new allotment totally overgrown

[piskieinboots]

I'm here thinking this is a bit off!

If it's on your plot you should be able to keep it - along with the glass, grass 'n weeds. I agree with Paul that just having a lottie has to be good news in these lottie-crunch days, but this is bad form

[traveler123]

I too am suffering allotment overgrowth and am desperately trying to start my grow your own plot. I think I will have to move my vegetables into my garden rather than my allotment unfortunately. I suffer from arthritis and this is just too much for me.

[organic]

traveler123
Do you know some rubber-jointed, strong bakced sprightly young thing(s) that might be able to help you get it set up?

Some of the elderly plotholders on my nearest site (no plots available for me, though) have a neat system of raised beds that don't need loads of planks or bricks to make them. They've got a system of trenches about 2 feet deep and grow their veg on the high ground between them. If you could get help setting that up, maybe it'd allow you to keep on working your plot.

Digging a 1 foot trench and piling the spoil onto the beds should get you a 2 foot high bed with only half the digging. There'll be LOADS of good soil on the beds that way too.

Obviously only any good if you can get help with the digging though.

I really hope this idea helps.

[Lazgaot]

I too am suffering allotment overgrowth and am desperately trying to start my grow your own plot. I think I will have to move my vegetables into my garden rather than my allotment unfortunately. I suffer from arthritis and this is just too much for me.

Have you considered getting a co-worker to help work the site and give you a share of the veg produced? Have a look at the Landshare page and see if there are any Growers or Helpers in your town and get in touch with them and strike a deal that they work it with you in return for some veg! Win-Win for both

[becky2812]

thank you again for your replies. I must admit to haveing started to feel wuite angry about the shed situation. i hope nothing else useful disappears, or i'll just be left with all the rubbish!
i have been thining this afternoon, an old school friend is desperate for an allotment, have been toying with the idea of offereing her a third of mine to use, has anyone encountered problems with sharing such as falling out or anything?

[Two_Sheds]

I must admit to haveing started to feel wuite angry about the shed situation. i hope nothing else useful disappears, or i'll just be left with all the rubbish!

What's the point?
You're still going to have to clear the rubbish, no point being angry about it too.

The former tenant may have promised it to his mate, you don't know. On our site, leavers always get a couple of quid for their sheds, they don't leave it on the plot for whoever comes along next.

I don't know how much glass you have to contend with. Any plot that's had a greenhouse on it will have some broken glass in the soil, it's just one of those things.

I had to clear 6 or so black bin bags of plastic rubbish that had been dumped on my plot, including curtain tracks & a rusty ironing board. I phoned the council and said it had been fly-tipped and a nice lady came up with a van to take it away.

It is a pain, but don't let it get you down, is all I'm saying. You have a plot, enjoy it!

[piskieinboots]

It is a pain, but don't let it get you down, is all I'm saying. You have a plot, enjoy it!

Yep, good advice - get cracking and clearing

I have left my shed on this lottie here in Benson for whomsoever takes over the plot - I don't want anything for it, even though it is only two years old, I hope someone else enjoys it. Karma

[Paulottie]

Indeed...as I said, Rise above it and don't loose your positive momentum.

[piskieinboots]

So, when is the party

[becky2812]

with regards to the glass, there are two giant panew of glass, loads of small panes, and two giant piles of broken glass. it may take a while.
Going to get started on good friday, think i'll ask people to come dig and have a bbq on the sunday, followed by the pub!!

still really considering offering a partof my plot to my friend to work.. should i?

[organic]

Panes of glass are an entirely different matter! If you've got the ability to knock together some simple wooden boxes (with no bottoms, just the sides) you've got the making of a load of cold frames there.
Broken glass is less useful, of course, but I wish I'd had a load of unbroken panes of glass on my plot when I took it over. I'd have been over the moon!

As to sharing the plot... your call really. Personally I'm not - I'm happy to work the whole thing myself, though my girlfriend comes along and helps out quite a lot so in that respect it is shared - but as it stands, anyone who helps will guarantee they get a share in the harvest to some degree, but that's by no means a formal arrangement.

I can't really comment on what you should do though... it depends on what you want out of the whole thing. If you do decide to share it, though, I think it's an absolutely fantastic idea for you and your friend to be absolutely clear about who gets to plant things where, what the responsibilities are with weeding, tidying and so on - and make sure they follow the site rules as carefully as they would if it's their name on the lease.

All the best!

[Lazgaot]

I'd say that before you offer out half of it make sure you can't manage it all yourself. You may find that you really get on top of it and once the main hard graft is done, its not that bad, just tinkering and tweaking.
I work mine on my own and find I could actually manage/want more.

[Snadger]

[QUOTE=becky2812;638418]thank you for all your advice. I have got spuds ready to go in, and onions and garlic. will start seeds off at home while i wait to clear areas. There are tyres on the plot so think i'll pile them up and put spuds in.. will that work?
If i;m honest, i was really excited, but when i saw it became really disheartened. You have all reignigted my excitement!
Have suggested to a few friends we have an allotment party, where they come along and help me clear and dig, and i repay them with a bbq while we do it! the girls seem really keen, the lads think i'm mad for having an allotment in the first place!

I will be having chikcens, but need to build a run first![/QUOTE]

There's your answer for the broken glass. Put it all to one side then once you've built your run, dig a shallow trench around it and fill it with broken glass topped with soil.
If foxy comes a calling and tries to dig his way into your run, the glass will make him think twice!

[Paulottie]

Now that's a good idea....never heard that one before....bit of a cow for the next tenant or if you want to move the run but brilliant lateral thinking nonetheless.

[Two_Sheds]

with regards to the glass, there are two giant panew of glass, loads of small panes

Rustylady had loads of panes in her shed when she inherited it. I put them on Freegle for her, and a glass artist came to take them all away