Growing Vegetables getting an Allotment.
65Questions about allotments ...
What can an allotment be used for?
How do you apply for an allotment?
How big is an allotment?
Terms used an 'untidy plot' - unworked plot.
where to start...
First things first...
Sizes of allotments.... scroll down to the section on how allotments are measured here in the UK.
If you want an allotment... How to get your own allotment ...find out where they are in your area (I am talking about in the UK here).
Find out who they are managed by - many are run by local parish councils, so that might be who you need to contact. If you visit the allotment site that you want to have a plot on the people working on them will often be able help you with advice about availability and who to contact about the waiting list.
Contact the person who deals with the waiting list and put your name down.
Be prepared for a long wait in some areas, allotments which at one time no one wanted have become very popular in recent years thanks to gardening programmes and TV chefs. The TV programmes about allotments and growing vegetables seldom convey the amount of effort required in reclaiming an over grown plot. On the other hand they cannot possibly explain to you the simple pleasure of eating a meal cooked from your own home grown vegetables.
Some areas have plots available others have very long waiting lists.
My journal style blog about my allotment and growing my own fruit and vegetables....
Some Explanations of what an allotment is ..
What is an Allotment?
Allotments. Are a patch of land that is rented to local people so that they can grow fruit and vegetables on it for their family.
That is the simple short answer in fact when you visit allotment sites you will see that they are as different and varied as the people that rent and care for them.
Terms used when renting an allotment... 'a tidy plot'
allotments are....
An allotment is a plot of land which can be rented by an individual for the purpose of growing fruit and vegetables, for personal and family use.
Allotment are usually owned by local councils, but they can also be owned by private individuals, a charitable trust, landowners or religious bodies.
Your allotment will come with rules on some sites there will be few rules, on others there will be many rules. It is not worth breaking the rules if you want to be allowed to keep your allotment.
Allotment plots come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the the area and the demand for allotments locally.
What size is an allotment?
If you like simple straight forward explanations then the information available about allotments sizes may not be for you.
There is a lot of variation in the explanationand on the information that you will find available about them.
Measurement of the size of an allotment plot:
The measurement that defines the size of an allotment is usually referred to in rods which is an archaic measurement which when mentioned for the first time usually confuses most people.
What on earth measurement is a rod we ask, how big is a rod of land?
- If they told us in feet and inches we would have a clue but what is the measurement a rod of land?
You will need to know this when you get your first allotment as often you are offered
a half or whole plot which is most commonly either :
ten or twenty rods
but some allotment sites can call ten rods a whole plot and 5 rods a half plot. This is what I mean by not being simple.
Which means that you need to check this out with the person who is renting the plot to you.
However even this area of land/ plot size varies between allotments owned by different groups in different parts of the country. The above example is just the most common sizes used.
Rods to Square Metres...
10 Rod plot is approximately 250 square metres
so 5 Rod is aprox. 125 square metres.
A 10 rod plot can produce enough vegetables to feed a large family.
A smaller plot will still produce plenty of vegetables for a smaller family.
How big is it ? How it is calculated...
1 rod/pole/perch = 5.5 yards
this measurement is thought to be based on the distance from the back of the plough to the front end of an oxen
a square rod (in which allotments are measured is 30.25 sq yards)
a standard 10 rod plot is 302.5 sq yards = 2722.5 sq ft
which means a ten rod allotment plot is approximately 250 square metres
To Get an Allotment ...
!. Find out what is available in your area.
2. Put your name on the waiting list.
3. Get ready for some amazingly hard work
and get ready to eat some great fresh fruit and vegetables.
A BBC video that explains why/how to rotate crops...
- Growing vegetables - crop rotation video project | How to | Projects | BBC Gardeners\' World
Learn how crop rotation can help with growing vegetables, giving them optimum growing conditions. BBC Gardeners' World expert Monty Don's video demonstrates how to rotate legumes (beans, peas etc), brassicas (cabbages, cauliflowers, radishes), root v
A link to a page about making your own compost ...
- What Goes Into Making Compost?
Making Compost is easy.. simple and easy way to make compost.. greens and browns Explained....
CommentsLoading...
Thank you habee, that is one of the things I love about the allotment. I lose all track of time when I am there it is so peaceful.
Nice work
I missed this one....Thank Heavens gardening season has returned.
Thanks itakins - I just paid the rent for this year, it is less than I would spend in a couple of weeks on fruit and vegetables. I can hardly wait to see what is in flower and start to pick the fruit. April wll be a busy month there but enjoyable.
Nice hub you've created here. It can be a nightmare to get the local council to allocate land for allotments, however most allotment groups have waiting lists that you can get on pretty easy.
Thank you for leaving a comment. The waiting lists for allotments do vary greatly depending on the area you live in. Some allotment sites are splitting bigger allotment plots into smaller more manageable sized plots, which is a good idea as it cuts down the waiting list (time) too. I find ten rods is enough to grow fruit and vegetables for our own use.
I've sometimes thought of getting an allotment but I think you really need a car, unless you're lucky to live right next door to an allotment! So as a non-driver I have contented myself with growing veg in containers, in our extremely small back garden. It's surprising how much you can fit in, although the emphasis is very much on salad leaves, herbs & tomatoes rather than "bulky" veg like potatoes.
I find that a bit difficult sometimes,it is the walking back carrying the tools (if you have no shed) after digging.
The allotment is a pleasant walk from my house and my husband helps out by transporting bulky things like bags of garden waste etc. that is to be composted.
An allotment takes more time than we thought and there is always something to do, weeds never give up growing except in the winter.
I do grow in containers too - in the back garden I have two raised beds for salad leaves etc and like you do I grow tomatoes in pots and herbs.
It is so nice to be able to step outside the back door and just pick what you need for a meal. With the allotment I have to plan what I will take home and how much I can carry in one go. One year I tried to carry home some of the potatoes I had harvested, I was struggling by the half way point. I get help with the jobs like that now.
habee Level 7 Commenter 2 years ago
Good hub. Yes, gardening is hard work, but I find it therapeutic!