Allotment Know-it-alls

[Mrs Dobby]

We're pretty fortunate on our plot, the other tennants are a good bunch, friendly, no know-it-alls and none that are egotistical! There's plenty of encouragement and folk understand if you want to get on and not just stand talking, plus some friendly competition on how crops are growing and how well maintained the plots are!

There's 2 plots that are always immaculate (both double plots whose owners are retired couples - who always receive a commendation on their plots in the allotment competition), another 4 or 5 that are good (whose owners are engaged in friendly rivalry this year to see who can try for a commendation in the allotment comp), a couple that look messy but produce some great crops (including one guy whose beans are the nevy of everyone on the plot), most of the rest are in their first year, so definitely works in progress, and lastly (sadly) 5 or so that are a complete mess, whose owners dont seem to be doing enough to sort them out, these are currently being sent non cultivation letters unfortunately, but with a waiting list of 4 then they need to do something!

When we first started we tried some new ideas, and had some strange looks, but after they worked, then it was good to see others adopting the methods or asking for advice on just what it was we'd done (cucumber ramp springs to mind here, along with the 3 sisters bed)

[rogesse]

Love the mound idea too Zazen, will give it a go next year.

Growing unusual veg also seems to work, the exploding cucumber rampaging up my shed has got 'em flummoxed!

I really don't have anything to moan about, nobody has been mean or critical and surely part of the appeal (for me) is the community idea. Besides more often than not the advice comes with a bag of produce from their own plot!