[John]

One question I'm always being asked is how long it takes to run an allotment. So, how long do you need to spend on the plot to run it?

Thanks

[mikem]

Whilst I pop down to mine whenever the weather is good or the ground is workable I copied an extract from an old gardening book many years ago and the following is the time they estimated for working a 300 square yard plot. It is difficult to work out how much time I spend on my allotment as I spend a fair amount of time talking!

November 21 hours
December 33 hours
January 10 hours
February 12 hours
March 20 hours
April 25 hours
May 35 hours
June 30 hours
July 35 hours
August 35 hours
September 40 hours
October 25 hours
November 21 hours
December 33 hours

The interesting thing about the above is that the year starts in November and not the spring!

[p00rstudent]

i am probably spend in the region of 25-30hrs a week currently, but i only started 8 weeks ago and there is still so much to do.

[peterjf]

hi there , my wife and i usuaslly spend abour 30-40 hours per week diuring the warmer weather , april to september,

during the colder months we spend about 20 hours a week ,

[paintedlady]

Taking into account many factors such as time of year, weather, illness, full time work etc, roughly 8-14 hrs pw on approx. 400 sq metre.

Seed sowing & potting on/using greenhouse or cold frame all done at home

[peapod]

Id say about 10- 14 hours, dependant on the weather, how much i can do on my own when dh is at work, and childcare!

I envisage myself spending more time there when its fully established because I like to weed and plant best of all, and rely on OH for the hard work (digging, path building, putting up the shed etc)

One more thing, Im not taking into account the time I spend at home on things needed for the plot, as I sow all my seeds at home and plant on the seedlings. Time spent in the GH and on the pots at home probably takes up at least 1-2 hours a day.

Paula

[Ropster]

I dont spend anwhere near enough time looking at my weeds

Currently 1.5 hours on 2 or 3 weekdays and 3 or 4 hours at the weekend

so 8.5 hours a week at most


Only have half a plot though and do a lot of seedling raising at home

[Aunt Sally]

I have a small plot only 5 rods, which is 150 squ yards.

In the summer when things are "happening" I spend about 12 - 15 hours there per week ( some of those hours are Worzel's).

Less time in the winter and more spasmodic.

[Johnny Norfolk]

On the kitchen garden no more than an hour per day on average, I have lots of other things I do in the main garden that needs my attention, like labouring for Mrs N.

[DD.]

I've got about 800 sq yards.

At my peak I was doing mo more that 3 - 4 hours a day - about 25 a week.

Far less now.

[muddifoot]

We spend most sat. and sun. at the plot now and I usually spend 6 hours two days a week there. .  It' become a little summer getaway with our little camping gaz stove and picinics.  also with the price of petrol this summer we feel we save money by not spending so much on the car as we used to be driving all over the place on weekends looking for interesting things to do..
It's the best investment we've made in years.  

[SnooziSuzi]

I spend around 10-15 hours a week on mine but it's still not enough - the weed army is rampant and I can't keep on top of them  :oops:

[diggerjoe]

I manage about 15 hours a week but thats never enough. I think about it a lot more than that which is more than enough according to my OH

[birmancats]

I do about 7 hours a week on average.  Early season I might spend 10-12 hours down there at a stretch just getting things ready to go.  All seed sowing etc done at home and in g/house.

I've cut down the work by putting in 10 raised beds, each 4' x 12' and freecycling and scrounging slabs for paths.  This covers about 2/3 of the plot and has drastically cut down the work.  Even if I haven't weeded much in the beds everyone still thinks it looks pretty neat (phew).   The rest is soft fruit, compost bins (14' x 4 - well I am one of the Master Composters), water butts and a leaning tower of pisa style old shed.  

Just need to finish college (4 years to go) and work, both the full time and part time jobs (way too many years to go left in them), then I can sit and survey the plot rather than be a whorling dervish.  Plot is 30 x 40 foot and I love every minute of it.

[Aidy]

 currently on the new plot, which is just over the fence I am spending so much time there I reckon they will charge me council tax next year. I get home from work and wifey says, you going ont plot now  :shock:, tother day i went in at 9.30pm and she says its still light, what you doing back home.