New Allotment - what to plant & where to start?

Groom!

Just got possession of our new allotment and wondering where to start.

It is being rotivated, fertilised and drilled this week so really ready to go!

I have some gardening knowledge but not much experience of vegetables and just wondering if anyone can suggest what to plant for this year!

I have the RHS allotment handbook so trying to work my way through that too

Thanks in advance:)

garr23

Congrats on your new allotment!

I would say plant whatever you like to eat, no point growing brussel sprouts if you hate 'em!

You should practise 'crop rotation', as different veg will take or add different nutrients from/to the soil, and rotating your crops will help prevent diseases.

This year in Plot A I will be growing carrots, onions, beetroot, leeks, courgettes, pumpkins and celery. Potatoes would also fit in here, but I may not grow them on the plot this year as they got blight last year. Growing carrots and onions together is a good idea as the onions repel the carrot fly and the carrots repel the onion fly.

In Plot B I'll be growing peas, beans, sweetcorn, spinach, chard and lettuce. I'll also grow some sweetpeas and sunflowers in here for colour.

In Plot C are the brassicas - cabbage, brocolli, kale, kohl rabi.

Next year the peas and beans (B) will follow the crops in A, the brassicas (C) will go into plot B and the carrots, onions etc. (A) will follow the brassicas. The following year they are all moved into the plot they've yet to be in.

Best of luck with it.