On 13/09/2012 19:05, Bob Hobden wrote:

Yes there are lots of people wanting allotments but a good proportion of
the new plot holders are not experienced gardeners and you can tell
within a few months that they won't last. They don't give it enough
time, they don't possess a hoe, they don't do things to make their own
life easier, they don't use manure, they don't water properly if at all,
they don't ask anyone about anything or listen if you make polite
suggestions, they won't use chemicals (even on Bindweed!), they buy all
their plants in ....
It has to be the TV programmes.

Give it another 5 years and the allotment sites will be back to the old
days with lots of vacant plots and only us old codgers left.


I think a lot of people have romantic notions of growing their own
produce and little do they realise the amount of time and sometimes back
breaking work that has to go in; then there is the combat against pests
and diseases too, and drought followed by waterlogged soil. I sometimes
wonder if it is worth the effort myself sometimes; until this time of
year when it is mainly ongoing harvesting of produce planted earlier in
the year. I still marvel at how productive some plants are such as
runner beans, courgettes and chives with very little work other than
watering. Others like potatoes are worth growing but can be hard on the
back digging up several rows of them.