Abandoned plot - fair to harvest stuff going over?

[muckdiva]

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.

It's the ideal situation Rustylady. There are only about half a dozen plotholders on our site and they've been really friendly so far but I guess the trouble is if you have an unplanned absence through no fault of your own, you don't always have any contact details to let people know they can help themselves. (No sign of any allotment committee on our site; just the parish council and there are rumblings that the site may be sold up in any case.)

[Vegmonkey]

I think the right lines are that if the veg starts to go over it should be donated, i.e. to an old peoples home before it all goes. When you sign up to an allotment it should be a given that a fortnightly visit at least should be attempted.

[hypnophil]

i have a slightly different situation, i took over a plot and the lady who left it had let it overgrow a lot, especially bind weed but had kept two beds clear which she had planted in, although i wanted to plant my own stuff i agreed when she asked for me to keep her courgettes and sweetcorn for her which i did happily, her courgettes have grown into marrows or been eaten or decomposed, and she has not been to water them, which i did for her, or to harvest and i would have felt bad picking them, so lots have been ruined, and now her sweetcorn are ripening i see mice are attacking them, should i harvest them or leave them?

[Winged one]

Well, in my own situation, and thank you for all the advice, the neighbour turned up on saturday when we were there (I hadn't heard anything back from the local authority and don't think they had been in touch with her). She had been on a long hols, and had only just about been in control of it all before then. So I think she was kinda dismayed by the workload to tackle.

But she did a big harvest, and we had a chat too. We are starting to get to know her a little, but there are very few active plots in our part - I think cos access is such a problem. All the old hands are in a different, and much easier to access, area.