[mower man]

Good afternoon everyone

I was just wondering how many hours a plot holder
should spend looking after their plot each year

I think I spend about 8 to 10 hours per week in the spring/summer
and about half that amount in the winter

Your replies will be much appreciated

[Yorkie]

I'm not sure it's possible to reduce it to such a plain average. It will depend on lots of things, including:

- size of plot
- condition of plot (how much prep work is needed)
- soil type (clay will take longer to dig, sandy will need more time watering)
- what you're growing (how much weeding and watering might it need)
- weather (water x2 daily in heatwave, x3 weekly in late summer)
- amount of produce needing harvesting
 
I hardly go down at all over winter as the soil is so claggy.

[rowlandwells]

I tend to agree with Yorkie we to spend very little time down the allotments in the winter months as our soil is to very cloggy I always look towards getting the ground ploughed up dig over the raised beds spread manure where needed pick a few brussels and that's about it basically close the allotments gate till spring when its all go we spend several days down the allotment many hours the time seems to fly haven't got a chance to get bored so much to do and if not down the allotments then its time spent in the greenhouses but I think more time is spent on the plots because I look at it like this it takes what  it takes we don't count the time just hope what time we spend produces the goods or veg I'm glad I haven't got to pay the wife by the hour on the allotments because I would be bankrupt by now 

[snowdrops]

That’s a difficult one to answer as per previous replies. My time ‘at the plot’ varies on the seasons. I often feel I don’t spend enough time there, hubby thinks I spend too much time there.
I go twice a day as a minimum because I have chickens so that’s at least half an hour everyday, & I walk round it at least once on one those visits ,checking on things & harvesting what needs it or what I want for the days meals. As of last year I’ve got a 14 x25ft poly tunnel, so in the summer that takes an hour to water it or 2 of us 1/2 an hour. I do no dig so I spend time making compost. But that spreads out very quickly & saves me spending time weeding. On average I probably spend at least 15 hours a week doing gardening related tasks, be it sowing,planting, soil preparation,harvesting. With build8ng & maintenance tasks on top of that & work in the garden in addition.