Abandoned plot - fair to harvest stuff going over?

[Winged one]

This is my first year allotmenteering, and I know there are certain rules that I don't know yet.

one of the plots beside me was rotavated in the spring, a small carpet placed over about 1/20th of it, and more or less abandoned since then.

But the plot on the otehr side has only recently been abandoned. This was a half plot last year, but they found it too big to manage, so got it split in 2 (I now have the other 1/2). I have only met the holders a couple of times due to the infrequency of my weekday visits. But they have dug over and planted their whole area, and it hasn't been touched now for a good couple of months. Things are getting overgrown (a pain but I can live with that), but a lot of their crops are actually coming to harvest or even gone beyond it by now.

would it be ok for me to take a few things that are gone beyond best or are in serious glut and leave a note for the holders? It's the local authority who runs the plots, and not very well (we've no association yet or anything), so it would be very difficult to try and get in touch with them directly.

It's annoying to see plots that are just weeds and not planted up, but to see peas, beans, courgettes (mine got eaten by slugs as baby plants), sweetcorn (I never got to plant any), maincrop spuds (again never got to plat), chard and all sorts of other goodies just going to waste - that just feels plain wrong.

What is the "norm" in such a situation?
Wings

[Headfry]

I would try and find a contact number for the plot holder and ask if it's ok,
Maybe they are poorly and can't get to their plot. Sadly it's not really yours to take.
but I totally agree, it's a shame to see things go to waste.

[scared55]

... and if you just take it - well, see the Doctor's Really Pi**ed Off thread ...

[Winged one]

That's kinda what I thought, and I hadn't touched anything - I just thought there might be another unwritten rule in case of abandonment.

I'll try the LA offices, and see if they can facilitate contact. Otherwise, I will try to put blinkers on me......

[Snadger]

I haven't seen my neighbors for about 2 months either and the last time I saw him he was strimming the majority of his plot because of complants about the weed seed heads blowing around!

I have to net everything because of birds but the few caulis he has left to there own devices are thriving with no bird damage, slug damage or anything! Its annoying really as it seems that veg planted in a sea of weeds seem to thrive on neglect!

I think he's going to get another final warning soon and I've been asked if I would like to free range some hens on the plot if he decides not to come back.

Very tempting, I must admit!

[Sue]

Hi
This is a problem I'm faced with everytime I'm at the allotment, I'm surrounded by neglected plots, lovely swathes of grasses and weeds all ripening nicely to blow seed on my plot and there are the neglected fruits and vegetables. I know we don't know the circumstances but to see hard work go to waste as well as perfectly good produce is a crying shame. And i have to be very stern with myself and not pick up the fallen apples, the overripening broad beans, the strawberries, the raspberries, rhubarb etc.
But, on the bright side, one of my nearby allotment holders, whose holding the plot against her retirement next year, lets me take all the apples I want and I have got the allotment hedge down one side so get tons of blackberries.
best wishes
Sue

[pigletwillie]

Check your site rules. We have a plot next to us twhere the plums are left to rot on the tree. Its sickenening to see and such a waste but as the plot is paid for by the tenant, our rules are quite clear. Its considered theft and the penalty is termination of tenancy.

However often they get to the plot, its their plot and their crops, despite it being a waste. I do sympathise with your view.

[Heidi]

We've got the same problem too.
We took up our plot at the end of March and so did a bloke next to us. His plot borders right on the side of the allotments next to the gate in, and all our plots were overgrown with weeds, bingweed, brambles, trees etc etc. They were cleared and rotivated, but because his plot is right next to the fence the weeds etc on the outside of the site creep in under the fencing on to his.
He's dealt with it by spraying pesticides, which we aren't too happy about, but what can you do?

Anyway, he'd planted up the whole of his plot, even got a nice shed and huge water tank, then we knew he went away on holiday in about June time, and someone was going to come in and water, although with the weather didn't need to. And since then nothing.
We've not seen him, other people on the allotment often stop and talk to us as they pass us on the way out and they haven't seen him either.
His broad beans have podded and are now rotting insitu, his beans have gone mad, potatoes are ready for harvest, beetroot s ready, and the netting he put up to protect his various cabbages etc has huge holes in it etc. The whole plot is now succombing to brambles and bind weed again as well as other weeds, and its just all sitting there.

We've no idea what to do, and I have to admit get a slight bit of pleasure out of seeing it going to waste as he once told one of the other plot-holders he wanted our plot too! :O So the fact his is now going to waste and ruin, doesn't bother to much, rather i'm worried the weeds will creep over to ours >

[scared55]

A bit uncharitable, perhaps. Maybe he is ill or worse!

[Winged one]

That's what I had thought about our own neighbours. If I can find contact info for them, I will offer to harvest for them and drop it to them - I had thought it probably would be considered stealing hence everything is still intact at this point. LA not sounding very confident of a solution on the phone though. They'll get back to me later.....

[rustylady]

It's a real shame that we can't always get to know our neighbouring plotholders. I was lucky in a way - the man who had the plot next to mine lives in the same street as me. I got to know this through talking to him when we were both there. He has since had to give up his plot because of health problems, but I have taken him some of my surplus produce this year. I have been happy to help, and he has been happy to still have some contact with the lottie (and also happy to have fresh stuff straight from the ground). Although some allotment site committees can be a bit formal, I do think it is a good idea to encourage contact between plotholders. That way, if someone is ill or unable for some other reason, the plot may be able to be kept in order without the plotholder having to give up their tenancy, and mature produce can still be put to good use.

[Snadger]

It's a real shame that we can't always get to know our neighbouring plotholders. I was lucky in a way - the man who had the plot next to mine lives in the same street as me. I got to know this through talking to him when we were both there. He has since had to give up his plot because of health problems, but I have taken him some of my surplus produce this year. I have been happy to help, and he has been happy to still have some contact with the lottie (and also happy to have fresh stuff straight from the ground). Although some allotment site committees can be a bit formal, I do think it is a good idea to encourage contact between plotholders. That way, if someone is ill or unable for some other reason, the plot may be able to be kept in order without the plotholder having to give up their tenancy, and mature produce can still be put to good use.

Nice to hear a bit of positive spin rather than all this doom and gloom!

[pigletwillie]

I know two of my plot neighbours very well and we look after each others plots when on holiday by watering and harvesting etc. This is a great boon to all concerned. There are people on our site I dont know but we do have over 160 plots.

[Rowan]

Get a sheep?
Or could you talk to those of your plot neighbours who you do see, and ask their advice? It might be considered more acceptable to take the unwanted grub if you give it away, to an old people's home or shelter for the homeless. But it does seem hugely wasteful to leave it. Unless, perhaps, they've heard about green manures and got the wrong end of the stick?

[Sue]

Hi
I have contact with a number of our plotholders and there is a lot of give and take going on and one neighbour was ill this year and I was told to help myself -raspberries - wonderful. There's not much he doesn't grow, so I help out by acting as his lending library!
One other one lets me help myself to their apple trees and I've got veg and eggs to give in return. Others know I do a lot of cooking and give me surplus so that's all great. It seems to be the problems come from the newer members who haven't got the contacts so nobody knows them, knows what the problem is and everything goes to waste.
I suppose we also have to accept that not everyone's life is structured round their allotment! If you don't make contacts to cover illness etc and you don't rely on your own produce to eat then it does become less important and easier to leave when problems start and I suspect our allotment secretary could be more proactive but still.
Sue