Where is everybody?

[EnglishRose]

I'm puzzled.  I had to wait over 2 1/2 years to get an allotment plot and my local council has subsequently closed the waiting lists because they're so heavily oversubscribed.  When I eventually got to the top of the list I was offered a choice of three different plots - all of which were completely overgrown - and I expected that the two that I 'rejected' (both of which are good plots) would be taken on immediately by other people on the waiting list.

However, since I took over my plot nearly a month ago, I've only seen three plot-holders at my allotment.  The other two plots that I was offered are still lying unclaimed.  The plots on either side of mine seem to be getting more and more overgrown by the day (although I'm told that they're 'under cultivation'.  And there are quite a number of other plots which are defintely not being cultivated at the moment.

So where is everyone?    Everything I read in the press suggests that allotmenteering is wildly popular and I had to wait patiently for a long time before I got my plot.  But what I'm seeing with my own eyes suggests that people can't actually be bothered working the plots that they've got and also that people on the waiting lists don't seem to be keen to take on plots when they're on offer.  Is this the same on allotments everywhere or is it peculiar to the site I'm on?

[Bugloss2009]

The height of summer is a difficult time to work over a new plot. The soil my be rock hard, and the weeds are still growing strongly....and you'll struggle to plant much now.
Maybe they're waiting til the autumn

our allotment is fully occupied, and it amazes me how rarely I see more than a couple of other people up there...........

[PatTim]

Hi Englishrose, had a simular experience on our site, i took over my overgrown patch 3 years ago and there was also an empty plot , the council decided to split it in two due to over demand , they sat empty for two years, people were viewing them, accepting them, then not turning up to work on them, must have had second thoughts, only recently , a few weeks ago, have new tennants started working on them. Was told that there is a waiting list close to 500 !! as you said "Where is everybody"

[EnglishRose]

The height of summer is a difficult time to work over a new plot. The soil my be rock hard, and the weeds are still growing strongly....and you'll struggle to plant much now.

Tell me about it    I've been battling with 5ft high grass and concrete-esque soil. 

I wonder if the state of the plots is scaring off potential allotmenteers?  I know I had to take a deep breath when I saw the state that my plot is in - but then I'd waited so long that I wasn't going to give up at the first hurdle.

[BarriedaleNick]

My guess is that a lot of people on the lists are not realistic about gardening/allotmenteering.
We had a very reasonable plot - bit ramshakle but good soil, not too overgrown, nice size for a beginner (not too big but big enough)..
Three people turned it down saying it was "too much" for them to take on.  It seems what they really wanted was a nice prepared bed ready to plant up.
I know not everyone is like this but I fear there are far too many people who signed up for sites without realising the amount of work it takes.  Show them an overgrown plot at this time of year when they wont get much out of it and they run a mile..

[Trevor_D]

I must agree about (some) people on waiting lists - they're not prepared for the long hard slog needed to get a plot up and running. (And I stress, only some: we've had plenty of newcomers to our site who have simply got stuck in and worked wonders!)

And I do wonder how serious (again, some) people are about being on the waiting list. Now I know that July & August are difficult, in that folk go on holiday, but we've got a small Starter Plot vacant and in the past few weeks I've contacted three of our waiting list who had specified that they had little gardening experience and a Starter Plot was just what they would be looking for. I haven't had a response of any kind from any of them!

[EnglishRose]

I think that the thing that disappoints me the most is that there are no friendly grandfather types on my allotment who have been growing prizewinning marrows for 60 years and would only be too willing to offer a bit of advice to a complete newbie.  I've got a lot of enthusiasm and am willing to work hard but to say that I'm clueless would be the understatement of the year   I have no idea what might grow well on our soil and what's not even worth trying, am perplexed by the thought of starting a compost heap and have probably pulled up all sorts of valuable (and rare) plants whilst trying to clear my plot!  I'd love to chat to my fellow allotmenteers but if they're never there and I can't even take a sneaky peak over the fence at really well established plots to steal ideas (there don't seem to be any on our site!) then I fear I may be muddling about for quite some time.  Then again, I suppose that's where A4A comes to the rescue.....

[1066]

It is strange isn't it EnglishRose. I always find August the quietest month on the allotments, with so many people on holiday or with family and friends visiting. But it's also the month when so much is cropping!

And yes I think people's expectations are generally out of synch with what is actually needed.

Frustrating isn't it

1066  

[Squash64]

Hello EnglishRose and welcome

I can't really say it's the same on our site because whatever time of day I go there are always other people about.  We are a fairly large site so maybe that makes the difference.  Do you know how many plots there are on your site?

We have a couple of overgrown plots but a very nice young man has taken one of these this morning.  He isn't put off by the state of it and I'm sure he will do well.

In the past we have had a few people who have taken on a plot and then never been back!  One person took it in October and when spring came and we hadn't seen much of her I phoned her and she told me that she would be on holiday in August and would do everything then!  Another lady signed for her plot in October and the next time I saw her was in May, showing someone else 'her' plot which happened to be not hers, but someone else's.  Didn't she wonder how she had managed to plant stuff without actually being there?!

Enjoy your plot!

[Squash64]

in the past few weeks I've contacted three of our waiting list who had specified that they had little gardening experience and a Starter Plot was just what they would be looking for. I haven't had a response of any kind from any of them!

So what will you do Trevor?  I'd be tempted to remove them from the waiting-list.

[grawrc]

in the past few weeks I've contacted three of our waiting list who had specified that they had little gardening experience and a Starter Plot was just what they would be looking for. I haven't had a response of any kind from any of them!

So what will you do Trevor?  I'd be tempted to remove them from the waiting-list.

Usually, in such cases, I write recorded delivery and ask them to get in touch by a certain date - usually two or three weeks later - and say that if I don't hear from them by then their name will be removed from the waiting list.

[pigeonseed]

The ghost plot holders... 

You might remember there was a mix up in plot numbers, and I was working someone else's plot for 9 months. The fact they didn't realise tells you they didn't visit their plot!

That was at Christmas, and finally this Sunday, they showed up saying it was a suprise the weeds were so high !!! They must have had a plot for at least 18 months, and not grown one thing.

I didn't say anything discouraging and offered to help with some seeds for Autumn sowings. But I do wonder how someone with that approach will manage. I hope they prove us all wrong!

I suppose that's why some sites do help train/educate people about it. I had a gardening mum so I suppose I knew the basic facts about it. It would be good to reach people who didn't get that start, so they could enjoy what we all have.

[Sparkly]

We have quite a long waiting list and have a few neglected plots, but not that many. It is much better than it has been! We also have some 'ghost' allotmenteers, but impressively some with very neat plots. Not sure when they actually go down because I have been at all different times and not ever seen them! Must be missing them every time!

[1066]

During the hot weather last month I started to go to the plot early evenings and met a whole heap of other people that I don't normally see, and when I bumbped into some of the more regular morning people they all asked where I'd been 
but the neglected plots do make me sad

1066 

[Digeroo]

It must be very frustrating to wait years for an allotment and then find it has not been cultivated for years.  I suppose people expect to take over a well cultivated plot and reap the rewards of someoneelses hard work.

There are some people I hardly ever see.  I hardly ever go during the middle of the day at weekends, perhaps a quick early water and then home.  I suppose there are lots of people who never see me.

I was very impressed with Squash64s site.  But it must be very daunting to be a newcomer on a well established site amd wonder whether you can managed to be good enough.    Only a handful of our plots would be good enough.

[pigeonseed]

Even if you take on a well-maintained plot (which must be rare) you still have to work hard to keep it that way. I think some people genuinely don't understand that.

It's not unattainable - obv loads of us here work long hours or have disabilities or illnesses or other stuff and still have great allotments. So it's doable - but it's still hard work.

I would love to do some research into what factors affect success and satisfaction in allotment gardening, and what could help reduce neglected plots. But maybe someone's already done it! 

[1066]

I would love to do some research into what factors affect success and satisfaction in allotment gardening, and what could help reduce neglected plots. But maybe someone's already done it! 

Sounds like perfect Thesis material to me!! And interetsing reading

1066 

[Digeroo]

Actually it is amazing just how quickly a plot goes downhill.  I went away for 10 days in May and I am still pulling the weeds that popped up. 

I would love to do some research into what factors affect success and satisfaction in allotment gardening, and what could help reduce neglected plots. But maybe someone's already done it!

Sounds like a good idea.  I hope you will do it. 

[pigeonseed]

Do you think I should?

I had a look on the databases last night, and I didn't come up with much that people had done already.

I've been trying what sort of media research I should be doing in my new career as a media production lecturer, but I have to say, imagining researching allotments instead has made me feel much more excited!

It might not be media, but it is socially useful research, and could be part of the whole regeneration in Hastings thing.

Of course as allotments are my obsession just like you lot - I could really get into this!  (sorry to hijack your thread englishrose)

[earlypea]

I came across this a while back Pigeonseed.  I don't know if you've seen it.

http://www.kent.ac.uk/sac/department/research/environmental/homegardens.html

It's ethnobotany so not  the same field as yours, but includes an ongoing study of allotments.   I thought it looked interesting and it's managed to get funding.