[FatGaz]

As I am about to hopefully get my first plot, I was wondering if there was any allotment etiquette that I should know about?  :shock:

ie: If I want to grow tall plants such as Jerusalem Artichokes / Sunflowers - now I wouldn't them to overshadow my other veg, but what about my neighbours veg? - is it frowned upon if I overshadow their plot?  :evil:

[mum2many]

Not got a clue   but will be interested in the replies, wouldnt want to upset my neighbours

[DD.]

Methinks you'd need a mighty big patch of mighty tall sunflowers to overshadow your neighbours!

Don't forget that the sun moves through the sky, (well the earth rotates actually), any shadow from your 30' sunflowers would only be in one spot for a few seconds!

It's only things like a long row of dense trees that will block out light day long.

So don't worry - get planting!!

[Mysteryjimbo]

A lot of the allotment you're looking at have high enough hedges not to cause a problem.  

I've planted J Arti's in a shelter position with 70% of the days direct sunlight can get to them but are out of the way of wind next to the hedge.  

I'll be using the other side of the bed for the more traditional sweetcorn.

[mixdiver]

How about keeping your plot free from weeds - my neighbour has not ever fully dug his plot and it is infested with couch grass and slugs! Yuck
Anti-social in my book

MD

[Aidy]

Dont have a problem with tall plants as the sun is too high mid summer but I do with weeds, big weedy patch next door thats a constant battle with bind weed creeping in, I have created a small wild area with a little pond for frogs but it gets over run from next doors, however we now have a comitee and they have said the plots must now be kept in good order as we now have around 30 on the waiting list so we will see what happens.

[Aunt Sally]

Dont have a problem with tall plants as the sun is too high mid summer but I do with weeds, big weedy patch next door thats a constant battle with bind weed creeping in

Surruptisious late night sprinkle of Sodium Chlorate might sort the problem (non polluting too).

[wellingtons]

... what other peeps want to grow really, prefer not to get weeds creeping in from next door tho.

Mind you the misery next door to me has ideas of what I can and can't grow ...  

[purplebat]

if he pokes his nose in that much tell him to grow you a new greenhouse !!!

[Aidy]

If I had a misery next door I would spike me hair and poke his eyes out.  :twisted:

[muntjac]

there is no allotment ettiquette re growing any plants you want to grow bigguns do so , if you grow them furthest from the sun on your plot you wont over shadow ur other stuff ,  
 you do not walk onto another plotters allotment with mud on your boots unless its ok with him .you dont leave tools in dangerous places on foot paths  you decide who is making the tea and the other who brings the biscuits or cakes at first meeting , never argue over who has the biggest ?

[beansticks]

I am with Mixdiver,the greatest favour you can do your fellow allotmenteers is to keep the weeds down to a minimum,likewise expect the same from your neighbours.Unfortunately i suffer from an inconsiderate person who only attends his plot 2-3 times a year,most of his produce rots in the ground,people starving in africa!!!!!!!!!!!

[Oliver]

Dont have a problem with tall plants ....  but I do with weeds.

If you grow North to South, then shading is not a problem, but J. Artichokes (also known as Japanese Sunflowers)  are extremely prolific and very invasive.  Keep and eye on them and bear a thought for your neighbours plot -

My neighbour has JA's as a windbreak for his plot, so it is on the boundary with ours. The tubers don't stay on the boundary and invade our plot every year. We dig them up every year, but we can't use some 3 feet of plot near these plants - they take all the moisture from the surrounding earth and come up in the middle of whatever we grow and over take them.

So - an effective windbreak for Fred, who also had a struggle keeping them in a 1 foot wide row, also very pretty flowers in the autumn if you let them get that big.  Of course, you can also eat the tubers. They are a fiddle to peel, but make excellent soup and taste very nice. They are, however, known as Fartichokes in our household!

[mixdiver]

It drives me MAD that my neighbour cultivates a wide selection of weeds. I would like him to loose his plot. It seems however more likely that Elvis will be seen walking down Oxford Street naked before he get's his marching orders
I'm not saying an allotment needs to be weed free and sterile but there needs to be some order to it for the sake of what we are trying to nurture to fruition

MD

[Trillium]

Oliver, have you ever tried putting an inground barrier between you and those JA's? It would have to be a good strong piece of metal, perhaps old metal roofing, cut into strips at least 12-18" deep and strips overlapped as you set them in. It's a bit of work but at least you'd have 3 valuable feet of your plot back. And no JA's.