Allotment Owners: We Need Your Wisdom!

[Emma Ward]

Hello everybody

I'm Emma, I work with the Grow Your Own team and I have a question for you. I've just signed up for an allotment and although I have a bit of a wait ahead of me, I'm super excited.

I wanted to ask for your opinion on something. What do you think the benefits are behind sharing an allotment plot?

Do many of you do it? How is it divided? Do you share tools/seeds/jobs? Is it nice to have someone else about to ask for advice and such? Do you take turns to bring a thermos full of tea?

It would be great if you could fill me in on some of your allotment sharing stories. If you don't share, but would like to - please explain why

I can't wait to hear from you all! Your responses may be published in the May issue of Grow Your Own.

Thanks
Emma

[Flummery]

I shared for 18 months until I got my own plot. My allotment-mate now has the original plot we shared. We divided it strictly in half, always took our own tools etc. Because she works and I'm retired we were rarely there together so this worked for us. We did swap seeds and trade surplus veg of course!

To us the benefit was that we both got some ground to work until a full plot became available. I think problems arise when all the work and produce is perceived to be 'shared' but one partner doesn't pull his/her weight.

Good luck with yours - and I hope you aren't too long waiting for it!

[Tractor Boys]

I got a half plot from the local council which was measured out and divided by them soon got chatting to my fellow half plotter 24 years my senior a real character was a Bobby in Met in Chelsea when all they had was a good pair of walking boots a small truncheon a whistle and a blue box to phone in.

Over the past 3 years we have become good friends although he can be a bad influence brings bottles of red over and Chorizo and cheeese as my site has no shade we sit in his shaded area putting the world to rights.

Sadly over the past two years he has not been well he told the council but they still served him an eviction notice so I am looking after his bit with written notice provided to the council.

No doubt I will grow far more than I need and will share the produce with fellow half a plotter, family and friends but also look forward to his return.

[HeyWayne]

I don't have any direct experience of plot sharing as I managed to get in just before the 'boom'.

However, speaking to my neighbour recently it seems sharing has caused him some problems.

He and his 'share-ee' took on the plot next to mine at roughly the same time as me (just before). His fellow plot holder was keen as mustard to begin with and set about creating beds, structures, fences and so on. They had a really productive plot and eventually filled it to capacity. The plot next to them (not mine) became available soon after and they also took that on and started to keep chickens. Again, his fellow plot holder created a coop, huge run and fox-proofed the whole thing.

Late last year his fellow plot holders circumstances changed which had a detrimental effect on their relationship (I'll spare you the details, but scandalous it is I tell ye).

The result is, that my neighbour is now left with two large plots that he's reticent to give up, but also both are either in joint names or the other dude's. Given that they are not talking (avoiding each other is probably the best way to put it) it is proving a little awkward for neighbour dude to sort out the paperwork.

His share-ee has shown no interest in the plot whatsoever since August of last year.

I guess it's worth bearing in mind that whoever you share with either has to be reliable or have some kind of written agreement that clearly defines your position should the partnership fail to work out.

Sort of a Pre-Plot agreement.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to share, but other times I enjoy the solitude.

[chris]

I'm also waiting for a plot, but have indicated to the various sites that I'm on the waiting list for that I'd be willing to share. I doubt that I'd not get on with a potential plot-share neighbour, but for the extra growing space I'd pretty much take what is available!

[Hans Mum]

Sharings are allowed on our site but only 1 person can be the named plotholder & 1 the sharer, something to do with if the named gives up then the sharer can take the plot over but only 1 plotholder/1 sharer per plot...something to do with not having loads of people claiming a plot as theirs.
I dont know how i'd feel sharing my plot what if your sharer wants to do something different to you re: organic control, etc.

[Shadylane]

A friend of mine put her name down about 3 years ago and she was offered a plot two years later - autumn of 2008. We agreed to share the plot and got stuck in straight away. We agreed that rather than splitting it up we would just share the whole lot - something I later had misgivings about.

After a couple of months she began to find it difficult to get down due to work commitments and while I was going regularly and often she did very little which started to a) get on my nerves and b) make her feel a bit crappy about it. We did discuss splitting it in half which I was reluctant to do at first but after thinking about it, decided it would work much better. It didn't turn out like that in the end as she moved house which made it impractical for her to continue.

I think if people share it can cause all sorts of problems (even with good friends) unless you do what Flum does and split it in half. There are two couples who share one plot near us though and their first year seemed to go well. Personally, I wouldn't though.

[Alison]

When I got offered my plot, OH was very concerned that I wouldn't manage it OK on my own as it was in a bad state and slightly larger than average. He suggested one of my friends and she agreed to share. It didn't start well as when I took an inital week off work to clear the plot her kids were ill so she couldn't help but I put this down to bad luck and suggested she did some research at home. This never really happened but she was inexperienced so I didn't really take much notice. Come this time last year she helped dig some initial beds and a wildlife pond (I'd probably have still been getting round to the pond so that was really great) but always had to leave earlier than me to pick up the kids and wasn't available much at weekends. We split seed growing between us but most of hers got slugged due to her not realising the risk of where she was leaving the trays. This didn't really bother me too much as I knew she hadn't grown stuff before and she's a good friend.

However, over the summer she started to go up less and less and I was spending a couple of evenings and at least a day and a half there so began to resent her considering it a shared plot. In addition, if I left crops there for her to harvest then they got wasted as she only went up there about every 3 weeks. I've not made a deal of it as she's been going through a hard time but have now stopped discussing stuff with her (it's in my name anyway). If I were braver then I'd ask her what she feels about it but I don't want to cause a scene and ruin our friendship.

Suppose in summary, if you're going to share then you need to make sure you are both equally committed (whatever level that be). Part of the problem we had may be that I had very fixed ideas on what it would look like and she didn't have the experience, knowledge or time to input much so probably didn't feel the real ownership that I've felt from day one. I now consider it very much my plot although have agreed to let my friend's little girl grow a few things there this summer.

Interestingly enough the woman on the plot next to me had very similar experiences when she first took on her plot so maybe it's quite common.

[jogette]

I took on my plot two years ago and shared it with my friend. Although I make more time for the allotment, she has family commitments but works hard when she's on the plot and we both enjoy being up there and working together.

The reason it works well is that I do most of the sowing and planting and she does all the fiddly maintenance i.e. edging the grass paths, cutting the grass and she wields a mean spade when weeding and clearing ground. We both love working hard then sitting down to a cup of tea and seeing the progress made on the plot. I find that I really miss her company when up there on my own and find that we both are more productive when we work together.

[Emma Ward]

Hi all,

You're all saying really helpful things which is great! It does seem like a cracking experience either way.

If any of you have had negative experiences as a result of sharing - could you post up a few tips on how you can manage the situation should anything go sour? For example - what can you do if your 'sharer' isn't pulling their weight.

It's lovely to hear the warm hearted stories as well - it seems that if the formula is right...sharing can be amazing.

What about the rest of you...any other stories/experiences/pearls of wisdom to share?

Thanks
Emma

[tlck9]

Having shared a plot with 3 others, I would say dont do it.

We had only had the plot 5 minutes and one of the others was constantly having a go at one of the others for not pulling their weight or doing it wrong. Which then gave a bad feeling to the others who wanted to stick up for the other person and the person that didnt quite have the time/skills decided to pack in.

to add I have my own plot now and if something isnt done right or not as quick then its down to me.

By all means share a plot between two of you, providing you know their skills/talents and their commitment. Work out what you are doing between you and set out the plan. eg are you taking half each or sharing the work and produce before hand.

[Two_Sheds]

I shared my last plot for 8 months before I gave it up. I knew I'd be giving it up, and I really wanted to hand it over to someone who would take care of it. I had a chap in mind, approached him about my plan and he agreed. He was keen to pay half the annual rent, but I never took it off him, because I didn't want the complications and possible breaking of the allotment rules.

I divided it right down the middle and told the other chap what was where etc. I didn't see him again for about 3 months and the half-plot became really weed infested and I got increasingly angry about it.

However, spring came and he really set about the place, putting in paths etc (he has a different style to me, but I didn't mind at all)

It was a bit odd having someone else come onto 'my patch' and I felt a bit invaded at times, if I just wanted to have my headphones on and not chat. I found myself going up there when I knew he'd not be there. A bit antisocial, me! I go up there for peace & quiet, and don't like to keep being distracted or called over to look at something.

I don't think I'd share again.

[Two_Sheds]

My neighbours here (on both sides) share their plot with their spouse.
On the left, the husband and wife have their own beds, which the other doesn't interfere with. It seems to work well: both plots are very neat & highly productive.

On the right, they don't have their own separate areas, and are often squabbling about what to do and how to do it.

I'd say sharing is good if you have your own separate patch and nobody interferes with you.

[jackyspratty]

My friend got a quarter plot and new I wanted to grow so asked if I would help. He has always called it our plot. It is too far away for me to get to onmy own as I dont drive, and unfortunately spring/summer are really busy for him as he is a gardener. Initially it was difficult to manage to get there together, but we did manage to get a decent crop, and enjoyed harvesting together. I got another quater plot in my name which I can walk to. My friend is sharing this with me. Its in a state and needs a lot of graft which we can hopefully do before he gets too busy. On a practical note, we have decided to try and grow the more hardy veg at the original plot, as we i can get there less often, and hopefully do the more tender or temperamental veg at the new one.

We are good friends, and enjoy growing, its working really well for both of us. As I perhaps have a little more flexibilty in time at the moment the system of a more fussy plot (celeriac, broccoli, beans -need reglar picking) which I can get to daily and a morelaid back one (spuds, garlic, onions kale, etc) which I cant get to often seems to work well. Long may it continue! We just split the produce 50/50.

[Alison]

Funnily enough was talking to one of the women on the plot at the weekend who for the past few years had shared two plots (only one on our site and one on another) with her husband and another couple. This year they've had enough and have taken a plot to each couple so out of the 10 plots on our site, 2 are not tended and at least 4 of the others are now run by one half of a failed partnership, leaving no shared plots anymore.