What is the first job on an overgrown allotment?

Start by making the plot safe: remove loose rubbish and obvious hazards, identify plants worth keeping, then clear one small growing area. Do not try to dig or rotavate the whole plot before you know which perennial weeds are present.

Survey before clearing

Walk the boundary and mark damaged glass, sharp metal, unstable timber and hidden holes. Ask the site manager how waste must be handled. Photograph the plot so you can plan paths, beds, composting and water access without losing useful features under a blanket clearance.

The RHS advises removing roots of persistent weeds such as bindweed and couch grass rather than composting them with ordinary material. Woody plants may need cutting back and digging out; obtain any permission required by the site before pruning shared trees or hedges.

Make one bed usable

Choose a reachable patch near a path and clear it properly. Growing something in one finished bed gives you a productive area while the remaining ground stays covered. Opaque cover can suppress growth on areas you will not cultivate that season, but it must be secure and allowed by the site.