Allotment plan 2023

We took on our new allotment in Yorkshire in February 2021 and, with almost two full growing seasons now behind us, I’m starting to think ahead to 2023 (join my newsletter to follow along). I’ve learnt a lot about this new place, through some successes, some failures and, thankfully, many delicious harvests. The plot is not without its challenges, being high up and exposed on a slope, but it’s with its strengths too, such as lots of light and good soil from years of care by the previous owners.

Next year I’ll be introducing a new fruit cage into the centre of the allotment and continuing to clear the boundaries of overgrown brambles, tasty though they are. In this, the second year, I restarted the crop rotation to make more sense and that feels like it’s working for the third year and hopefully beyond. I’d planned for three large compost bays, in reality these have become two large mounds for now. The salad spot I introduced this year is a great while I’ll keep for the same use. For scale, it’s a little smaller than a full size allotment.