[AnneB]

People not working their plots is a perennial problem on our site.
I try and explain the amount of effort you need to put in to new tenants but I don't think all of them take it in.
What is most aggravating is those who seem desperate to hang on to their plots despite never visiting them. Excuses galore.   It isn't fair on those waiting several years for a plot.
We are not rigid in our assessments and if someone is at least doing something we will let them carry on.

[Richard Yates]

I will say sometimes life gets in the way of good intentions. An unintended career change, personal illness, ailing or suddenly frail family member, new baby... and on and on. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you have to drop everything that is not essential.

Im sure some plot holders bite off more than they can chew, or just don't want to cope with the necessay hard work. However, sometimes forces beyond control are a factor.

I think most allotment societies will allow people to have some "time off", let the plot be fallow, and charge the tenant a fee for (say) taking a trimmer over the area to stop it becoming overgrown.

However, once "time off" builds to more than say one year, I think most should say "Time to free up the allotment, when you can properly tend a plot then put your name on the list, and we will prioritise your reapplication".

Unkempt plots when there is a waiting list are a big problem.

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

People not working their plots is a perennial problem on our site.

Same issue here. Over 50% of plots on our small site are not tended to. I had a good chat with the council officer recently who was slightly despairing himself but at least open to the idea of reducing the plot sizes further.

I don't think the Instagram culture we live in helps... of instant results and immaculate plots.

[missmoneypenny]

Our local long timer left last autumn , he had two meticulous plots, one of them got taken over by someone who didn’t bother after a couple of visits. It’s now a jungle and infested with foxes who have dug dens all over, it’s actually dangerous to walk on it now

Should be given the Order of the Boot. I am not sure why management committees are so slow to act.

It’s just been given to new tenants this week. Let’s hope they have a bit more staying power!

[rowlandwells]

I've seen this time after time where people get an allotment plot and get stuck in for a few weeks then the shine seems to where off and the plots back to nature I know veg growing is time consuming and hard graft especially for our lady gardeners but the golden rule for allotment  beginners is do you have enough time to spend on the allotments especially if your still working full time ?

unfortunately there has been several plot holders just given up on our allotments and the plots has as I said gone quickly back to nature then when our allotment rep brings down a new customer and they see the plot looking like a jungle of weeds and just simply turn there back on it  its a sad state of affairs we had around 6 plots going this year none cultivated although I was told we had a waiting list for allotments ?

so what's the answer to a would be new plot holders well I hold my hands up I really don't the answer maybe its something you take on when you retire maybe we should call it  allotment therapy because we never gets bored going down the allotments there's no time to get bored because there's always something to do and have chit chat to pass the time of day

[missmoneypenny]

Conversely, I took a plot with a 4 days a week job, a 4 year old and an 8 year old, and a dependent Dad ( with dementia). It was my  refuge and the place no one could get at me. If you really want to make it work you do ( barring serious illness of course).

[Richard Yates]

so what's the answer to a would be new plot holders

"You can have half an allotment at most. If you do well, maintain it and produce from it, you will be allowed to have a full plot".

Yes, that full plot ought to be in one place. Until people on a;llotment committees start applying the rules, nothing will happen though. Imagine how easily it could be done were all plots cultivated. "It's a management problem, and nothing else".

[Enfield Glen]

Over on my friends site they have a smaller novice plot that people can take for a year to see how that get on and understand that its only a short term let that will be given to someone else if not kept up.

[Yorkie]

Until people on a;llotment committees start applying the rules, nothing will happen though. Imagine how easily it could be done were all plots cultivated. "It's a management problem, and nothing else".

I find your comment insulting.

Many people who manage sites are volunteers, often with full time jobs, doing a thankless job - as evidenced by criticism - when nobody else is willing to stand forward and be counted.

Yes, there are always ASBO tenants who do a little and are very difficult to get rid of as they always seem to do just the minimum to prevent eviction.
Yes, there are tenants who have bad seasons for completely understandable reasons as mentioned before.
Yes, tenants often put their name down on a list and wait years to get to the top, and then get an email out of the blue to take or reject a plot, and accept it in hope that they will manage it

Yes, there are site managers who don't seem to apply the rules consistently or at all, and won't give up when others have indeed offered to take the role on.

But please don't stereotype.

[AnneB]

Until people on a;llotment committees start applying the rules, nothing will happen though. Imagine how easily it could be done were all plots cultivated. "It's a management problem, and nothing else".

I find your comment insulting.

Many people who manage sites are volunteers, often with full time jobs, doing a thankless job - as evidenced by criticism - when nobody else is willing to stand forward and be counted.

Yes, there are always ASBO tenants who do a little and are very difficult to get rid of as they always seem to do just the minimum to prevent eviction.
Yes, there are tenants who have bad seasons for completely understandable reasons as mentioned before.
Yes, tenants often put their name down on a list and wait years to get to the top, and then get an email out of the blue to take or reject a plot, and accept it in hope that they will manage it

Yes, there are site managers who don't seem to apply the rules consistently or at all, and won't give up when others have indeed offered to take the role on.

But please don't stereotype.

I agree completely Yorkie.  I am also a volunteer chair of our little Association.  People would be surprised at the amount of abuse I have to put up with for simply applying the rules, and not in an officious way either. 

[jambop]

Sad to see your hard work undone!
I am married to my veg plot as it is in my garden. It is actually a bit too big for what we need but I work in it almost every day. I recently had an operation on my wrist which has cause a bit of a problem keeping up but I have just about got on top of things again. Even with my raised bed stystem it is hard work, with your plot being on clay it would have been much harder to keep going!