Essential allotment kit: like Jeremy Corbyn, make sure your plot is in "good fettle"

The Labour leader lit up when he was asked about his allotment
The Labour leader lit up when he was asked about his allotment Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Jeremy Corbyn has claimed that tending to his allotment makes him a better politician because it "helps you think about things and understand the natural process", The Telegraph reported earlier this year.

He told the BBC: "The allotment is in good fettle, it's fine. I was there yesterday afternoon, of course it was raining, but that's what makes it much more fun.

"Harvesting maize, digging up potatoes, bringing home vast quantities of beans and spinach, all good. Good for health, good for other people to give stuff to, good all round."

Whether or not cultivating an allotment makes for a better politician remains up for debate, but there's no doubt that this very British pastime can contribute to your wellbeing, provide a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment, and allow you to grow produce with which to nourish friends and family. Word on the street is that it's even become quite cool. 

If you're an allotment newbie, the National Allotment Society is a good starting point for advice and resources.

14 must-have tools to get you started: 1.  Spade and fork

While every gardener aspires to stainless steel tools, you only need a basic model to do the work. We recommend the Spear and Jackson Elements range, as well as their stainless steel products. The spades (such as the Spear & Jackson Traditional Digging Spade, £24.86 at Amazon)  are capable of serious digging, and the forks (see Spear & Jackson Elements Border Fork, £14.74 at Amazon) are designed for heavy weeding, lifting crops and for digging in soil conditioner and organic matter.

Spear & Jackson digging spade
A Spear & Jackson digging spade will stand you in good stead

2. Watering can

It’s never a good idea to allow allotment crops to become too dependent on watering. Apart from newly transplanted seedlings and plants, or in drought, you shouldn’t need to water - the idea is to make plants put down their roots in search of water and rely on rain.

But when you do need to water, a good watering can is essential. Add a splash of bold red to proceedings with the help of this stylish, sturdy terracotta red watering can by gardener's favourite Haws (£24.99, Waitrose Garden), which will last you for many seasons to come. 

The Haws red deluxe plastic watering can
The Haws red deluxe plastic watering can Credit: Waitrose Garden

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3. Interchangeable tools

The Wolf Garten IEM Multi-Change Cultiweeder (£13.95, Amazon) is a favourite of our Telegraph Gardening experts. 

You can buy several different handles and tool heads so you can make up a tool to suit each job. The Wolf-Garten range is well designed, strong and takes up little room in the shed, plus if you are cycling or walking to a plot it is less to carry.

The Wolf Garten IEM Multi-Change Cultiweeder
The Wolf Garten IEM Multi-Change Cultiweeder

The push-pull weeder (also £13.95, Amazon) from Wolf-Garten is another favourite. The blade works just below the soil surface, cutting off weeds. A soil rake head is vital for levelling the soil and preparing a seed bed; a cultivating head will help to break up the soil surface in preparation for planting. Add a trowel (£8.22, Amazon) and a fork head (£12.89, Amazon) to the set, and you can have a long or short-handled tool for planting or weeding.

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4. Wheelbarrow

An allotment is a sizeable area to walk around, especially when carrying plants or compost. A wheelbarrow takes the strain out of moving items. You may need to chain it to a tree or lock it away when you aren’t on site, but if security allows, it should be on your list.

The County Cruiser, £74.99, from Maingate (£74.99, Amazon) comes in blue or green. This one has a 100-litre capacity and reinforced tubing to protect against wear and tear. The wheel has a pneumatic tyre so punctures can be repaired.

The Main Gate county cruiser
The Main Gate county cruiser

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5. A shed

With all this kit, you'll be in need of a shed. You could source a second-hand one from local and free ads - it will be weathered and draw less attention than a new shed - or consider a lockable tool store. The Forest Garden 3.5 ft. x 2 ft Wooden Tool Shed (£154.99, wayfair.co.uk) is a good bet, or the  Wickes Apex Overlap Dip Treated Shed 4 x 6 ft (from £196.99, Wickes)

Wickes shed

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6. A greenhouse

An allotment is a commitment, and if you have a greenhouse you need to be down at the plot at least once a day, if not more. It's big investment in terms of time and money. You could try to source one from FreeCycle; alternatively you could invest. The Royal Horticultural Society has a helpful guide on shape and size, materials (wood or aluminium?), ventilation, and whether to go for glass or plastic glazing. For an allotment, we recommend a basic working greenhouse such as the  Half Growhouse Mini Greenhouse (£199) or the Harrod Superior Greenhouse in Willow Grey (£1,995) from Harrod Horticultural. However, you might prefer to keep yours at home where you can keep a close eye on your plants and move them from greenhouse to plot when they’re ready. 

A greenhouse
Credit: Getty

7. Beanpoles

Plant hazel in the hedge and coppice the rods in winter for beanpoles. Otherwise, try to source coppiced poles locally (coppice-products.co.uk).

Beanpoles
Credit: Getty

8. Soil sieve

Try this simple metal soil sieve from B&Q, designed for separating coarse material, such as stones and twigs, from soil and potting compost (£5.75, B&Q).

Metal soil sieve
A metal soil sieve is handy for separating course material

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9. Labels

Choose big labels that are easy to read, wooden labels that don’t become an eyesore or just use big flat pebbles or tiles and an indelible marker to label the end of each row. Write the name of the crop and date of sowing. Labels aren't pricey - you can order a pack of 100 for just £4.39

Labels
Credit: Getty

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10. Straight lines

A garden line such as the Nutscene Peg It, pegs and garden line (£14, Nutscene), will ensure that seeds are sown in straight lines, making better use of the space and a neater plot. 

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Allotment
Straight lines mean you can make more efficient use of space

11. Planting aids

A big 'T’ dibber makes planting holes in the soil (£13); a bumper box of twine in four colours (£12) always comes in handy (all from Nutscene). 

Planting aids
Credit: Getty

12. Shredder

When it comes to reducing and managing gardening waste, a shredder is a must. "Don’t throw it away. Reduce it in size, recycle it and reuse it around the garden," says Telegraph gardening expert Jean Vernon. We recommend the  Bosch AXT 25 TC Quiet Shredder, which has a cutting capacity of 5 mm (£359.99 plus free delivery at Amazon). 

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13. Compost bin

According to Francine Raymond, a sleek, black Hotbin (hotbincomposting.com) takes pride of place in the pecking order, while for those with less space and enthusiasm, the Bokashi system (from wigglywigglers.co.uk) may be the answer to composting food waste. You could also try the Blackwall 220L composter converter (£29.98 with free delivery from Amazon). 

Compost bins
Credit: Getty

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14. A trug

Finally, a garden trug is an essential bit of kit when it comes to the exciting part - gathering the fruits of your labour to take home. A trug is perfect for harvesting and carrying fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables, transporting tools and more. Try the large Waitrose Garden trug, which is made with wood and built to last (currently £28.04, Waitrose Garden).

Trug
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