Bye bye allotment

[Sarico]

Last week end I had a letter from the allotment association that my plot is not cotivated and over grown. Well I know one side is weedy and I use weed as mulch (as two shed says chop it and drop it) but not coultivated? How they can not see 50+ tomato plants, a bed of potato,one of onion, one of peas, 12 courgette plants and 24 sweetcorn? I know I'm not a full time allotment but give me a month for bring to standard? Well I think I I will just give it up and concentrate on my new plot. I was gonna to leave this one at the end of growing season but look like I will leave it soon.

[muddled]

Oh sarico!
What a terrible note on which to leave your plot!
and what about all those lovely crops just weeks from harvest?

No, don't let them do it to you mate!
give them a run for their money....take issue, write to demand an explanation, stall them, delay them....make them work for it.
Then, with your crops squared away and the season finished, leave with a smile and a sense of satisfaction!

[Sarico]

Well the potato are up an the onion as well, the brassica most of them are bolt but I can harvest pack choi, kale.. The courgette are just starting now but I love eating the whole plant. The tomatoes way behind so not much to loose. I will clear the plot as they standard if I have time but now I take away all my stuff to the new plot just in case my way of standard is not good for their standard. I loved the book one straw revolution by Fukuoka but look like his standard of permaculture are not good here in Manchester lol

[JanieB]

I lost mine in a similar way. I couldn't go round there for about 6 weeks as I was looking after a sick friend. When I did I found someone cultivating it. The woman who runs the site had been trying to get rid of me for 4 years. It wasn't so much losing the plot but all my tools and equipment and my lovely greenhouse.

My friend still needed help and I really didn't have the energy to fight it. Oh, and it was cultivated. It had fruit trees, raspberries, strawberries, potatoes, peas and beans in the plot and tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and aubergines in the greenhouse.

[Bigmallly]

That sucks Sarico but at least it will be one less thing to worry about then you can concentrate on your new plot. Good Luck.

[Sarico]

Just got the letter from the meeting and apparently 5 of us had a notice. I can't imagine if someone need to go to hospital for an operation or some lady have a baby they will loose it?is better if I call them and ask them when they want the keys back so I don't find nasty surprise going there getting my tool

[Potstubsdustbins]

Nip round and put a note on the gate..................... DANGER ........ DO NOT ENTER...........ANTI VANDAL TRAPS LAID!!!!

That should put the wind up them for a while.

[Sarico]

Well I phone them today and they told me that The plot look neglected. I said yes look like but Al the tomatoes, potato onion, courgettes, sweetcorn and brassica did go there by themselves. But I told them that if that not their standard I prefer not to try to make them happy and then still loose it so by the 17th of August they will re-let it. They were a bit disappointed and so I was when two years ago they told me that all the tree were supposed to be cut down but they didn't, when they said that I will not get a raise in rent because of water bill (my plot don't have a tap)but I did have a raise in rent. Never mind. I will put more energy on the new plot.

[Nicos]

You seem to be resigned to moving on.

It's always sad but it sounds like you'll be happier getting away from there.It doesn't sound as if they gave treated you fairly from the very beginning.

As the others say...take as much with you as you can which belongs to you.

[Ovce domácí]

Never had an allotment but there seems to be a lot of politics, cliques, stress and hassle with it. The idea of some old hands around to gain knowledge from is a good aspect to balance it out. But it sounds very harsh if you've been practicing lighter methods to grow instead of weedkilling the place to death to keep it spotless, mulching with weeds and have a load of veg going. If land is tight though in the city I guess its the only option though.

[Sarico]

Well I always felt that because the allotment was in two site the main one got a lot fro funding and our not. They got hot compost bin one per 4 plot to share 3 months each and we did get any and the answer was we didn't get enough money. The other plot is managed by the council and the office was a nice person that told me that as long there is something growing and not used as a dump of rubbish is happy. Actually he said that my plot will take 4/5 years to get 100% running.

[Alison]

Never had an allotment but there seems to be a lot of politics, cliques, stress and hassle with it. The idea of some old hands around to gain knowledge from is a good aspect to balance it out. But it sounds very harsh if you've been practicing lighter methods to grow instead of weedkilling the place to death to keep it spotless, mulching with weeds and have a load of veg going. If land is tight though in the city I guess its the only option though.

Depends on the site, the annoying politics often seems to be down to rule obsessed officials / committee members. Our allotment is very relaxed, we don't have lists of rules and, as far as I know, nobody is remotely interested in saddling ourselves with a committee. We are a small site so less personalities involved which probably helps but it leaves us to simply enjoy the space and our growing which is what it should be all about.

[sparrow100]

Shame you're having this hassle - it doesn't sound like it's a site you want to stay on to be honest. Your management fon't seem very realistic about people's lives outside of allotmenteering. As with others, I'd take as much as I could to the new plot from the old, and, if you're resigned to losing that plot, just chalk it up to experience.

My plot's not quite at 100% yet, and this is my 4th year at it. People can see I am growing stuff and making headway, so aren't worried about it, which I think is the attitude to take.

[Elfeda]

You can grow weeds to certain height but keep chopping them up in regular intervals so that they won't bug you. at my site they always see the weeds are strimmed regularly so that plot look good. and not really bothered about growing.


I was talking to a plots inspection member who has his 2 plots just few steps away from mine. He is annoyed with my neighbouring plot holder as it has overgrown weeds . I know it is getting strimmed every 2 months still it is like that. and that person is busy with wedding plans and can not look at the site quite often.

I wish you resign the idea of leaving the plot till the time you find another in the new site.

[Sarico]

I just thought that a simple email or a call to ask if there is a particular reason for the plot to be like that considered that they go for an inspection monthly from March till October. So everything was OK in June and everything weedy in July so maybe I was busy or any thing happen. I can undr stand 2/3 monthly inspection been weedy. I got my holiday end of may and I can't get time off till end of august because we rotate the holiday at the restaurant and other people go in holiday. The weather as been rubish the last month and that few day off that was good do I spent in the plot or get the family to the park or beach for a day out considered I can't get holiday? But not they decide to go with a letter. But they always call or email for donation for party or plabt sale to make some money for the comunity.