Lack of light on the plot - Should I move?

[ghoti_fish]

Hi!

I am fairly new to allotmenting and got my first 1/4 plot about 18 months ago. I have noticed that things don't grow as well at the allotment as they do in my patch at home. I'm thinking the main problems are a lack of sunlight and slugs/birds eating things.

I am planning to put in raised beds and finalise the setting of some perenials like aspragus and rhubarb etc but am wondering if its worth it on this plot. It has trees close by on two sides (south and west) which mean the ground is full of roots and that it spends a lot of the day in shade - should I ask to move plots if one comes up or carry on here?

Hopefully I have attached some photos to help people advise.... let me know if they're not there and I'll try again!

[Martin H]

Hi.

Nice looking plot you have there, you've done a good job.

Slugs and snails are a perennial problem on allotments, especially if you're at the edge of the site; they can make guerrilla raids from places where you can't get at them! But they are always worst in the first couple of years, so you may be on an improving trend. Stay vigilant!

Birds are also a problem on allotments, they have learnt that there is food to be had in the vicinity. All you can do is net vulnerable crops.

Light you can do nothing about; and light is essential for high yields. So if you keep the plot you will have to accept this and work with it. Put things that don't mind a bit of shade (e.g. rhubarb and cabbages) in the shadiest parts and things that can't do without sun (e.g. sweet corn) in the sunniest corner.

But if you want maximum yields you'll have to move.

[alldigging]

You could ask to move plots but the slugs and birds still eat things.

[noviceveggrower]

Could you get the trees trimmed back a bit?
It would be a shame to move after all the hard work in to it. Try to encourage wildlife in to eat the slugs and snails.

[ghoti_fish]

You could ask to move plots but the slugs and birds still eat things.

True, but if I move and get a plot with more sunlight; hopefully the slugs and birds would have bigger, more productive plants to eat!

I am getting better at combatting the creatures who eat my plants - I have accumulated a few nets, wire cages and cloches and am experimenting with companion planting onions and leeks with things they like to eat. Am I right in thinking the smell of these will put them off? So bugs and birds I can live with but the sunlight thing I can't see getting any better.

Our plots are situated on Private school land who are VERY fussy about aesthetics (no sheds, greenhouses, certain coloured waterbutts or compost bins and definately NO overgrown plots) so I doubt they would cut the trees which shade their view from a new housing development.

I don't mind the hard work but after coming back from holiday and finding that some beans I planted at the allotment were 1/2 the size of ones I planted at home on the same day I felt a little disheartened.

If I move I will have to re-site rhubarb, asparagus, artichokes (I might leave them there) and quite a few flower bulbs which would be a pain after 18 months of pulling weeds and removing rubbish BUT at least then I could set out my raised beds and know I had a plot I could keep for a while and make the most of...... anyone else got experience of growing on a shady plot?

Thanks for the replies!

[teakdesk]

Well I can't really advise you but I can say that I have the opposite problem in that my garden plot is shaded by a huge (and growing) oak tree whereas my allotment is in full sun.

I've applied for an additional half-plot (my allotment isn't full sized so this is allowed) and intend to stop growing at home once I have it.

That should tell you what I'd do in your situation but there are often other factors that come into a decision.

[Two_Sheds]

"birds" in general don't eat your crops, in fact most of them are insectivorous and so help the gardener. Woodpigeons are the exception ~ I really can't think of a good word to say for them. Not even "airgun" because I'm a veggie


The trees: you could possibly remove the lowest branches without anyone noticing ? Do this every year

[Bill HH]

I live in shadow of two huge trees, but it is possible to cope with it, as has been said use the sunniest parts for the sun lovers and the shaded parts for the rest. I also use a lot of containers and you can move stuff around.

[Scarlet]

I grow I my garden, it's a very old and established flower garden and the trees are very much a feature and the "backbone" of it all. The veg plot is behind this. Over the years the trees have grown bigger, not only do they give more shade but they also deplete the soil of moisture and nutrients and this has been more noticeable over the last couple of years in both areas of the garden. We made the decision and had several of them cut down (they really were very large!) The light change has been huge.mObviously the roots are still there but I'm hoping I can work around those in both the flower and the veg sides. One of the borders has already had several new additions that have sprung into life where nothing much has blossomed there for the past few years.
My gut feeling is that you already know that you would be happier to move. You have a fantastic plot there and you've obviously worked very hard to get it looking like that. If you feel you can walk away from it, do it now not later.

[ghoti_fish]

The other annoying thing is that I'm starting to branch out into flowers to cut - I never saw the point in growing things you can't eat when I only had limited space - and they all fold themselves over towards the sunlight. My sweet peas all climbed off their teepee and crawled along the ground and my other flowers all grew crooked :-( My kale and sprouting brocoli plants are on the sunniest patch of soil and are still leaning....its a nightmare to space things when planting.
There are rumours that a couple of people have been asked to leave due to poor maintenance of their plots...I'll ask the allotment co-ordinator and see if a move is possible. Wish me luck!

[Scarlet]

Fingers crossed for you.

[ghoti_fish]

Phoned the allotment co-ordinator yesterday and she was really understanding - agreed that mine is a 'difficult plot.' Unfortunately there are no empty ones at the moment but she's put me on the waiting list. There are two people ahead of me who have never had an allotment so I guess they have priority.

After having a wander around the plots the other day I identified 3 plots currently not being cultivated although according to others one of those is definately coming back in the spring....
I wont be planting anything perenial or making any major changes to the layout on my plot in the meantime but fingers crossed I can move soon

[rosiepumpkin]

I have a part shade to full shade plot

On the west side, several full height fruit trees which I inherited and will trim down. On the east side, 2 houses being built. On the south side, full height eucalyptus, 2 horse chestnut and 5 leylandii. The north side is free of shade- mostly!

[Two_Sheds]

flowers ... all fold themselves over towards the sunlight.

Well that's a definite problem then.
When I got my plot it was half in shade from a massive conifer (it's still there on Google street view), but luckily the new owner cut it down. I sent her a box of allotment veg to thank her

the allotment co-ordinator ... agreed that mine is a 'difficult plot.'

They shouldn't really be letting it then: they ought to make it a permanent storage area, say for deliveries of wood chippings or manure, a swap table, a shed with communal tools in it. Or even a meadow to help the bees and butterflies.