Anyone with an allotment?

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/02/a-silver-lining-to-the-big-black-cloud-allotments-during-lockdown

I could give him some pointers...

Seriously tho how long are people waiting for an allotment at the mo? Been told there is 4 people on the waiting list in front of us been waiting since January.

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I was waiting 2 years in Waltham Forest. My plot that I got last week was vacant 4yrs+ there’s still multiple derelict plots on this site....

Apparently there is 20 people on the waiting this in our fairly rural area. Yet there are abandoned plots dotted about still 🤔

Our council charge £200 a year for a full (10 rods) plot and there is a waiting list of 29.
There are quite a few vacant/derelict plots and have been for years. The council send out a warning letter to them so rather than lose their plot they spend a day strimming the overgrown stuff down and as long as the annual £200 is paid thats it.
Council haven't the resources to press the issue .

That's what confused me, got given the details by a friend who already has a plot on the site and said there was vacant spots, 2 years seems like a long time to wait, I'm between Golders Green and East Finchley.

I think it’s as @not4sale says really. They’re just not very proactive at chucking people off the plots as long as they’re paying it seems. I’m confused in the case of our site as a few neighbours said that lots of the vacant plots have been vacant for year and years and were all cleared and ploughed at one point. They just never moved anyone on to them...

The fact they’ve been left to overgrow so long makes me a little miffed they won’t do a green waste clearance for someone clearing a plot as there’s tons. Consensus is a cheeky bin fire is ok as long as you don’t take the piss.

It’s even more infuriating when the plot near/next to you is overgrown as all the seeds from weeds get blown into your plot. There really should be a proactive policy of regularly strumming vacant sites.

This has dual purpose because when a new tenant arrives they won’t be overwhelmed with the amount of work needed to clear the site

Everyone I’ve met so far keeps saying how gnarly they considered my plot to be and think people may have been turning it down. If I was still doing tree work I could have had my plot blasted over and clear ready to start digging out in less than a day.
I don’t think it’s proven that bad so far but the number of bramble stumps and quantity of broken down plastic is depressing.

Some of the plots have massive fully overgrown fruit trees all over them which realistically would cost thousands per plot to fell and grind out without damaging neighbouring plots in the process. Some just look like a solid patch of bramble with nothing else which I presume are the ones that were ploughed years ago but never occupied.
I’m lucky in that my trees aren’t too big/dense and are right at the back of the plot.

I know a few people with plots they are struggling to maintain.
This can be due to various reasons - health/age/time - and I suppose the council could help ( they have all the plant ) but they don't - take it or leave it , there is a waiting list.

Double digging question:
Is that clay broken up enough ready to add compost? Top layer of dirt has been stripped off and sieved and second layer(all clay and pebbles) has been broken up to 1-2” lumps. Will be adding shite and cardboard before top goes back on.

Just checking I’m on the right path.

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Anything you can do to increase the nutrients in the soil 👍🏼

It would be a waste to bury valuable compost at that depth - rough old stuff can go down there like anything to improve the soil structure as it breaks down.
Are you going to double dig the whole plot ?
Have you looked at no dig methods ?

I was waiting 2 years in Waltham Forest. My plot that I got last week was vacant 4yrs+ there’s still multiple derelict plots on this site....

Interesting that they don't seem to have the funding to get all those cleared in one job lot. But yes, that explains why you're the only taker for so long. You could conceivably establish a little empire by taking on all the others (or they could pay you ...). :)

I’m gonna double dig all my beds(1 rake wide, 2 rakes long) but not the whole site.
I’ve looked at no dig and that’s the plan for the future but it needs some serious work to start with from the looks of it. I can’t afford the timber to do raised beds and tons of fresh soil so all the sieved old stuff is going back in with about 100l of shite per bed.

I'd love to do no-dig, but I don't have access to enough manure.

This is hard going. At least it’s dry and not sticky

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Stones aren’t a bad thing in clay because they act as drainage just in case you’re taking them all out

In other news

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Fill it with apple juice instead!

1000l of cider. Not a bad plan. I really need it to start raining so I see how the water flows and make any adjustments if needed.

Still need to dig up my potatoes

Isn't there something you can buy to dig into clay soil to break it up?

https://www.flowerpotman.com/lawns-and-garden-drainage/how-to-break-up-clay-soil/

On ours limeing helped break up the clay,
As well as improving the pH,a lot of plot holders don't bother and the soil ends up very acidic

I took the stones out the top 6”(well everything above 10mm or whatever size the sieve is) but left all the stones in the broken up clay layer. The top layer is about 25% stone so felt the need to take them out.
I’m also planning on adding a bit of ash to the mix as I’m gonna have a little bit of a burn tomorrow if the wind is favourable.

Liming is a much underused allotment technique. Quite common on farms with clay soil though.