanding. For one, you need enough space to cultivate crops. That could be in a shed, a greenhouse, or, if you’ve not got the space at home – in an allotment.

If you’re keen on honing your gardening skills but don’t have the plot to do so, you’re not alone. Our allotment ideas and tips have got you covered!


Planning Tips

When designing your allotment, take the time to plan its layout strategically. This helps ensure optimal functionality throughout the year. Consider the practical aspects, such as accessibility and usability, during different seasons.

By carefully planning the layout, you can make the most of your plot. Most importantly, create a productive and enjoyable space for all your gardening endeavours. Here are some planning tips to keep in mind:


1. Start with your plot layout

Think of what type of soil you have, which plants will grow well, and how the sun hits your plot. Are there any useful existing structures and access to water? Additionally, invest in good-quality gardening tools to make your gardening tasks more efficient.

Backyard allotment plot
Image Credit: Flickr

2. Go for raised beds

If you’re a beginner, opting for raised beds or planters is a wise choice. They are cost-effective and provide better control over soil quality and drainage. Raised beds also allow you to create well-defined pathways. They enhance the aesthetics of your allotment while making maintenance and harvesting easier.

Allotment garden with raised beds and trellises
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

3. Install a watering system

Consider installing a water tank for a reliable and permanent irrigation solution. This ensures a steady supply of water for your plants, particularly during dry spells.

Or opt for a DIY approach using recycled plastic drums to collect rainwater. Harvesting rainwater not only conserves resources but also provides a sustainable water source.

Backyard allotment plot with watering butts
Image Credit: Flickr

4. Aim for a low-maintenance plot

To cut the time and effort required for upkeep, choose plants that require minimal care. Consider selecting hardy and disease-resistant varieties that thrive with minimal intervention. This is important if you have limited time to tend to your plot regularly.

Permaculture vegetable garden
Image Credit: Flickr

5. Think vertically and horizontally

Regardless of your plot size, maximise your growing space vertically and horizontally. For these growing techniques, incorporate trellises and climbing frames to support vining plants. This will allow them to grow upward and save valuable ground space. You may also use stepped-raised planters to create multiple tiers for planting.

Horizontal and vertical allotment gardening scheme
Image Credit: Geograph UK

6. Prepare the mulch

Prepare a layer of mulch on your allotment to reap several benefits. Mulching helps retain moisture in the soil, reducing the frequency of watering. It also enhances soil fertility by gradually breaking down and releasing nutrients.

Choose between organic mulch options like grass clippings or bark. Alternatively, opt for inorganic alternatives that effectively suppress weed growth.

Mulch added on an allotment garden
Image Credit: Rawpixel

7. Weed the plot

Prioritise weeding to maintain its cleanliness and ensure healthier plant growth. Use a hand fork, your hands, or a weed killer, depending on the scale of weed infestation. This initial effort will save you significant time and energy in the long run. For one, it ensures a weed-free garden throughout the year.

8. Clear the space

Get rid of old equipment and plants, and get your plot ready for a fresh start. The same goes for plants or vegetation that’s been lying around and unmaintained. Skip this part if your plot is, of course, newly made.

Backyard allotment garden
Image Credit: Geograph UK

9. Include an area for the herbs

The benefits of planting herbs throughout your plot extend beyond protection. Repelling insects with their strongly scented leaves is just one of their benefits.

But they also help enhance the flavours of other plants. Take growing basil alongside tomatoes and lettuce, for example.

Rooftop allotment for herbs
Image Credit: Flickr

10. Add a dedicated spot for a greenhouse

This means you can evade almost all seasonal changes and weather conditions year-round. No matter what the British weather throws at you, it won’t allow your gardening efforts to go to waste.

A greenhouse can give you that much-needed flexibility for any form of cultivation.

BillyOh Rosette Hobby Aluminium Polycarbonate Greenhouse
BillyOh Rosette Hobby Aluminium Polycarbonate Greenhouse

Allotment Ideas

Making improvements to your plot can enhance your experience. These allotment ideas will help you make that happen!


11. Set up a tool storage solution

Keep your garden tools organised and secure with a dedicated storage structure. Opt for a small store shed with a sturdy padlock. Or choose a stackable 3-in-1 steel toolbox set for portability and convenience.

BillyOh Master Tall Store
BillyOh Master Tall Store

12. Consider companion planting

Boost the productivity and health of your plants by practising companion planting. Grow compatible plants together, such as lettuces and radishes, alongside melons or squash. This can help you maximise the space and create mutually beneficial growing conditions.

13. Rooftop allotments

This method works well for those who live in cities or apartments with no backyards to tend to. If you’re one of them, take advantage of your rooftop (if you have access) and install raised bed planters.

The plants will need the right light exposure and adequate soil and water to thrive well.

Herb allotment gardening on a rooftop
Image Credit: Flickr

14. Planting station for the kids

Encourage kids to get involved in gardening by setting up a designated play plot for them. Provide a sandpit or mud kitchen equipped with kid-friendly garden tools and buckets. This allows them to have their own gardening space while adults tend to their tasks.

15. Welcome more wildlife

There’s no better pest control than the natural solution provided by wildlife. Encouraging birds, for one, will help keep down unwelcome pests and help to give you a better, bigger crop.

Setting up a butterfly feeder is also another way to add beauty, life, and colour to your allotment plot.

Allotment raised bed with a mini pond
Image Credit: Flickr

16. Paths between beds

Paths between beds can provide access to all areas of your plot and link functional areas. Bark chips, inexpensive gravel or pavers are great to lead the way.

If you use a wheelbarrow, make sure the path is wide enough.

Path between allotment beds
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

17. Go for water butts

Tap water isn’t always readily or easily available in some gardens or allotments. If this is your case, a water butt might be the perfect solution for you! It’s a simple method for collecting and storing rainwater.

Water butts
Image Credit: Geograph UK

18. Make your own compost

Allotment gardening can generate a lot of weeds and waste, and this is where composting comes in. Depending on the pile size, you may need one or two garden compost bins. The best way to get rid of allotment waste!

Compost in a wooden pallet
Image Credit: Flickr

19. Bug hotel addition

Some insects contribute to crop pollination. They’re beneficial and deserve to have a safe place in your allotment garden.

A bug hotel makes the ideal home for them, and this guide can help you build one from scratch.

3-tiered bug hotel
Image Credit: Flickr

20. Normalise the use of plant markers

Plant markers are a great way to show what you are growing. You’ll know which plants are where and what varieties were planted. They’re also beneficial when you’re cultivating food and having other people harvest it.

Plant markers
Image Credit: Public Domain Pictures

21. Grow in a polytunnel

Polytunnels are a great economical alternative to greenhouses. They’re large walk-in tunnels with galvanised steel frames covered in plastic sheeting.

One can provide shelter for plants from seasonal changes, dramatic weather, and pests.

A mini garden inside a polytunnel
Image Credit: Geograph UK

22. Insulate plants with cold frames

Extend your growing season and protect delicate plants by using cold frames. These structures offer insulation, capturing solar energy and shielding plants from cold temperatures. They provide an intermediate stage between a greenhouse and outdoor planting.

Cold frame vegetable garden
Image Credit: Flickr

23. Plant crops in rotation

The idea is to grow specific groups of vegetables on a different part of the plot each year. This helps to reduce pest infestations and plant diseases. It’s also a good way to organise the crops according to their cultivation needs.

24. Use trellises

Save valuable ground space by growing vertically with trellises. Use trellises to support various fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers and tomatoes. The trellis will help them to climb and maximise their yield.

25. Build potato planters

Growing root vegetables like potatoes is rewarding (minus the backache of digging!). But a DIY potato planter made from raised beds can save you all that labour. (You might find this guide helpful).

Potato planter
Image Credit: Flickr

26. Grow from seeds

Save money and have more control over your produce by starting plants from seeds. Germinate them in trays with peat-free compost in a greenhouse. Then, transplant them into the soil outdoors for a cost-effective gardening experience.

27. Make use of cloches

Protect tender greens and gain an early start in the sowing season with garden cloches. You can easily build your own cloches using wire, providing a shield against birds. Cloches also create a favourable microclimate for your plants.

A vegetable garden inside a cloche
Image Credit: Flickr

28. Grow arable blooms

Enhance biodiversity by adding wild arable flowers to your vegetables. These blooms provide a vibrant splash of colour to your allotment. Plus, attract pollinating insects with their nectar. Consider planting poppies, corncockles, fumitories, and campions. Such combinations can create a harmonious and beneficial ecosystem within your plot.

Mill chase wildflowers
Image Credit: Flickr

29. Intercropping practice

Intercropping is the method of growing two or more crops at the same time. It encourages harvest increases between widely spaced, slow-growing crops.

Take Brussels sprouts, for example. Grown in wide spaces, they also enable you to sow lettuce in early spring and crop before the sprouts.

30. Add seating

Finally, install some seating with some help from our garden bench ideas to create social spaces. Preferably put one or two under a tree or under a small pergola for shade.

This also gives you the best hangout spot for a quick chat with your allotment neighbours.

Paddock allotments & leisure gardens with bench seating
Image Credit: Flickr

Round-up

Growing your own food isn’t the only benefit of allotment gardening. It also plays a key role in helping you gain skills and joy in gardening itself equalling a healthier lifestyle.

When done in communities, you can even develop friendships. And our curated list of allotment ideas will also ensure you have a healthy, good-looking plot. Win-win!

To ensure your allotment remains organised and efficient, consider investing in a shed. Regardless of your plot’s dimension, we offer a range of garden sheds to accommodate your needs. To find the right shed size you need, explore the helpful content on our blog!