allotment advice

i am just about to take on my first allotment, i really want to get it going as a veg plot primarily

it is an edge plot, somewhat overgrown with weeds and covered with a coarse grass, heavyish soil on a gentley sloping hill, facing broadly south but with some cover from trees at its border

i believe some of the weeds are rather persistant

can anyone offer general advice on how to get started

i.e. weed removal? basic tools needed? whether to plant anything before spring (if so, recommendations)? etc

forgive me if some of these questions are a little naive, i am new to this game

many thanks, paul

Paul,

Are you familiar with lagasna (s) gardening? I think it would work for you. If you start now, it may be ready for spring planting.

Brenda

Brenda: I've never heard of lagasna gardening. Could you provide some more description, or some references? Always interested in learning something new. :)

Paul: You might want to consider setting up a couple of raised beds to get started. There is a lot of literature out there on raised bed gardening, but, very basically, it consists of creating a planting bed by building a frame on the ground and filling it up with good soil. By planting in a raised bed, you can have a garden in your first year without waiting for the rest of the plot to be rehabilitated.

As for the plot, the best way to lighten up and improve your heavy soil is to add compost (i.e., dessicated plant material). Some gardeners refer to it as "black gold," because it is so beneficial. Best of all, you can make the compost yourself for free, using yard waste and kitchen scraps. You may even be able to make some over the winter that you can use in the spring. Again, there is alot of literature out there on composting. It's worth checking out.

Hope this helps. Good luck.