Fairview Allotments - Pathfield Lawn Barnstaple
Here is some basic information just to get you started. If you are new to gardening it can be quite daunting, but please don't struggle on, your site Representative as well as others on the allotment site will be only too happy to help you, just ask!
Aspect
Fairview is in a low lying area so the water table is often very near to the surface, leading to drainage problems in periods of wet weather particularly during the winter months. This has been made worse on some plots as some of the top soil has been removed, making them even more low lying.
Fairly Sheltered from winds. A bit secluded, only really overlooked by a few houses, so vunerable to unwanted visitors, particularly as there is no real security fence.
Soil
This varies, some plots seem quite silty and others have considerably more clay. Probably river deposits (if this was an old refuse dump then soil would have been brought in, possibly when they were doing other building works in the town)
Quite deep with underlying clay which also effects drainage. Often waterlogged, so consider raised beds or drainage ditches.
pH
Some plots have a pH of 6.5-7, others just adjacent measure 6, so test your soil. Silty soils need less lime to change the pH and a soil with a high pH already will not need any at all unless specifically needed to combat clubroot.
Water
There are only 4 taps and your nearest tap might well be quite a distance from your plot.
Make good use of water butts. Some plants will seek out the underlying water, so its not always necessary to water established plants.
Weeds
Many of the recently cleared plots now have a worse problem with convolvulus, so don't attempt to rotavate until you can be sure its all gone.
Oxalis. This tends to be a major problem on the drier, lighter soils.
There are lots of brambles which encroach from neglected plots and boundaries. They do help to protect the site from unwelcome visitors and are good source of blackberries.
Wind blown dandelions from neglected plots. Thistles, again wind blown from neglected plots and wasteland.
Pests
Rats so don't leve potatoes lying around, store them securely. Pigeons. Children, normally the bigger ones who have no business on the site. Your children/grandchildren are welcome, just be careful there is still a lot of rubbish on this site.
Carrot fly Flea beetle.
Diseases
Not known.