Topic: Uncultivated plots

[Borlotti]

Just recovering from a bad cold and cough (must stop smoking) so didn't do much at the allotment yesterday.  Lovely sunny day so went for a walk round, saw the foxes playing about and did a quick inspection of all the plots.  It quite annoyed me and made me sad that so many plots were so overgrown.  Mine needs some attention but really some of these had completely gone back to nature.  Being an honest kind of person, didn't do any nicking, but one plot had planted fruit trees, and hadn't been up for a year and the baby trees were strangled with bind weed etc and the weeds as high as me.  The man who has the plot behind me hasn't been up and has pots, and a lovely bed of cabbages, cauliflower all netted in a raised bed but all gone to seed.  I suppose people pay for a year and then keep it until the next bill comes in, but think they should just give it back if they don't want it and there is a waiting list.  I also think they should be made to clear their rubbish before they give it back.  The Council supplies a truck once or twice a year for rubbish, and that is not enough as everyone rushes to fill it up.  My friend has been away for two weeks and his plot was completely weed free before he went, and he was up there on his return weeding.  It doesn't take long for weeds to grow.  I suppose there are about 10 regulars who come up rain or shine and other people who just give up.  A couple have had serious health problems, but they have sent up partners, children, friends or even ajoining allotment owners to keep the weeds down until they are able to come back to work, so some of these new comers are just unbelievable, they obviously do not understand weeds.  Rant over for today.  I know that non-cultivation letters has gone out and think that because the allotments rents are so cheap, people just pay at the beginning of the year then think 's..d it' just leave it.  Perhaps we should have an allotment test, like how many hours a week can you commit to this.  Joe Swift's has been split into three small allotments and they are not cultivated, so one third of an allotment should be quite easy to maintain.  Perhaps the mares/horse tail puts them off.  I blame the TV programmes for glamourising it.

[Trevor_D]

I sympathise, but it's not just the plot-holders who need to be on top of things - it's whoever is in charge as well.

We have regular plot inspections and I'm in the middle of writing letters and e-mails to the defaulters. In most cases, it's not a simple non-cultivation order, but a low-key inquiry, perhaps with an offer to down-size. It's a lot of work, but unless we do it, the whole site can so easily look a mess.

And often newcomers have very little experience or idea of how much work is involved. One of our success stories recently is our Starter Plots. We offered just a pair of raised beds, about 12 feet by 4 feet. After the first season, only one has dropped out - and that was for health reasons - while the first three are moving on to "proper" plots. They all agreed that if they had been left to sink or swim they would have dropped out ages ago.

[galina]

And often newcomers have very little experience or idea of how much work is involved. One of our success stories recently is our Starter Plots. We offered just a pair of raised beds, about 12 feet by 4 feet. After the first season, only one has dropped out - and that was for health reasons - while the first three are moving on to "proper" plots. They all agreed that if they had been left to sink or swim they would have dropped out ages ago.

That is a brilliant idea and could be quite useful to shorten waiting lists too.  Just needs the effort and expense of dividing a plot up and making the raised beds.

[Mr Smith]

On our allotments we are in this exact same position with new lotty holders I'm sorry to say, it is the new ones that have not put the effort in after the first burst of enthusiasm and it seems they have just packed up and left about three in all, I know we have one lady who lost her husband last year and it took her some time to get back round to the allotment again which is fair enough others have just left them, personally if it is the case of 'I can't be bothered'  get them off and let someone else on the waiting list have a go, at the minute we have eighty people on our list, :)

[pigeonseed]

sometimes you have tenants evicted, new ones taken on, then they get evicted and new ones taken on -all without anyone ever actually gardening. It looks like the council or whoever aren't doing anything, because on the ground, the plot is always unused. 

I think what you've done sounds like a great success, Trevor_D.

[elvis2003]

too true pigeonseed,we have one plot that hasnt been used in 2 years,although it has had 6,yes 6,different tenants during that time

[brownowl23]

i have to say that I had a cultivation letter tis year , but have been battling aginst the shoulder high weeds from the plots next door to me that havent been touched for a eyar. I ve had to spend time cutting down weds on their plots in order just for me and my twin toddlers to walk down the plths.

In the past few weeks ive dug two beds. I would like to have got down this week but ive a bad cold and im asthmatic and its n=knocked me for six, wawlking is bad enough without digging, I hope to get down there a bit tomorrow if at the least to pick what wil no doubt be marrrows.

I so want to be well again to dig over a plot for my wineter onions and my new strawberries...

when I worte to my council to say i'd struggled with the adjacent plots being so overgrown, I was given short shrift and told the council dont dog over overgrown plots. I wasnt sayin gi expected them to but as my plot has obviously been worked i'd hoped they would have realised i'd been working my socks off. I'd also complained about the unworked plots and explained earlier in the year that they were taking up my time too

[pigeonseed]

Brownowl - could you request that they mow unused plots, even if they don't dig them? They will have a contractor who does all their parks and gardens work. That's what our council do. However they don't do it often, maybe once a year. It stops the brambles getting too big.

But in the current climate of drastic cuts to local authorities, they will probably be unable to make any changes which increase their own costs. The person you speak to might be about to lose their job or will be sitting near someone who is.

You could possibly suggest to them that they would be more likely to get tenants on any vacant plots if they got them into an easier state to cultivate, which would bring in more revenue for them.

Apart from that - keep on at it! I sort accept that part of the job of allotmenting is holding back the wilderness on either side...  ::)

[cornykev]

I'd spray it if no ones on it.    ??? ??? ???

[Mr Smith]

I'd spray it if no ones on it.    ??? ??? ???

       And that's exactly what I would do if I had a overgrown looty next door