Author Topic: how big? (Read 11176 times)

aquilegia · « **on:** February 01, 2005, 16:17:41 »

How big is your allotment?

I'm still thinking about it. After Mr Aqui and I had a walk passed our local plots and saw many were uncultivated, he seems to be coming round to the idea.

sandersj89 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2005, 16:23:54 »

My allotment is 8 Rods. Most plots on my site are 10 rods but an old chap has the last 2 rods on my plot. He used to garden the whole lot but it go too much for him. (He is in his 80's).

I also have the veg garden at home which must be about another 6 rods or there abouts.

Jerry

aquilegia · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2005, 16:28:30 »

THanks Jerry. And how long and wide is a rod?

mm-b · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2005, 16:31:29 »

I have no idea how big my allotment is, haven't measured it either as I might be daunted by the size.
My site Secretary is on here though, DJBRENTON, maybe he knows how big it is as I believe all the plots are the same size and I guess I would really like to know.
How big is a rod though?
Melanie :)

summergirl · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2005, 16:35:38 »

the one I've just aquired is approx 25m x 10m (about 75ft x 30ft), so I'm told. they do a half plot which is 25m x 5m.
SG

aquilegia · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2005, 16:50:30 »

Good lord! My garden is only about 5m x 5m. WHat I could do with even half a plot. (Oh but, how much work too!) I reckon I'd only need one or two rods.

Just been doing a bit of googling - haven't found anything useful, but did find out that round the corner from the allotments, there was an Italian POW camp in the second world war and the allotments were bombed (apparently destroying someone's onion patch).

sandersj89 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2005, 16:50:51 »

Quote from: aquilegia on February 01, 2005, 16:28:30

THanks Jerry. And how long and wide is a rod?

10 Rod I think is roughly 10 by 25m, 250 square meters.

Jeremy

ruud · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2005, 17:10:06 »

Hi,my allotment is 400 square meter, it is enough.I have both hands full of work from it.

Jesse · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2005, 19:57:22 »

Aqui I have a half size plot, approx 5m x 25m. I took half a plot because I was daunted by the possible work load of a full size plot. But I rekon it won't be long before I'm looking for something bigger. By the time you've got your permanent crops in place (raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and any other fruit) and compost heap, possibly a shed etc. then you're not left with a lot. I'm left with four beds each measuring approx 5m x 2m, then a larger bed about 5m x 4m where I plan to grow sweetcorn, squash, pumpkin and french beans. If you think half a plot is too big then you could always plant half of it under a green manure or even let some pumpkins ramble over the unused part.

fosteri · « **Reply #9 on:** February 01, 2005, 20:18:49 »

Our allotment (nattyem and me!!) is 48' x 22' which is approx 14.5m x 6.5m.

Louisa x

ina · « **Reply #10 on:** February 01, 2005, 20:55:56 »

260m2

Derekthefox · « **Reply #11 on:** February 01, 2005, 21:58:19 »

600 sq yards, sorry cant convert that to metres or rods.
It is certainly as much as I want, but it does keep us in veg for most of the time, and I have not even tried to maximise the yield . . .

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #12 on:** February 01, 2005, 23:25:18 »

20m x 5m

Have 2 of them, and as Jesseveve says, a lot is taken up with permanent bits like strawbs, fruit trees and bushes, asparagus, globe artichokes, shed and compost heaps.

Moggle · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2005, 07:56:22 »

Not sure how many rods/poles my lottie is, but it is half a plot and it is about 9 x 15 metres.

Bionic Wellies · « **Reply #14 on:** February 02, 2005, 08:13:42 »

A rod is a measurement of length not of area and is defined as 5.5 yards (in real money) or 5 metres (in new-speak). A chain is 4 rods - or 22 yards - which is the length of a cricket pitch - I am not suggesting that you plant your veg on a cricket pitch 'cos they get mighty cross - the cricketers, not the veg!

Using my very own measurement system, my allotment is approx. 24 spud plants wide by about 40 spud rows long - way too much to dig in one go!

djbrenton · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2005, 08:38:40 »

Our site is nearly all 600 sq yd plots. When I took mine over I worked out that after deducting buildings, paths and the inevitable bonfire site, compost/manure heaps, trees and the gap next to the hedges that only about 40% was actively cultivated. The loganberry patch alone sprawled over about 20 sq yds and blackberries something similar.

SpeedyMango · « **Reply #16 on:** February 02, 2005, 09:52:38 »

Hello aqui,

I have a half plot (5 rods or 25 metres by 1 rod or 5 metres). As there are only two of us to feed that's more than enough.

You don't have to cultivate all of it for growing veggies (unless your allotment site has a byelaw against such things) - and you definitely don't have to cultivate it all at once!

About 1 rod of the length and half the width of my plot is taken up with my shed, compost bin, a garden bench, two small cold frames and a couple of small flower beds that are nice to look at when relaxing on the bench with a cup of tea after a bout of digging.

I left about a quarter of the plot as grass when I first cleared it (lawn is too good a word). Great for entertaining friends/BBQs etc as we live very close by but don't have a garden. If the weather allows then the soon-to-be-Mrs Speedy also uses it for sunbathing while I am mucking about with plants, (in truth she only lasts about ten minutes before she comes to have a look at what I'm doing, and always ends up helping out). Maybe in the future I will end up turning more of the grass into beds to make way for new crops, but I like it the way it is for the moment.

Other plot-holders down our way keep areas of their plot as lawn (some of them do deserve the word) with fruit trees growing on them - again some allotment sites might have byelaws about the size and frequency of trees. We've got at least one person who keeps bees, and so some of her plot is turned over to hives. No rabbits/chickens that I know of on our site, but lots of people do.

Having the non-productive bits of our plot to relax/play/cook on means we spend more time down there in the summer than we would if it was all given over to veggies, I am sure.

mm-b · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2005, 10:08:38 »

Thanks DJBRENTON
Now I know how big it is
Melanie :)

Lady of the Land · « **Reply #18 on:** February 02, 2005, 11:13:07 »

3 plots

1 - 10 rods (40ft x 30ft) 10 x 25m
2 - 5 rods (40ft x 13ft) 5 x 25m

My father and I share the 3. I initiated obtaining the first 5 x 25m and was concerned I would not manage to cope so my father agreed to use 1/3 of this. Literally 2-3 weeks later I really had the allotment bug and wanted to grow so much more. We took on the second 10 x 25m and within the year the third.

I find it very addictive, wanting to spend all my time there- forget the housework !

I was already to down there this morning. My son who has not been well but had insisted on going to school yesterday was feeling unwell still but again wanted to go to school ( wednesday is his favourite day). We drove to the school but he was obviously not well so we drove back home. Therefore no allotment today.

He is watching Harry Potter on Dvd and I have actually been able to do some cleaning !

GardnerJ · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2005, 12:01:23 »

mine is a 10 rodder! or there abouts!? i want to measure it exactly because i am awkward but i think it helps when you come to do scale plans?
there is a little corner by me plot that i have my beady eye on that is corner shaped and would be beautiful for a flower bed or fruit corner?
Jemma x

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Author Topic: how big? (Read 11176 times)