Would you take on a badly overgrown plot?

[Yog Sothoth 10]

I see lots of people on here saying how much they want an allotment. I just wondered how far people would go in terms of taking on the job of clearing a long-disused plot.

 

Any plot would need weeding and a lot of digging over, but one that's not been worked for years might be head-high in dense brambles, or have 6" diameter trees growing on it. It could be a year's work before you could make use of it as a working allotment. Would you take such a plot on?

[mc55 10]

I did ... recognised there was no alternative. I don't think most people realise what it entails tho - it's back-breaking. You need a plan and dedication to stop it going native again.

[gunner1980 10]

To be honest I would prefer a plot that is overgrown in some way, that way I could put my own mark on it and get it to look how I want it to rather than how the previous tenant wanted it to look. A bit of hard work never hurt anyone!

 

I've only been on the list 2 months so i could have a while to go yet but I cant wait to get stuck in!

[RobD1 10]

To be honest I would prefer a plot that is overgrown in some way, that way I could put my own mark on it and get it to look how I want it to rather than how the previous tenant wanted it to look. A bit of hard work never hurt anyone!

 

I've only been on the list 2 months so i could have a while to go yet but I cant wait to get stuck in!

 

I took on one that was overgrown and unused for many years. It hard work clearing it but it prepared me for the hard work it takes to maintain it too.

 

Later I got another plot that had been maintained but was set out entirely differently to how I would have done it and it's harder still to change it to how I want it, as well as maintaining it.

[manta gte 10]

my plot had not been used for 5 years, totally over grown, now a year on with alot of graft im reaping the rewards

[displaced 10]

I agree, dont let it put you off. The plot we got was covered in weeds but looked like it had been rotivated in the past couple of months so it wasnt too bad we managed to get it turned around after a few weekend sessions.

 

I would say make a weekend of it and get you family and friends involved get a BBQ going and you can always pay them back with a box full of fresh veg the year after.

[Yog Sothoth 10]

Our plot hasn't been worked for 30 years!

[mc55 10]

Our plot hasn't been worked for 30 years!

 

lordy that's quite a while ! Got any photos ? You should have cracking veg next year if it's been fallow. 30 years, wow, can't believe it.

[Yog Sothoth 10]

It's a private allotment. The old guy who owns one nearby has had his for 30 years and says nobody's worked ours in that time.

[amandakm 10]

yes, yes, yes, i sadly really enjoy digging, strange i know, we have been waiting 2 years, we had turned our front garden over to veg, but just putting it back to a child friendly garden now as may be fostering soon, we already miss it. Would absolutely love ANY allotment.

[melv 16]

Put some pressure on the people at the allotment office. I had a walk past the St Paul's allotments (Norton Lees Road) this morning, & it seems that at least half of them are only been partially cultivated, & some not at all.

On the Norton Lees site (Meersbrook Park), of the 50 or so allotments at least 10 are in a bad way.

Edited August 22, 2010 by melv
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[amandakm 10]

we have rung the office three or four times, we get the same answer, we are on the list (herries rd) oooh the frustration