Anyone with an allotment?

Bang a load of copper nails in?

As a former wood-butcher I know this will work but also know the feeling of trashing a freshly sharpened chain on a ring of coppers that have been absorbed by the bark so don’t think I could bring myself to do it.
Would kill it over 2-5yrs I’m sure but then it’s a standing dead tree which is more of a faff.
I might try and cajole the allotment officer into sending the council tree team. There’s probably 7-8 dead hawthorns across the site that drop branches from time to time…

The rules state that it’s fruit trees only and nothing taller than 2.5m so it should never have been allowed to get that big to start with.

Can you make it the allotment officers problem? Get someone outside the allotment to complain to the council about it, or make it an H&S problem or something?

The rules state that it’s fruit trees only and nothing taller than 2.5m so it should never have been allowed to get that big to start with.

I'd just pester the allotment association/council with this until they do something.

Do you have the time (and inclination) to do it yourself? You could offer to maintain it for them and then just let the officer know when you were going to do the work - assuming it would only be pruning once a year or something?
If you really want it sorted you could offer to deal with the other dead trees as well to sweeten the deal and get the officer on side.

Yeah I’m certainly up for that, we’ve got our eye on that plot anyway as it’d make a great extension to ours as it’s got some good established fruit trees we don’t have.
Offering to do the treework in return for getting dibs on the plot would be a good trade.
Will see what I can come up with.

Are you allowed to maintain trees generally?
If so I'd go at a quiet time and just so it. Or hire someone. As long as you've not already discussed it openly.

it’d make a great extension

Another one?!? I bet your allotment nickname is Lebensraum.

Delete one branch a month under cover of darkness, until it is gradually gone. If anyone queries, deny all knowledge and question their sanity.

plus mention rumours of beavers on site

We only have one plot but it’s a big fucker ;)

Good shout. I haven’t contacted her yet so it’s all to play for.

In converse news to ed, the huuuuuge buddeliah in the garden neighbouring my plot has been hacked right back. Which means an hour or so more evning sun for my plot this month.

Hurrah! Really chuffed for you!

This was my view at 6.30pm yesterday. Bastard sycamore perfectly placed to spoil my evening

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Absolute unit.

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That sycamore is a joke given the rules of your allotment. Hope you can get it sorted.

Do you grow much over winter - its wet/cold i cant be bothered so i cover my plot in weed proof membrane about now and uncover in march. ive done this for 13 yrs. Then in spring this yr (i think march time so still huge risk of frost) i got a non cultivation letter. i spoke to site management at the time and we resolved things - im just paranoid now about covering my plot up again and getting another letter. I emailed them a week ago outlining the background and my plans and asked is this ok? ive had no response - are you really expected to cultivate whole plot 52 wks/yr ?

That’s what 90% of our site does. Surely prepping the ground for next spring is part of cultivation

There’s not a huge amount that grows over winter. You can do some brassicas but you’d probably have them in by now. I’ve got a load of sprouts and some perennial broccoli which I’m trying for the first time. Broad beans can go in in autumn as well as onion sets and garlic (not that any of them do a huge amount until spring) I think Chard can go fairly well into the winter months, too.

Other than that I get a bit of perennial kale. But it’s more a case of covering, clearing and mulching/manuring.

Planning to put a bit more effort in this winter as the nettles up the side of my plot have got quite out of hand. Managed to avoid my summer non-cultivation letter this year, partly as I was on the plot with the kids when they came to inspect it.

thanks Tonts - glad im not the only one getting these letters - ive had two in 13 yrs

I fucking hate people!!!
There’s a community orchard in the village, with around 30 apple and pear trees. This year as with every year there’s a harvesting event with a picnic. We’ve always been to busy up to go, but this year we were going to make the effort. The trees were heavy with fruit last weekend and a couple of the older people in the village have really done a great job pruning and tending the place this year and it was looking fabulous.
I took a walk through it last night and some wanker or wankers have picked and taken pretty much every last apple and pear. They looked lovely, but they weren’t ripe and so my guess is they will just get thrown away once they realise. I really think I’ll have to go to the non-picking event now to show support.
Fuckers!!

Areseholes everywhere. This happens every year at our nearby community orchard. The one I helped plant closer to home will go the same way unfortunately. Impossible to police.

Any advice about moving Raspberry canes?

Relating to my previous post, I think I want to set them up in some raised beds, so that they hold moisture a bit better, and stop escaping everywhere (realise this might be a losing battle), but also due to ignorance at the time, I've planted the "current year" varieties where they get shaded by the "previous year" ones, and ideally would like to swap them round

And then suddenly a stall appears at a nearby car boot offering ‘Organic Produce From Our Local Farm’. A few of my neighbours have told me stories of the entire allotment getting cleared out on a Friday night in years gone by.

I moved some a few weeks ago. I’ve just put them in pots in fresh compost and kept watered. They seem fine.