Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: ladicius on May 17, 2008, 08:44:33
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I have a neighbouring plot that is not being worked on apart from 4 small beds (i mean small) the main problem is couch grass coming on to my plot can anyone suggest a solution
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chat to the plot holder about it? see if they will clear the bit near you?
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have tried dropping hints but she is too busy with university stuff mt thoughts why take it on in the first place then
>:(
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Just dump some weedkiller on her plot and tell her what you have done. If she doesn't like chemicals then she needs to get her plot cleared as you haven't got time to be weeding her plot also.
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Just dump some weedkiller on her plot and tell her what you have done. If she doesn't like chemicals then she needs to get her plot cleared as you haven't got time to be weeding her plot also.
Think you could be in a lot of trouble for that one, and I'd prefer couch to weedkiller any day.
Why not just dig a spit down all along your boundary this should stop most of the couch from migrating across, and if there are seeding weeds then either ask if she doesnt mind you strimming them off or put up a wind / 'seed' break.
Non cultivated plots or semi cultivated are a real problem and partly caused by 'allotments being the in thing'.
RBT
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cheers rbt thought about the corrugated route but could work out pricey may just need to go for the back breaking solution and trench it
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Think you could be in a lot of trouble for that one, and I'd prefer couch to weedkiller any day.
Why?
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i wouldn't be dropping hints, i'd be telling her that you've got a problem, and then i'd dig a trench.
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check on your plots rules and regs...we have a clause to say that all plots must be worked..maybe you could frighten her with being kicked of if no work is carried out
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Just have a word with her rather than hinting. Uni at this time of the year can be particularly hectic as it's the prime exam/essay time (not to mention an extremely stressful time) so it may be that by mid June she's going to have more time to work it. I know I've found that's the case with mine, it's only now that I've been able to go up every day and attack it and I've been racked with guilt about not being able to get up there and give it my all. Obviously if that's not the case then you may have to take things further but at least give her the option.
Also she may well welcome some suggestions about how to get rid of it, I know I didn't have a clue how to sort the problem out until I rooted around here and asked lots of questions. She may welcome some advice from you. And point her in the direction of this site - the more the merrier ;D
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;D
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A plot on one side of me was very overgrown with weeds. I had a word with the lady whose plot it is & turned out that she didnt have any tools yet & was trying to weed it by hand :o I have given her access to my tools & the very next day I found a totally cleared plot next to mine ;D
I would check she has the tools she needs (students usually on very tight budget) or just clear the edge near my own plot for now as Uni finishes soon & perhaps she will really get stuck into her allotment in a couple of weeks time.
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Give her time. I have problems myself this time of year due to exam marking. Couch won't spread much in a few weeks, and maybe you could collaborate over the summer holiday and sort it out.
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For God's sake, it's couch grass, it's not ebola. I'd hate to have a plot on your sites. If yours is perfectly worked, good for you, you've a lot more time on your hands than I have, which does not disqualify me from having an allotment.
If it's rough it's because she's clearly not got a lot of time. If it's so bad it's seeding, have a word and get her to strim it. She may not even know that her weeds are a problem for other people - you don't until your own plot's clear. Otherwise, dig a trench.
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For God's sake, it's couch grass, it's not ebola. I'd hate to have a plot on your sites. If yours is perfectly worked, good for you, you've a lot more time on your hands than I have, which does not disqualify me from having an allotment.
If it's rough it's because she's clearly not got a lot of time. If it's so bad it's seeding, have a word and get her to strim it. She may not even know that her weeds are a problem for other people - you don't until your own plot's clear. Otherwise, dig a trench.
The issue is not one of time.
If she has no time then she hands the plot back.
If she has time but isn't making any progress then she hands the plot back.
If she has a little time and is making slow progress, fine.
If she has a little time but spends it elswhere then she hands the plot back.
Quite simple really.
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As the committee member who has to write the dreaded end of tenancy letters, I know how tricky this is. If only life were that simple!
I think the bottom line is you talk. You explain to her what the problem is and maybe even offer to help keep it in hand until she is less busy. You could find out when that will be if at all. If she's never going to have time then probably she shouldn't have the plot, but if she expects to have time soon then strimming would seem like a plan in the short term.
On our site the committee will organise to help people strim their plots (so as not to annoy other plotholders with the weed seeds etc) if they're stuck for a bit.
Needs a bit of the old diplomacy I would say and some straight talking.
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I'm just about to enter the exam marking season, but it's only a month, and those letters are a bit*h... we desperately need to get rid of about 20 plotholders to try new blood off the waiting list...... ::)
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I haven't really posted much since getting my plot (end of November/beginning of December) but thought I'd give the crap-plot-keepers side here (where's the blushing emoticon when you need it lol).
When I got my plot it was overgrown and had plenty of junk in it (including lots of glass/broken glass which I didn't want around because it wasn't safe for my kids) and I worked really hard digging beds, cutting down overgrowth and clearing junk, which was all going really well. Then in January, a run of family health problems prevented me from going up to the plot regularly until about three weeks ago and in that time the plot ended up looking worse than when I'd taken it :o. At the time, the last thing on my mind was informing the allotment committee of the situation.
In the last three weeks I've been going to the plot, sometimes up to three times a day, to get on top of it again (sitting on my bum with a pair of hedge clippers cutting everything down to ground level) and I've now got about half of it under control and have got a few veg plants in (thanks to the generosity of one of my plot neighbours) which I've only just been able to start watering as I wasn't given a key to the water taps and have only in the last couple of days found something at home that will fit the taps.
A couple of weeks before I started tending the plot again it was broken into and vandalised (the locks off the gate and shed were missing, a big hole was kicked in the back of the shed and a glass cold frame was smashed. I was pretty lucky though because other plot holders had had worse damage done :( ). While there was no lock on the gate it seems that the world and his wife have had a nose at my plot and formed their own opinions about what I was doing with it. Also, during this spate of vandalism, one of the notice boards at the allotment site was vandalised and it was only last Sunday that I noticed there was a second notice board so I went over to have a look. On this board were the minutes from the March committee meeting (which I read) and included in the minutes was a couple of references to my plot not being worked, it also said that a letter was being sent to me. I never received a letter.
Since I read those minutes I've happened to bump into people who have an opinion on my plot with them thinking I'd been kicked off the site. I also had one comment in the car park when I was leaving one day (after doing two hours of solid digging) along the lines of "You shouldn't be messing about with cars, you should be working your plot". Thankfully, the neighbours on both sides of me have been brilliant even though my weeds must have been a problem for them which I do feel really guilty about and, after explaining what the problems have been to other people when they've approached me, other people have been pretty good too.
It's just been pretty upsetting that the committee haven't been in touch with me about things rather than putting stuff up on a notice board (they have my address, phone number and email address) and also it would have been a nice gesture if someone could have informed me about the vandalism.
Anyway, to my point. I'm not after sympathy but I wanted to say that, from my point of view anyway, I would have been a lot happier hearing of problems from a person rather than having to read about it on a notice board that I didn't know existed until a week ago. So speak to your plot neighbour and you'll probably find her to be pretty receptive to your comments and it will also open the channels for future communication :) Hope this helps but sorry it's ended up being a bit long (I need a blushing emoticon again!).
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I think most of the problems stem from poor communication. We have the opposite problem from Meandmine, namely, we write to members about their untended plots offering assistance and asking them to get in touch if there is a problem and get no response whatever.
nothing goes on the noticeboards to preserve their anonymity.
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I know I feel very frustrated when plots are not being tended, especially those that were in a reasonable state when taken on. On our site there is 1 plot, probably twice the area of ours - large shed, 2 greenhouses, paths all flagged with well pruned and established fruit trees and a 20ft long built section of compost bins. This plot has been taken on by someone who I can say I have seen once in the last year and is now a complete state. We took a plot on that was so bad that it has taken a year to clear, and that is with going down most days for the majority of that period. We have struggled to clear this terrible mess and someone else has a good plot that is now in ruins. Committees should have a support system in place where, once notified, the plot is covered up so at least the weeds do not cause issues for other plot holders. I think that if a plotholder does not notify the committee that temporary help is needed, and they do not reply to contact within 1 month then the tenancy should be withdrawn. Meandmine this isn't really to have a go at you, sorry to hear you have been having issues. There is no place for rudeness in any part of life, so I think that the comments made to you in the carpark were out of order and the committee have not really dealt with this in a fair manner. I can also see the other side as a phonecall/email to inform the committee only takes 5 minutes.
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Meandmine - I think your committee are not working inside the law I am sure the data protection act does not let them post personal details in a public place - I would be mortified if my name, address and email contact was posted publicly.
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I can also see the other side as a phonecall/email to inform the committee only takes 5 minutes.
Hi Sparkly,
I do agree with everything you've said :) My (rubbish) excuse for not getting in touch about the situation was because I kept thinking that everything would be fine in a couple of days and I'd be able to get down there regularly again. Unfortunately, each couple of days led into another couple of days etc. and before I knew it it had ended up being a few weeks of not getting down there regularly :(
In future, I will get in touch with them even if it is just a couple of days that I'm out of action.
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Meandmine - I think your committee are not working inside the law I am sure the data protection act does not let them post personal details in a public place - I would be mortified if my name, address and email contact was posted publicly.
Hi Suzanne,
No, they didn't post my personal details on the board, just my plot number. Sorry if my post made it sound like they had, I typed it all after I'd had a glass or three of wine so it was probably all a disjointed ramble!
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I think the really important thing is communication. If the committee gets in touch, and there's a genuine reason why the person can't get to the site for a bit, that should be accepted, and the situation monitored. If it goes on for a ridiculous time, or the person can't be contacted, then that's a reason to take further action. Nobody should ever be kicked off just like that; anyone can have problems, after all. I had one year whn I was so overwhelmed with exam marking plus school that I didn't get anything done for six weeks, other problems like ill-health could go on for a lot longer than that.
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Hi Ladicius, have a quiet word, explain that you know she has limited time, explain your concerns, ask if she would object to you running your mower over her uncultivated part of her plot frequently to keep the couch under control.
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Hi Ladicius, have a quiet word, explain that you know she has limited time, explain your concerns, ask if she would object to you running your mower over her uncultivated part of her plot frequently to keep the couch under control.
And perhaps you can dig it over and fertilise it and plant some veg and water it and then when it has grown perhaps she will allow you to cook some up and let her know when she can come round to yours for her dinner.
Hell she might even offer to wash up although I doubt it very much!
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Our 1st lott has a problem on one side where the grass grows to the point where it goes to seed and the seed gets blown over. I have got to the stage this year where I have walked and trimmed his grass down as I had seed growth this year on my plot from his....as he is hardly there and when he has done a bit I ain't so I cant have a word. We have taken on a second lottie and with us both working we are making steady progress...One third done and planted up now I am making sure that I strim the rest to make it look as nice as it can be....It is looking good I must say with a huge raised bed and phase 2 of three is due soon...We don't think of it as a chore, by the end of this season it will all be done without the worry and hassle of it looking like a dump during the summer.....Just keep it down ;D
Cheers
Tony
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I am the site representative on our site - we only have 22 plots - and this year they are all worked and everything is looking good!
EXCEPT ONE!! There is a young couple that actually live in the house connected to this plot and they are totally hopeless! I have - for the past 2 years - helped them - showed them how to dig, manure, put plants, seeds in given them plants raspberries and strawberry runners. They are just totally unworldly and cannot even get to the plot - I haven't seen them this year yet - except the fella walked through the lotties to get to a garage at the back of them and back.
I asked whether he was going to keep the lottie as there is a waiting list and he came up with his wife being "ill" but there is nothing wrong with him at all - he works part time as a "gardener". He said that they thought they would get rid of half of it as they couldn't manage it - but I am pretty sure they can't manage even a half. I am going to suggest that the Council write them a strong'ish letter - because it is now 3 years and their attempts are so bad they aren't even able to be called pathetic!
He said that if there was a site inspection soon that he would strim it - but that really isn't the point - as far as I am concerned. We have 4 or 5 on a waiting list and they should either "work the plot" or give it up.
Sounds heartless - but some people - unless they have a very large boot up their a**e don't react and I feel sorry for the rest of the site who have made it look lovely and the people on the waiting list.
Old Bird
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I had weedy plots on three sides of mine last year . in the end the only thing that helped was just digging trenches then lining them with plastic then refiliing.
Thing about couch is is spreads by underground rhizomes to so theyll cross the trench in no time espically if your plot has some lovely worked manure filled damp soil and thier own plot is hard and dry and has no nutrients. ???
So dig and line, thats my tuppence worth, oh and you know where to throw all those slugs now, over the fence! ;D
Sunlovingx
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Sounds like a hopeless case Old bird, split the plot and you would make two would be ploters very happy, good luck and take no prisoners. ;D ;D ;D
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So dig and line, thats my tuppence worth, oh and you know where to throw all those slugs now, over the fence!
Theres always a silver lining ;D
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I've suffered the same sort of thing for the past two years, the plot next door to mine getting knee deep in dandelions which just float through the railings on to my plot at their once a year strimming by my next door neighbour. Last month he was sent a letter after the plot assessments, and has just let us know that he wants to give up half of his plot, with a view to giving up the whole thing eventually. Guess who had just reached the top of the waiting list after two years?..............! 8)
So, I am taking over the half (more like two thirds to the left of what is flatteringly described as a 'path') nearest to my plot, so I can at last sort out the weed problem and have a bit more room to boot....shan't be able to lob the snails there now...... :-X ::)
Look what I have taken on.....
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/dlp133/Plot97April2008.jpg)
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Looks good Deb P
The ground looks ok for just turning over and getting something in!!
Slugs could go over to the left?!
Old Bird
;D
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That ain't half bad Deb, looks good soil and not too clayey either. :)
Will / can you remove the railings?
What will you do with all the extra space, it would be great for some livestock!
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The only place there is a small gap in the railings is at the back of my new shed! OH is contemplating that we could put a 'back door' or even an extension (!) onto the new plot, as it would be a shame to take the railings down. It is the only plot that has them and were put there by the gent who had the plot until the early '90's and used to work at Rolls Royce apparently.
I had a bit of a dig tonight before it rained and the soil appears to be much better than my other plot. The grass seems to be mainly meadow like with a bit of couch around the edges. It is also a bit damper, and there are some strange highly ridged areas at the back...? huge drainage ditches? They are like very deep and solid potato ridges but about four feet across.....no idea at all, the bloke I'm taking it over from says they have been there ever since he had it and doesn't know what they are either! At least I can open the gate now I've scraped back the earth, and I've found the remains of a small path at the back, but nothing running down the midle, so that will be a priority I think. I'm doing lots of scribbling getting ideas down.....!
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Deb
Didn't realise that it was yours to the left! Wow you really will have an empire. Have you got the bottom or top half or two thirds?
The ground as has been previously said looks good and the weeds don't look too bad do they?
As you say it would be a shame to break the railings - your shed looks a bit special too with that extra window/roofy bit!
Old Bird
;D
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I've got the two thirds to the left of the small 'path' (which you can just about make out as a darker line in the grass), so the bit nearest to my other plot.
It is really a good size about 30 paces long and 18 wide (I paced it out last night, nearly broke my ankle walking over the ditches at the end bit!)
There is also a two brick high base at the back of my bit for what I presume was a little greenhouse, only about 6' long, about 5' wide..I'm not sure what to do about that as I do have a dismantled greenhouse with about half the glass, but it is twice that size! I guess I could always extend it somehow.
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Hi Deb
How about a large cold frame with that base? You may have to build another course at the back to create a slope (either that or lay a thick bit of wood over the back or whatever! Sounds exciting!
Old Bird
;D
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About the "strange highly ridged areas at the back": where I have 2 half plots in a rough meadow, over 2 years I have watched people taking on plots, working for a few months, then vanishing. Almost without exception they have scraped off the grass and weeds and either piled them up into weed mountains, or into long, broad, weed ridges.
Three couples did this quite recently, and when I had a look a few days ago, the ridges were shoulder high with grasses, and the meadow was spreading back into their plots.
So the field is pockmarked and ridged almost all over with these strange shapes.
With these warnings in front of me, I have surrounded my plot with a metre wide pathway of three layers: thick wet newspaper, thick wet cardboard, firmly fixed Mypex. I think of it as my firebreak, and strim around the outside occasionally.
Could your ridges be old weed ridges?
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I honestly don't know, but the chap who owned it says it has been like that for many years. They are very regular and solid, about 3' high when standing in the 'dipped' bit, and about 3' wide as well. One of the other plot holders suggested it might have been two long clamps to store root veg? I've only heard of round clamps, but perhaps someone else knows of this technique? I will take a closer photo tomorrow if it is dry! :-\
As for the cold frame idea, I was thinking along rhe same lines! Plus I would have room for a good sized nursery bed.... 8)