Ive got two half plots, and today ive got a cultivation letter for both.
This whole year ive been battling with weeds from the plots next door to me that are now standing on thier plots as tall as I am in the cases of those that gorw up, and as for those that creep, ive got more bindweed coming into my plot thatn I ever started with.
Ive had to do alot of hacking of weeds on thier plots just to walk down my path this year and stop seed heads blowing everywhere, which of course means time hacking someone elses neglected plot means less time to do my own. I complained a few months ago and found out they had just done cultivation surveys.
The last cultivation survey was done in June and I passed despite having tall grass on my plot which I have now cut down/removed, and less amount of cultivation. Since then ive got alot more things growing but apparently im now deemed to be not up to standard - all I can say is how come?
Ive called the council today and the plots next to me are to be terminated and I been told to write to the council to explain that ive had to contend with thier weeds as well as my own plot. Im only hoping they undersand as, being school holidays I cant get down to my plot to do much serious digging until the boys go back to school. The boys school time is my digging time. i get to do about 10 good hours diggin per week while they are at school.
BUt I just needed a place to vent and say ARGGGGHHHHHHH> I dont want to lose my plot as ive worked flaming hard on it and ive got loads of stuff growing and just ordered my winter onions and organic manure stuff to grow and dig in.
I should say ieve got the vast majority of my plot cultivated and what I havent ive got covered in either cardbaord or carpet.
Ive used weed control fabric to stop too many seeds from the other plots getting on to the ground to hopefully make next year not so bad but if you peel them back you can see that they are all dug underneath.
yep, smother the rampant bits with something, or walk round once a week with a weed burned. Then it at leas looks like your doing something.
And id certainly point out its twice as hard with the uncultivated ground showering seeds and throwing running roots on your bit 24/7
Yes lincsyokel2 it is hard.
I spent an hour and half one evening back in June just scything grass and weeds from the side of the path so we could walk down it without being attacked. Thats and hour and a half that I coudl have used to dig over a bed to plant up stuff.
All of those weeds and grass have now grown back again, and now they have blackberry bush stems added to them.
I had to take shears with me on Sunday just so my twin toddlers could actually walk safely down a path.
Anyway off to the plot with the boys to go and pick courgettes for tea and perhaps if a tomato or two if they have decided red is thier colour yet, they seem to be taking forever.
That means that hopefully rain permitting i'll get back down the plot when hubby is home to dig.
and they reckon i not working my plot >:(
good luck :o
See also here
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,61237.msg625978.html#msg625978
Graceland the ones next to me look like that and some. If I thought I could torch it I would.
In fact when I complained in June and said could someone do something or could it be noted that I am having to do some work on it in order for it not to spread on to my plot, I was told to leave iot alone or it would be classed as worked.
Its not fair thought - people should be made to get it in order or lose it !
There are long waiting lists
Use it or Lose it :D
Hi Sorry to hear that you are being threaterned.
Its so heart breaking when youve been working so hard. Sometimes the decisions dont make much sence.
I hope that you get things sorted out and that the plot next door gets sorted.
When i was at newtonards plots i eventually dug a trench between my plot and next door (around 3ft deep (not kidding) I lined this with plastic compost bags and bin liners and then returned the soil I also added bags and election posters (on plastic card) into the fence. This really helped. It was an awful ot of work but so was the couch and marestail and grass seed and it meant that the nutrients from my side didnt help next doors weeds to grow.
Good luck with yours
x sunloving
Quote from: sunloving on August 05, 2010, 08:59:42
Hi Sorry to hear that you are being threaterned.
Its so heart breaking when youve been working so hard. Sometimes the decisions dont make much sence.
I hope that you get things sorted out and that the plot next door gets sorted.
When i was at newtonards plots i eventually dug a trench between my plot and next door (around 3ft deep (not kidding) I lined this with plastic compost bags and bin liners and then returned the soil I also added bags and election posters (on plastic card) into the fence. This really helped. It was an awful ot of work but so was the couch and marestail and grass seed and it meant that the nutrients from my side didnt help next doors weeds to grow.
Good luck with yours
x sunloving
what do you mean by election posters?
I have to say ive been thinking of diggin a huge trench in places to stop the flaming bindweed but I think that stuff would just grow down and under what ever obstacle I put in its way. I can almost hear it laughing at me down the plot, as it defies all my efforts to kill it/pull it out or generally eradicate it. :o
I think it would be those election banners that look like 'for sale' signs that estate agents use.
Election posters are particularly good because they contain so much bullsh*t!
Problem is that sort of manure only grows politicians, not honest vegetables.
Quote from: Unwashed on August 05, 2010, 09:54:23
Election posters are particularly good because they contain so much bullsh*t!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D