Topic: Advice to stop thieving B******s!

[TheGrowingFamily]

Hi all,
Just want to pick your brains. I've been on my allotment for just under a year and I've had my shed broken into four times and veg nicked twice.
At the end of my allotment is a metal fence but other than that it is quite clear.
I want to create a "bed with a difference" close to the metal fence.
Any ideas of something I can plant, which is fast growing, with thorns which will make someone think twice about climbing over or hurt them if they did.


Thanks in advance.

TGF

[Barnowl]

Pyrocanthus have quite serious thorns?

[theothermarg]

what about training  brambles and have blackberry,s off them or nettles and soak them to make liquid feed or too look colourful rose hedging the birds feed on the hips or you could make rose hip jelly the thorns on these are leathel
wouldn,t dream of going near mine without a thick gloves hope this helps
marg

[TheGrowingFamily]

Thank you to both of you, I'll look into both your suggestions. Thursday last week I was ready to give up, think it was one thing too many  :'(.
But Ive decided not to give into them. I kept the plot clear of brambles at the fence because i have children but I'll just have to make sure i keep them away.
Thank again.

TGF

[lyndon.nelson]

this is nothing to do with growing somthing on your bed but brambles do seem to be the best .but until they grow you can buy or borrow if you know a trout fisherey owner a scarer which is a trip wire (sounds drastic i know ) which connects to a blank cartridge and goes off with one helluva bang it cant hurt anyone as its encased and its just the biggest bang youll here the thiefs tend to sh*t themselves and run like the clappers or think someone else has heard it and may have phoned the police   

[cambourne7]

Hi

Sorry to hear you have had problems, we have had them as well although because my plots so messy they have not been near.

I would go for the edible brambles and climbing roses against the fence, you can pick up edible hedging from most places. But i would also look at planting blackcurrants, loganberrys, boysenberrys etc.

But what i would also consider is speaking to the landlord i.e. whomever the allotments are leased from. They might be able to plant hedging ont he opposite side of the fence as a security barrier which would save you the job and would be save for the kids.

If you need to plant on your side of the fence and want to make it safe for the kids you might want to consider a small fenced area by the fence which the kids can be instructed not to pass. This would also be another hazard which anyone would have to get passed at night when stealing.

Cambourne7

[kt.]

2 ideas:

1) Put a thick heavy duty grease along the tops of the rails where they would put hands. This is usually a good deterrant as they wont climb over once hands are covered in thick grease. It does not melt or run, and can be cleaned off from the outside of the fence once your brambles grow. You can usually get some old stuff for free from servicing garages. I use it on the top 6 inches of my gate.

2) I have a huge manure pile at the weakest point of my fencing. It is too wide to clear by jumping. Who wants to land in it......

[Rose.mary]

Get on to your council if they run the site or the committee if it is self controlled, and ask them about grants for fencing to make the site secure. Always report thefts and then they go on record and if you get a lot of problems the council are more likely to be sympathetic.
Some sites round here have had as much as £30,000 in grants to make them safe.

Rosemary

[petengade]

You can get from Screwfix .com
 No Nonsense Anti-Intruder Paint Black 1Ltr, it never dries and marks their hands, if it were me I would add a little battery acid to rot their clothes.

[Rose.mary]

I think it is illegal to put none drying paint lower than 6' owing to the fact that it might spoil their nice designer clothes. I might add that it has not stopped me putting it on the flower tubs I have outside my house. I have had 3 pinched and if they want to take anymore they will get a bit messy. I also have had to put a bicycle chain on my hanging baskets.
I think they stop their cars and just pop them in.

Rosemary

[dtw]

The grease sounds like a good idea.

I have seen fences near Heathrow treated with anti-climb paint,
trouble is they were only 3ft tall.  ::)

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's to stop the jumbos getting over.

[Grandma]

Just a suggestion from someone who only has a garden, not a lottie.

What about a row of gooseberry bushes just inside your fence line? Wicked thorns - (I need a blood transfusion after a picking session!) - and lots of lovely fruit.  :)

[TheGrowingFamily]

Thanks for all your replies.

Cambourne7, I've managed to plant some brambles I found in the garden outside allotment, the problem i have is its the fence then about 10cm of soil, then a tarmac path and then a river. I have planted my fruit bushes at the back but they're under 1/2 a metre tall. Good idea about a fence to stop my children being hurt, last thing I want to happen.

I've got hold of some anti-vandal paint just need to find out if i can used it and if i have to put a sign up.
If i can't use it I'll go down the grease route.

I think the metal fence is about 5'4 because it the same height as me.
Don't really want to go down the trip wire route again because of the children.

Some of the fellas on my site have said it might be because I've made my plot look too pretty. So maybe i should mess it up ::)

Any more suggestions welcome.
Again thank you all.

TGF

[artichoke]

I thought of you when looking up GOJI berries today (Lycium barbarum) because of an offer in The Independent I was interested in. Apparently they are the latest superfood berries, swarming with antioxidents, vitamin C etc etc. They are also very thorny, and according to the RHS Dictionary of Gardening, form an impenetrable thorny barrier as a hedge. They are easy to grow, and naturalised here and there in Britain, though coming from China and the Himalayas. They propagate easily from cuttings, throw up suckers (so would colonise both sides of your fence) and can be clipped. Google Goji berries and there is nothing they apparently won't do for you.

I have a dog and boy problem on my allotment, and am thinking of making the outer bed a row of gooseberries and these bushes and anything else uncomfortable but useful that I can think of so that they all go running past instead of through.

[allaboutliverpool]

I think that you have 2 problems.

First: Kids will break into anything and if it is a major problem, then leave the shed unlocked with nothing worth stealing, they do not want plant pots, seeds and fertiliser. If you do need to keep tools there, then hide them under the floor. William Cobbett in the 18th Century said that to keep small boys out you need a 10 foot high wall. Nothing has changed in 300 years.

Second: I do not think that kids steal vegetables, it is more likely to be other allotment holders, and there is no answer to that other than sleeping there!
 
You could always take it as a compliment.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html

[Jeannine]

The kids do steal veggies from our lottie, they have been seen selling them in the neighbourhood.

[cornykev]

I asked last year about putting up barbed wire or grease on the fences and was told we would have to put up signs warning people what was there. Surely that would attract more attention to the allotment I said, well thats the council rules was the reply. So feck them I thought and asked the park keeper who is a mate for some grease, he gave me a 5 litre tin and job done.  ;D ;D ;D

[artichoke]

My dog and boy problem is that they run through the allotment treading on things, and use pumpkins and squashes as footballs, kicking them around.

It's awful,  Jeannine, that they steal veg and sell them,  where you are.

[telboy]

Artichoke & Jeannine,
I find this behaviour appalling & unacceptable but can't offer any advice I'm afraid.
I live in a somewhat 'free' zone & thankful for it after 30 years of allotment 'heaven'.
My heart felt support is with you!