Advice needed on offer of land for allotment

[Lisa3666]

Hi,
I'm on the very long waiting list with my local allotment society and wrote a letter to our local paper this week complaining about the length of lists and lack of council provision. I invited people to email me if they were interested in invoking the Allotment Law - 6 people can write to council and request land is made available. 2 people ahve emailed me so far. However, I've received a phone message today from the Allotments society to say a woman locally has some available land - I've made arrangements to see her tomorrow when she is also meeting with a chap who is interested, but in the meantime I couldn't resist going down today to have a nosey - it is extremely overgrown grassland with massive bramble bushes on a raised bank next to a canal with some trees bordering the one edge. It's going to be a hell of a job to strip all the grass and weeds and as a novice I'm not sure if the soil will be suitable for immediate cultivation. I'd really like some advice on whether to consider this further. I don't mind hard work but am concerned about the lack of any facilities and whether after stripping the ground I'll be able to plant straight away. Help please!!!!

[Capsid]

It'll be hard work to make suitable for veg growth by hand or can you get a digger in to scrape off the grass. Consider how you may water it, can it be bucketed out of the river or is that going to prove difficult. What's the probability of flooding?

How easy is it to get to the site with all your tools etc? Is it secure?

I think the fertility will be good, usually there is a lot of silt washed down by rivers.

That sounds like a lot of negatives but the allotment you are waiting for may have just as many.

[SarzWix]

How big a space is it? How many individual plots could you fit on it? Would it be possible to just strim it all down and leave individual tenants to deal with clearing their patch? Would she object to the use of herbicides on the land? Will she allow the erection of sheds/greenhouses/polytunnels? How much rent does she want? Will she be collecting individual rents, or does she want a committee to pay for the overall rent of the field?
Is there access for vehicles (for muck deliveries etc)?

A lot of questions, I know! But, best to ask everything you can think of at the outset

[fran]

Hi Lisa-

This may be a very worthwhile prospect. I took over a plot on an allotment site last May, which hadn't been touched for years and years. It was (and mostly still is!) completely overgrown with brambles and couch grass etc., on heavy clay - but I've been clearing it by hand - turned the earth over with a fork, left it a couple of weeks to dry out a bit, then attacked it with my azada - a completely brilliant tool. Last summer I grew potatoes, leeks, beans and even a squash - I'd had them all growing in pots, and in autumn dug some more and where the spuds were have now got onions, garlic, leeks from last year, cos everything went in really late, and broad beans. And I LOVE being there! It can be done...... Is it right by a tow-path? Can you send pix?

Fran

[carlseawolf]

These 3 questions i would ask myself first ?

1 - how big is the field ? and how many plots could be possible.

2 - How much rental for the whole plot ? because if it makes individual plots are to expensive then you won't be able to get the rent .

3 - How long is the lease ? as the land may take the first year to get to a state of cultivation , you don't want the situation where you clear the ground and it gets leased to another person for more money because it's now cleared.

The other question to ask yourself is have you got the time to manage the site if the owner wants you to do it as part of the deal , as been an allotmenteer takes alot of time without doing all the admin and chasing about .

[Lisa3666]

I have land!!

Thanks to all the people who gave me advice. Well I;ve been and looked at the land and I've been offered it for free!! A chap came to look at the same time as me and we're taking it on together. Any advice on how to clear brambles organically would be gratefully received - he wants to blast with bramble killer but I'm not keen...
Also where do we start - what veg is best to start with or should I set up 4 beds and crop rotation immediately?

[Capsid]

Clearing brambles won't be easy. The roots are the problem, digging them out is hard work since they run for a long way underground. Maybe he could try his method and you yours? The best starter crop for a new patch is potatoes, they will help break up the soil for next year.

[Butternut]

Looking for allotment in tamworth

Thanks to all the people who gave me advice. Well I;ve been and looked at the land and I've been offered it for free!! A chap came to look at the same time as me and we're taking it on together. Any advice on how to clear brambles organically would be gratefully received - he wants to blast with bramble killer but I'm not keen...
Also where do we start - what veg is best to start with or should I set up 4 beds and crop rotation immediately?

Hiya Lisa,

Im looking for some land for myself/partner is there room for us on this land?
Or any advice as to where we can try in tamworth any help would be greatly appreciated...like yourself we are not worried about any hard work to get the ground ready...thanks kerry

[Victoria26]

I was an events coordinator for 3 years before moving down South. In this situation I would strongly advise you to use the local media to your advantage.

They are already interested so what I suggest is to go and meet this woman and take lots of pics. Then knock up a quick press release (who/what/why/where/when) attach some pics and meet with the local paper. Also send copies with letters asking if they would like to get involved to the local MP, community police/ fire brigade/ local governing bodies/ radio station and even a special needs school???

IF you can convince the paper to start a campaign to get the community involved they can ask for people to donate their time/effort/machinery...for a bit of publicity. Looks great for local companies and if you get the council/police/firebrigade etc on your side you can make this into a wonderful event. Plus the Special Needs school will have their own area (Which you will be DONATING) to them to help the kids understand all about nature and gardening.

Now heres the clincher - It will be up to YOU to make this happen. If you can get people on board then great but YOU need to be extremely positive and CONVINCE the paper that they NEED to take part in this as you have approached so many people and they are all DESPERATE to take part.

If you need any more advice please PM me as I know all about this kind of thing.

DO IT! It'll be worth it in so many ways!!! Good luck. Victoria x

[radioactive]

Hi,
I'm on the very long waiting list with my local allotment society and wrote a letter to our local paper this week complaining about the length of lists and lack of council provision. I invited people to email me if they were interested in invoking the Allotment Law - 6 people can write to council and request land is made available. 2 people ahve emailed me so far. However, I've received a phone message today from the Allotments society to say a woman locally has some available land - I've made arrangements to see her tomorrow when she is also meeting with a chap who is interested, but in the meantime I couldn't resist going down today to have a nosey - it is extremely overgrown grassland with massive bramble bushes on a raised bank next to a canal with some trees bordering the one edge. It's going to be a hell of a job to strip all the grass and weeds and as a novice I'm not sure if the soil will be suitable for immediate cultivation. I'd really like some advice on whether to consider this further. I don't mind hard work but am concerned about the lack of any facilities and whether after stripping the ground I'll be able to plant straight away. Help please!!!!

Lisa I have only just joined the forums ect today and went looking for gardeners around my area I live in Kingsbury, I see you have posted about help in some land near the canal I know this to be an oldish post so don't know how things stand so can I ask you for an update please hoping I can help
kind regards
Martyn

[Aberdeenplotter]

Thanks to all the people who gave me advice. Well I;ve been and looked at the land and I've been offered it for free!! A chap came to look at the same time as me and we're taking it on together. Any advice on how to clear brambles organically would be gratefully received - he wants to blast with bramble killer but I'm not keen...
Also where do we start - what veg is best to start with or should I set up 4 beds and crop rotation immediately?

Hi Lisa,

well done on getting a bit of ground to grow on. Just shows what a bit of initiative can do.

Brambles are in fact very easy to clear. Cut away all the top growth so far as possible and then get your fork in sideways betweeen the roots and lever them out. Any roots left behind can be shaken out as you cultivate. Taking over a rough piece of ground is always going to be tough. Is it possible to get a tractor and plough on site? If so, try to chum up a local farmer. It's amazing how many of them will do a small job for a few quid. If ploughed properly, the top growth will be far enough down not to trouble you. As for cropping the first year. No doubt in my mind. Plant the whole area in spuds. With potatoes, the ground is constantly being moved around, when you cultivate initially, when you set up the ridges for planting, when you cover the spuds after planting, when you furrow up the plants as they grow and finally when you harvest the crop. If you fling out any weeds as you come to them, and they should be few and far between anyway as the top growth will deprive them of light, the end result should be a super clean pallette to work with in your second year.

[nhammond64]

I'm on the very long waiting list with my local allotment society and wrote a letter to our local paper this week complaining about the length of lists and lack of council provision. I invited people to email me if they were interested in invoking the Allotment Law - 6 people can write to council and request land is made available. 2 people ahve emailed me so far.