Topic: How long should you get to turn a wilderness into '75% cultivated'?

[IndieGran]

We took an allotment on 15th May this year. It had no redeeming features whatsoever - nothing growing but extremely virulent weeds, no shed, nothing but 220 sq metres of thistles, nettles, docks, couch, brambles etc. We set to work with great vigour - didn't want to use weedkiller initially, so we pulled/dug up what we could then covered about a quarter of the site with manure. That didn't work - weeds coming through as bad as ever. (This is not to mention all the hours spent clearing rubble, glass etc etc and taking it to the tip.)

After a couple of months we turned to weedkiller in despair, using the powerful stuff that takes 2-4 weeks to work. It didn't very well! So we used it again last weekend, as well as hacking some stuff back. Can't tell you how many hours we have spent there doing our best.

I spent a morning at A&E this week with an eye injury sustained whilst trying to pull up some rusting barbed wire that must have been buried in the undergrowth for years.

The day after that we received a letter from the Council advising us that we are in breach of the conditions of our tenancy agreement concerning 75% cultivation.

We have 14 days from the date of the letter - 22nd August - which we received on the 27th August as it was sent by 2nd class post and a Bank Holiday intervened - to remedy the situation or face eviction. The holder of the plot two down from us who got his allotment at the same time and in a similar condition has received the same notice.

So in effect we've been given 3 months to remedy the neglect of many years, but weren't told at the outset that this was the case!

Does anyone have any advice please?   

[Georgie]

I am not a lottie holder but that sounds rather harsh to me.  Given that they appear to be short sighted, I can only suggest you burn the offending stuff off the top and 'plant' a load of plastic greenery and flowers for the time being.   ;D

Seriously though, I hope someone has a sensible solution.

G x

[elvis2003]

oh dear indiegran,im so sorry that you recieved this letter after all your hard work,must feel like a right old kick in the teeth! have you spoken to anyone about this,i mean your site secretary or the council themselves? did they give you a contact number with the letter,maybe you could give them a ring to explain you only recently took over the plot? i can see why they have the percentage rule thingie,but surely that should only apply to those that have had the plot for over a year,or so?
i hope ive been a bit of help,im sure someone more knowledgable will be along shortly
good luck with your plot
rach

[asbean]

Welcome to the site, IndieGran - I hope we can give you some support and guidance - you seem to have been treated really shabbily.

It seems to be a rite of passage for all allotment holders to go through - clear a messy site before being able to use it, three months is no time at all, because itr is only after at least a couple of years perseverance that the weeds seem to slow down and are easier to dig.

I think you are being treated most unfairly, a strong letter to the council setting out how much time you've spent clearing the site, preferably with photos before and during the clearing with dates would help.  It is not reasonable to expect you to have cleared that much is so short a time.

Have you thought about covering the areas you have cleared to stop the weeds growing back?  Or is that considered "not cultivated"? 

[STEVEB]

i assume that your plot has a waiting list?do they give you any clearing assistance?
talk to the old hands they should be able to give you say a letter to say that your doing your best to improve an unworked plot,have you taken before and after pics

[betula]

A lesson to anyone taking on a derelict plot,take a photo with a date code.

[staris]

seems very unfair to me, i've had my plot now for about 3 mths and it was also very overgrown i got roughly about a third of it cleared with beds in it, our council will give us about a year to get it sorted and we don't pay any ground rent in the first year as it's in a bad state.

[Eristic]

Well at first glance it seems rather harsh to me as well but somehow I do not think the poster is giving us the real facts. Suddenly possession of an allotment has become cool, hip, chic etc and there is a gold rush. However, the reality of having an allotment is that there is a huge amount of manual labour required to get control.

The entire prime growing season has passed by without any crops planted or any decent area of sod turned. The Landlords have deemed the incumbent unable to cultivate the plot to the required standard so that only leaves two choices;

Stop winging, get stuck in and prove them wrong. Or.
Give in gracefully and take up cooking.

[PAULW]

First of all I cant see the sense in letting a plot at such a late date after all most plot holders get their digging done in the winter,
secondly Indiegran when you had dug a patch did you plant anything in the cleared area
Exactly how much time did you spend on the plot, after a couple of months you should have broken the back of the main of it, I tend to agree with Eristic to many people watch the likes of joe swift and his five minute makeover and think oh that easy and then when faced with reality cant cope.

[Vortex]

Any sensible authority, no matter what their waiting lists, should not apply any cultivation limits in the first year. There are too many factors that may prevent a plot being brought back into a cultivated state - not least of which is the weather.
I'd write to them and point out that as they only let the plot on the 15th May, well past the recognized preparation period for the season, that they are short sited and stupid.
Also report the authority to the NSALG http://www.nsalg.org.uk/ and write a second letter to your local councilor complaining about the treatment.

[Borlotti]

Seems unfair to me.  Our Council rotavates before a plot is taken on which does help, and also clears all old glass, metal etc.  but it doesn't take long to go back to nature if not dug regularly.  Mine is a bit overgrown at present but at least am getting crops and we do not have the allotment police yet.  So many people get an allotment and give up, I don't think they realise how time consuming, back breaking it can be.  Anyhow good luck and hope you find a good solution.  Perhaps do a little a time and get one bed looking really good to show you are trying.  I do have help from my OH with a motor mower and rotavator and he is strong so can sort it out in a few hours, whereas with shears and a spade I do a little bit every day.  Quite a few allotments are neglected on our site and I think the Council are trying to sort it out and evict people who never come, which is a good thing but I hope it doesn't get too competetive or I may be in the same situation as you.  I like it a bit wild as encourages birds etc.

[Mr Smith]

If the council wanted you to have 75% of your lotty cultivated then in my book it is their responsibility to have the allotment suitable for use and it your case it was not, I would going back to them and wanting a rebate on my rent :)

[kt.]

If you do not have any photos of what it was like when you took over,  could you post some of what it is like now.  I will sit on the fence on this one for now and reserve my opinion until after viewing what has been done in the past 3 months. 

 

[caroline7758]

May is a really hard time to get a plot, when the weeds are getting into their main growing season. I find it's one step forward and two steps back, so it sounds as if your council is being very unreasonable.

[lewic]

Our allotments in Bristol have the same rule. I work full time so have been spending every spare minute clearing the plot, using weedkiller and hacking/burning the weeds. My back is permanently aching!

Once the 2 skips-worth of rubbish has been collected my plan is to cover the lot with black weed-control plastic (I got 3 rolls on Ebay for a tenner) and uncover and dig/weed smaller areas at a time. Most councils consider this to be 'cultivation'. Maybe once the plastic is down you could mark out areas with tent pegs and string, which might make it look more organised.

Agree its a good idea to take photos as you go along, if anything else it helps keep up the motivation.

[Buster54]

   Taken On: 03:04:2008:09:23

Taken On: 11:04:2008   15:08

Taken On: 21:04:2008    10:11

Taken On: 04:05:2008   13:48

    Taken On: 17:05:2008 18:02

Taken On: 22:05:2008 19:39[/color]

Taken On: 22:05:2008  19:39

Taken On: 11:06:2008  15:51

Taken On: 12:07:2008:  15:30

Taken On: 16:08:2008   16:46

Thats how long  it took me

[lewic]

Wow Buster, that is impressive!

Sounds like Indiegrans is in rather worse state to start off with, but how did you get the grass up and what did you do with it afterwards? It looks like you have got it from rough ground to very fine soil with some magic potion. Mine is full of half-buried carpets and plastic bottles, and the incinerator is going constantly to burn tree cuttings and bindweed.

[Buster54]

After I shifted the rubbish I got on my knees and took the top of with the spade for about 3 meters then dug it and removed every root I came to and dumped it all down the bottom of my plot that had a bit of a dip know it full and will level it of next year,one of the allotment neighbors lent me the rotavator after I dug it all

[northener]

Nice one Buster. Did you rotovate? Whereabouts are you it looks familiar?

[Buster54]

I only rotovated once it had all been dug over.South Yorks in between Barnsley-Rotherham-and Doncaster  ;)