Topic: Why the overgrown plots?

[1066]

I've had my new allotment since Christmas, and have been out there working on it most weekends since the beginning of February (before that the plot was flooded by the nearby river). The plot was pretty overgrown and I started clearing it from one end (it's a full size plot).

Today I had a letter from the Council saying that they had inspected my plot and found it to be "uncultivated and weedy", and that I have 28 days to rectify it before the plot is inspected again.  I think that's a little unfair to give an overgrown plot to an absolute beginner and then effectively tell them a couple of months later that they are breaking the rules of their contract by not keeping the whole plot under cultivation permanently.  :'(

So it seems I have 28 days to dig over my whole allotment and get stuff growing or risk losing it.  :'(

Do you have any photos of the flooding and any from when you took the plot on - before and after stuff? It might help you to explain to the council what is going on

[Robert_Brenchley]

How much of it have you managed to do? Given the sort of winter we've just had, there have probably been periods (apart from the flooding) when the weather was too bad to get on it. If you strimmed the areas you haven't tackled, and put down black plastic, that would help you make your case as they could then see that you were in the process of tackling it.

[beckydore]

Hi Cosmo and Dibs - where is your plot? There are a few of us on here. I'm in Solihull at the Jillcott Road site.
Becky

[tomatoada]

I would ask them if they have made a mistake and think you are the previous tennant and that you have only been there a short time, and hope to have it all cultivated in the next few months as the weather allows.  

[Deb P]

As the committee member for our site charged with assessing plots, I have found that photgraphing plots at each assessment makes it a lot easier when working out what has (or has not) been done previously to a plot. I agree that if you take over a plot that has been overgrown, expecting it to be pristine in 6 months overwinter is asking a lot. We have a probationary period of 6 months when taking over a plot, full tenancy only commences after that if the person has been actively cultivating.

The first thing I would ask is what the assessment criteria are that all plots are judged against; ours is at least 2/3rds of the available space is cultivated or planted as an orchard. We would allow extra time to sort if the plot was very overgrown when taken over as long as we could see progress. Keep in communication with your committee members/council though, if they hear nothing from you, they will assume you are not bothered about it!

As for getting people off unworked plots, the photos help here too. In the past year since we started the plot assessments, 17 plots have changed hands. I'm doing the next batch in early May, when it should be obvious who is going to turn up for the season of not! they get 6 months notice then, and I keep a monthly eye on the plots to see if they are worked or not, if not they get a final letter and are out.

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's a good idea; we've only been taking pics when we suspect (meaning we know but can't prove) that stuff's being stolen. I'll pass it on.

[lightyears]

when i took my plot last may it had been abandoned for 7 years, 3 of those were spent by the council trying to evict the previous tenant which they finally did, in those 7 years nothing was grown, only builders rubbish left. 10 months later it is now ready for planting this summer, but 10 months of hard-work. i imagine there is 100 or so plots on my site 30 maybe are used or being readyed, the rest are coverd by 10 foot brambles. The councils postion: we dont care. 73 people on the waiting list at my site, clear all them plots the list is almost gone. its a simular story acrossed norwich councils area i understand.

[Robert_Brenchley]

That sounds appalling.

[DaveR]

I hope you took photos of what it was like before you started.

Play them at their game.......send them a letter stating

1. The river flooded the plot
2. Heavy snow fall and low temperatures meant you couldn't dig and clear when you wanted to.
3. The plot was left in a dire state and you have been working hard each weekend to get it sorted.

Good luck, keep us posted of progress

I wrote to the Council and pointed this out. Apparently they run a service for new allotment holders where they will clear all the rubbish off the allotment (there is tonnes of rubbish on mine, left by the previous tenant - oil drums, broken glass, rusty metal etc) and they will rotavate it for me. They neglected to tell me about that when I took the plot on!

I've dug about a quarter of the plot by hand, but it is tempting to get the council to rotovate the rest. What is the received wisdom on here? Should I get in the rotovators?  :-\

[SPUDLY]

I would say yes to getting it rotovated. Once its done you can start with a blank canvas, all the hard work will be done for you, you can then concentrate on the planting and weeding.

[cornykev]

Deffo no to rotavate it will just make harder work in the long run.  ;D ;D ;D

[sparklebug]

i'd also get the council to rotovate it for you, just be there when the do it as they took all the top soil from my site and just left me clay (i would call it undersoil but there is no soil!).

Good luck

[DaveR]

I've gone with the majority view and asked the council to rotavate it. I'd only managed to dig a 1/4 of it up until now, so it will give me a head start! :)

Thanks for all your advice people - I'll no doubt start asking how to plant stuff from now on!

Dave

[SMP1704]

Dave

Rotavating is a great way to break up to soil on a neglected plot and it gives you a great boost BUT before you rush to plant and sow in that lovely tilth, take some time to dig over the soil and take out every single bit of root that you can find. The alternative is to find in a few months,  that you have cultivated a lush lawn with a good crop of thistles. ::)

Enjoy

[STEVEB]

Dave
Good advice from smp.you dont want the weed police on your back to ..... :P :P