Where can i get "Stuff" free for my allotment?

[almitch1]

Hello All,

I am new to allotmenteering and growing my own fruit and veg, the more people i speak with the more intrigued i become. Alot of gardeners tend to aquire "stuff" for their allotment like wood, netting, canes etc etc from free sources, where would i find such sources, im seem to be spending a fortune.


Thanks

[Yasai]

I know. I spent a small fortune before I discovered Freecycle. I've been fortunate enough to have been given all sorts of handy things such as enough blue pipe for both me and my next door neighbours, gardening magazines, plants and organic compost. Keep an eye out and you might get lucky.

[rustylady]

Freecycle is good - also keep an eye out for skips in your area - you will be surprised what people chuck out

[pandasyard]

As the 2 above, Freecycle is great, skips is another great shout and also bare in mind sites like Preloved and Gumtree, sometimes people put things for free on there. Also look out for salvagers/reclaiming people, I have a bloke who sells wood/sheds/tables/tools/pots/everything else, you name it he probably has it for sale and its always cheap. Also consider upcycling things you have about or maybe someone is giving away.

I am a bugger for wanting everything cheap so am always keeping an eye out.

[Noosner]

At our allotments, when they chuck someone off, their plot is opened up for others to help themselves. It's a good way of clearing the space for the new tenants. I got a couple of dozen bricks and some dustbins for storing rainwater that way. Also there is an open area where people dump things they no longer need (e.g. a rusty wheelbarrow that now looks lovely on my plot filled with wild flowers). Mind you, I was on the allotments for several years before I cottoned on to either of these things! It's very word of mouth. So it is certainly worth asking around at your allotments.

[Guest]

Industrial estates - for pallets and blue barrels. Trade merchants for damaged stock etc. etc. Ask around it is surprising what people have lurking about.

[Sharpy]

I too spent a fortune on timber for raised beds. Then discovered a building suppliers just up the road. They said i could have as many pallets as i need, and even put aside the long ones for me. They break apart far easier than the square one`s.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Another tip..........all business's have to pay to have their waste removed and it costs a small fortune. Whilst some of the larger companies will turn their nose up a lot of the smaller ones will be only to happy for you to take stuff.

As a small plumbing company I have given away numerous baths, plastic storage tanks etc removed from jobs.

[Mr Bones]

Contact a scaffolding company and ask about old debris netting. They treat it as a disposable commodity and get rid after a couple of uses.

[lottie dolly]

Scrounge,scrounge,scrounge,MR LD is extremly good at it,as others have said,factories,back of shopping complexes,peeps skips,building sites ask if any bits of blue/yellow pipe,for used scaffold planks as well as poles and netting,develop haws eyes whilst driving around,the main thing is,do not be afraid to go and ask,if you not ask you never will know,some places have large bits of cardboard,others glass and frames to knock up a greenhouse,any larger pallets for fencing,once you get into the swing the world's your oister,in the end you end up looking at things and saying to yourself,now what can i use that for,last off all get the flower buckets,

[alldigging]

At our allotments, when they chuck someone off, their plot is opened up for others to help themselves. It's a good way of clearing the space for the new tenants.

Or ensuring they have very little 'junk' to start off with.

Our rules say that when a key comes back everything left on the plot stays with the plot.

[muddled]

Tell everyone you meet that you have acquired an allotment.

You'll be amazed at how many people have disused greenhouses, timber, old sheds and garages full of old gardening gear that belonged to their dad, grandad, deceased husband etc.
Folk feel bad throwing this stuff out, a new and enthusiastic gardener means they can off load it without guilt.

Morrisons and co-op will often give away their black flower buckets which make excellent pots for tomatoes and so on.

Look out for stuff on bin day, cot sides, bed heads and clothes airers make good climber supports.

A lot of this is more a frame of mind than specific information. You kind of get in the habit of imagining a use for everything you see and then develop a thick enough skin to go ask for it!

[almitch1]

Thanks all I will get my creative head on

[greenishfing]

I really agree that the best way is to tell absolutely everybody you have an allotment and also be generous with your surplus produce and jams chutneys etc. It is amazing what you can be given.

[sparrow100]

Keep an eye out for bargains too - gardening forums are great for a heads-up from members on the start of sales and ebay is really good for cheap compost bins if you can't find free ones (I've got 2 free ones and 4 very cheap ones). I got enough old floorboards on freecycle to make 5 5mx1.2m beds but the best bargain I've ever had was my £35 new 8x6 polycarb greenhouse in the B&Q clearance, and I only heard about it on here.