[rhysdad]

 
I think i've had enough...
Plot full of weeds despite my best efforts, slugs have eaten a load of my lovely pencil thick (ish) leeks, cauli's look rough, carrot seedlings, climbing french beans and kale eaten by either slugs or pigeons, really depressed about it ( i know there's more to life but just so pee'd off by all the effort i've put in) and thinking of jacking it in at the plot and just concentrating at home with the weed free (mainly) raised beds.....

[snowdrops]

Oh dear you are in a bad way. How long have you had the plot? If not for too long it does take time to get to grips with it all. Have a sit with a nice something in  a glass & it might all seem better.After all there's always next year.

[dig4victory]

Sounds like you've had a rough time there rhysdad

Have you been able to get to your allotment to keep things under control?

I can assure you that there is more to life than going to the allotment - we have raised beds in our garden, around 35' square, divided into several beds. Sure we don't always have enough space but we can pop out there any time and spot things almost instantly.

I'm sure you'll choose the right thing for you, but it sounds a shame as you seem to have been pretty busy there already.  These days, with the waiting time for  a plot, once gone, maybe never regained.

All the best  

[sunshineband]

Hope things look brighter in the morning rhysdad  

Had a thought.. do you have a full sized plot?

If so, maybe reducing to half would make it more manageable for you

Don't make any hasty decisions

[rhysdad]

Thanks guys. It's a half plot which lay fallow for a year before i took it on. I never get enough time to spend there and i'm so 'agghhh' about my leeks. That's been the proverbial straw etc etc.......
We're off to Cyprus this Wednesday for a fortnight so maybe it'll seem better then 

[sunshineband]

Maybe you could cover some of the weediest bits before you go 

[rhysdad]

Maybe you could cover some of the weediest bits before you go 

That's the trouble though, not enough time!! That's the real crux of the plot anyway.....TIME!!!!

[Aunt Sally]

Taking on an allotment is a commitment of time more than anyting else. 

If you don't have the time to care for a plot, particularly through the growing season like now, then you will unfortunately have many failures and very little to show for the time you do manage to spend there.

[starry]

Please don't give in I have had my full size allotment for just about 4 years and I have only just started clearing the 2nd half from weeds and putting down raised beds, the first half seemed to forever need weeding but they seemed to have given up and just now need a little light hoeing, I don't drive, my allotment is a mile or so away and I can generally only get over there for about 3/6 hours per week and I have had lots of failures but that's how you learn, I cried when in my first year my runners got hit by a late frost but they bounced back,  I have at the moment given up on leeks, and don't grow any thing that requires a lot of attention I grow my toms etc at home where I can keep an eye on them. It will get better, I personally had a really c**p year (not with the allotment just life) last year and wasn't sure I would be able to cope with it all but I am now more determined that ever 

[Jay The Digger]

If you want a break from the plot for a year or two but don't want to give up your plot, here should be your plan.

If you have space at home then grow a few bits in the garden where you can and leave the plot for a year under a thick weedproof layer (not the flimsy material that frays easily, and certainly not carpet) to stifle all life below.  Then next spring, roll the fabric off and let the seeds germinate.  Cover again for a few weeks and repeat.  lightly dig over and remove any nasty weeds such as bindweed (which will now be rooting along the surface) and any persistant perenials.  Leave it again for a couple of weeks and cover.  As soon as it starts to get colder and the weeds have stop growing (on your neighbours plots) remove the covering and put on as much horse manure as you can get.  Even a foot thick isn't too much.  Then just leave it.

Come the following spring you will be laughing.  A few weekends to stay on top of the weeding should be all thats needed.   The secret is to never let the weeds win.  Once they swamp you it is very disheartening, and actually causes more problems by hiding slugs etc that munch on your tended veg.

If you know deep down that you will probably neglect your plot for at least a 6 weeks at some point between May and August the battle is already lost. 

[Yorkie]

Whilst Jay's advice isn't bad in itself, you'd need to check whether simply leaving the plot under cover for the season will be acceptable.

On our site, you need to be actively cultivating; just doing as Jay suggests would lead to you getting warning letters.

[SnooziSuzi]

How many hours a week do you currently put in, rhysdad?

In the first 2 or 3 years of an allotment if it has been particularly overgrown you would need to put in at minimum of 6 hours a week to keep it maintained, perhaps more at this time of year, but in years 4 and onwards you should have it in such a way that it requires little weeding and managing and will be more productive.

Aunty's words of advice above are the best said of all; you can only get out of an allotment what you put into it, so if you don't put much in....

[Paul Plots]

Whilst Jay's advice isn't bad in itself, you'd need to check whether simply leaving the plot under cover for the season will be acceptable.

On our site, you need to be actively cultivating; just doing as Jay suggests would lead to you getting warning letters.

It's the same on my allotment site.... our plots must be productive. One or two have very nicely kept large picnic lawns and that's not popular with "the committee".  

[simonwatson]

Growing at home has it's advantages, as it's much easier to spend a little time here, a little there.

The allotment has the advantage of space.

Here's what I would do (and sorry to all the organic minded guys and gals out there). If starting with a very weedy plot I'd wait until it's all started to grow and then glyphos the whole lot. A couple of weeks later I'd hire a mini digger and dig it all over. Then leave it for a couple of weeks and re-apply. The weed killer.

I know it might not be the done thing, but then it would be in a state where I could do something with it.

Maybe for you the thing would be to grow low maintenance on your plot and grow the tender crops at home? Spuds, fruit canes and bushes, onions, garlic and the like on the plot. Brassicas with their temperamental ways at home.

Don't give up yet. There's always next year and a new plan. And remember to do what's right for you, which isn't always what the OB on the plot next door says.

[potatogrower]

I don't have an allotment, just in my garden but i can understand it takes time to clear it up but just don't give up!

weeds will always be there every year for all of us. getting the time to do things is difficult i guess especially if you have a family and balancing social life but bit by bit it will all work out at the end.

regards to pest eating into our hard work, its a part of allotmenting and growing so netting and taking preventive measures is the best way forward.

PG