wrote:
On 11 Jan, 14:23, "Jeff Layman" wrote:
Does any council insist on chemical-free gardening for an allotment
holder?

Not that I know of, sadly. It is something many are talking about at
the moment. Also isn't it the whole point of having an allotment so
that we can grow our food stuff free of chemicals?!

The reason I asked the question was that I thought your original posting was
misleading (but didn't know for certain), and you have confirmed it. Quote:
"I would also check with your allotment committee and your plot neighbours
if this is allowed and if they don't mind.". Using "If this is allowed"
makes it sound official, which is isn't. You really shouldn't make your
prejudices about chemicals appear to represent official - or even
unofficial - policy. I have absolutely no objection to you believing in
organic cultivation, and following those principles. And as you ask, no, the
point of having an allotment is to grow whatever the holder wants, how he or
she wants (within reason), without affecting the other allotment holders.

It's usually easier to do this from the starting point of creating the
plots. You will also find that all 'community plot' within an
allotment are all organic even if the whole allotment is not (which
makes little sense to me).

I am afraid that an "all organic" allotment makes little sense to me. I
don't have an allotment, and in my garden I use as few chemicals as
possible, but I can't see the point in having whole plants destroyed and
doing nothing about it. Actually, that's not quite true - I give up trying
to grow plants where chemicals have failed to control the pest because they
are ineffective or the pest has grown resistant (eg in this area, anything
which is edible to the lily beetle).

Can an allotment committee insist on it even if the council doesn't?

Off course! Now, having said that it's only a directive, not a rule,
yet.

Long may that be the case.

We have discovered that there's still 2 plots using insecticides
on ours but no weed killers. Any new plot let out is targetted and
given advice with clearing the plot, pampered and given lots of help.

And what if they ignore the advice, and start using insecticides?

I can't remember anyone trying glyphosate - not on a 10 rods plot.

You are obviously very confused about glyphosate. As soon as it hits the
ground, it becomes inactive. It is the bane of organic gardeners because
they can't find anything it does other than what it is supposed to - kill
plants it is sprayed on.

You may want to read the conclusion in this article:
http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/actives/glyphosa.htm

I'm referencing that particular article because it's not exactly from a
group too keen on pesticide use, and can't be accused of bias.

At
one time you could tell who used weed killers, their front row of
flowers didn't interest much wildlife and their leeks where the
biggest ones, but not necessarily the tastiest )

I can only think that you are just imagining that "their front row of
flowers didn't interest much wildlife". If the glyphosate had hit those
plants there wouldn't have been anything around for the wildlife to take an
interest in, and if it hadn't those plants would have been no different from
any other. Did you do a comparative wildlife survey with flowers in organic
allotment plots? Did _you_ try the leeks? What was their taste like?

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)