should I keep my allotment?

pinkparrott

I'm a bit stressed! I've had an allotment for 4 years . it was a pitch of bramble covered waste land that the council turned in to allotments. I cleared it and fenced it .
However this year its all got a bit much, I've had a few health issues and my dh has had a spell where he couldn't walk or stand for 3 months due to an operation on his ankle.
I work full time leave at 8 & get home about 6. I have a 7 and 9 year old and3 nights a week I ferry them about to activities. The the same 1\2 each day on sat \sunday.
Basically the allotments overgrown & I can't decide if I should keep it or not. I know if I give it up I'll never get one again as the waiting lists so long( I was on it for 6 years).

If I do keep it - what's the minimum amount of time I need to keep it going a week ?.
Is not a full plot - its about 35 feet wide and 50 feet long I think .
Any top tips for low maintainance ? Low maintenance crops ?

ljonski

Can you sublet it for a while, maybe to friend or another allotment holder

alanobrien

Sounds like a half plot. Sharing with a friend is good for the short term. failing that you could simply plant up a load of different spuds. they pretty much look after themselves and you can either dig them up when you want them or dig them up and store.

Dizzy_Ditzy

One of my plot neighbours had a half plot and gave half of that up last year and hasn't been there for about 2 months

Can you grow stuff that doesn't need much maintenance? Not everything needs to be tended every day, especially not this time of year. No one spends loads of time at the plot in the winter

Get the kids involved! Give them their own little corners and let them choose what they want to grow. Nothing better to teach them about growing their own :cool:

I have 2 plots on different sites - just to keep the other one ticking over I try and do a good couple of hours a week there - cut the grass, basic digging and what not. When time allows at weekends I try and be there a bit more. I'm at the other site daily because we have hens there

Linda32

pinkparrott wrote: »

Is not a full plot - its about 35 feet wide and 50 feet long I think .
Any top tips for low maintainance ? Low maintenance crops ?

Hi, I've got an allotment. I think its what our council call a medium one. I should hate to see a large one :rotfl:

Anyway, during the real growing months of the summer, say May - Mid September it needs a couple of visits in the evening for an hour or two, plus one half day at the weekend.

Its not so much the crops that require your time its the hoeing and weeding. Most crops just sit and grow. Its the weeds that grow as well which causes a problem. There are things you can do such as planting through plastic or meed membrane but I never think that is the answer as then you have to do the watering rather than relying on the rain. Plus grass and weeds do grow through it so then you have double the job removing it at the end of the season.

It isn't an easy decision to make at all.

malebolge

Perhaps you need to take a step back and think why you originally wanted the plot. Looking at your circumstances, they've changed considerably since you applied for the allotment - you waited six years, have had it for 4, so what was your intention 10 years ago? You seem to have a lot on your plate, both with work and with health issues, so if your intention was to have the plot as a hobby, perhaps your circumstances now mean that you haven't the time to maintain it. If that's the case, and your circumstances are going to remain the same for a while, I'd say give it up.

If, however, you really wanted to grow your own, and still do, then you need to keep it as simple as possible. Potatoes, as has been mentioned, are a good idea. Rhubarb is easy to maintain, too. Soft fruits such as raspberries, blackberries & currants won't take up too much time either.

It could be that it all seems overwhelming atm but once it's cleared again, things seem more do-able, and you will feel better able to plan & maintain. Perhaps plan a weekend where all 4 of you blitz the plot to give you a good start.

pinkparrott

Thanks guys , I've been down today for about 3 1\2 hours (just me ) I've pruned all the overgrown trees / bushes and tied in the blackberries. Then I've dug one bed (8x 4) & fully weeded it. And weeded all around my rhubarb plants (3).
It looks a lot better already.
I think I've just been a bit over faced.
The plan is to do 2 hours each Saturday over winter to try to get back on track. & then when the nights are light again I should be able to squuze in another 30 mins to an hour twice a week whilst the kids are at cubs / brownies ( the one who's not doing the activity can come with me )
My husband will help a bit , but he's got osteoarthritis in his ankles so can stand for long or dig.
I really enjoyed it today (even though I ache now ) and this is why I wanted it in the first place as I love it there. I love the head space it gives me and I remembered how I love making things with what I grow. I'll see how I go.
Thanks

Linda32

Hi, from what you have said there, please try not to give it up. I understand why you love it.

MollyDolly

I gave up my first allotment about 15 years ago, due to a relationship breaking up and wish I never had. I now have another one and I visit it every day as it is relatively close to where I live.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed and the weeds are never ending, but I stopped making plans a long time ago. I now decide what to do when I get there - I just do whatever I feel like at the time - some days I hardly do anything but feed the birds and burn the weeds. The key is to enjoy what you are doing - and as a result my plot is almost where I want it to be.

Fruit bushes and Nut trees look after themselves, and as has been mentioned - some crops have a long growing season such as Parsnips, Autumn sown Onions and Garlic so these would just need an occasional weeding.

Hope you manage to keep it.:)

wellused

So many people take on allotments without a thought as to how much work is entailed I have an allotment neighbour who turned up and dug his plot over with the help of a friend he planted some cabbages and then left it to fend for itself, when he came back several weeks later the cabbages had been eaten by pigeons and his freshly dug beds were covered with weeds, he dug the beds over again and then went away to visit his family in Africa for six weeks when he came back his beds were as overgrown as they were before he initially cleared them, I haven't seen him since. You have been at yours for four years and now find it too much which I can understand as I have always liked the idea of renting an allotment plot but resisted getting one until I retired because I knew that I couldn't spare the time to maintain one. The thing with allotments in my experience is that not only do certain jobs need doing but they sometimes need doing at a specific time, for instance potatoes need to go into the ground between the end of March and the end of April at the latest and before then the ground needs preparing, if you have wet weather which stops either the preparation or the planting of the seeds then you really up against it time wise. I wanted to sow winter beans as a green manure this week but the wet weather has meant that it can’t now be done until next week this is getting to the latest that the crop can be planted to give them a chance to grow before the cold weather comes. Just my opinion but if you really feel that you don’t have the time to look after the allotment then I would seriously think about giving it up and in getting one when you are in a better position to cope. Whatever you decide to do good luck.

savemoney

This is my 2nd year at allotment and not only spent a great deals of time on there at least 3-4 times a week I also spent great deal of money my plot was overgown and nothing supplied. so had to buy a shed, greenhouse and i still keep spending money even now. Currently building a greenhouse lean to attached to shed for my chillies and GH was full this year

I lost count the amount of new people as said above who think its easy and doing next to nowt and let plot go, thus making harder work for those who do as there weeds spread and makes it look untidy.

I waited 4 1/2 years for mine and even now people just get plot and do nowt on some of them I got one across for me had it 6 months and he never been there judging by weeds etc.

it can be hard work you have to contend with weeds, pigeons, mice/rats sometimes and occasionally thief plus vandalism

If it was too much for you either let someone use it for a while or give it up.