The new allotment

[featherstick]

We periodically have to change locks at the allotments as too many people don't hand them back and you then have no security. I suppose the fact that she's an obvious nuisance is slightly better than if she were just keeping quiet but then helping herself come autumn, which is what use to happen on our plot. I never lost much, but others lost huge amounts e.g. whole onion crops robbed overnight. Definitely mention it to the allotment managers and ask whether a lock change isn't due?

[Decaff]

Ooh that is just the nastiest thing I've heard for a while, all that hard work and then it's stolen!! There are some horrible people out there.

The manager is a very old guy and he can't get himself around the plots anymore without help, he's only there on weekends for a couple of hours. I'm going to ask about key changes and how often they are done.

[Brambles]

Idea. Rush down to your neighbour in a panic. Oh NO! I've lost my gate key!! can I borrow yours?. Then don't give it back

[Arzosah]

What an interesting turn the thread just took! There's more to having an allotment than growing stuff, that's for sure.

And it does say what might happen if this downturn continued/accelerated - not only the bandits we talk about, but freeloaders too, either becoming more insistent or morphing into bandits themselves.

I'm loving the suggested responses. How far have you got with the digging, Decaff?

[Deeps]

I had to put a combi locking bolt on Her Maj's allotment shed a while back because someone decided they needed her shiny expensive spade more than she did. The allotments are quite remote and we're right at the back so there's a good chance it was another alloteer that nicked it. Tea leaves boil my p1ss.

I would have thought cameras would be prohibitively expensive and staking the place out for days seems a bit extreme, I don't know how you can stop thieving at allotments.

[Decaff]

How far have you got with the digging, Decaff?

Mr D doesn't want me digging when he's not there, he's gone all anal about lining the beds up (facepalm here) The sooner we have the beds sorted the better then I can do what needs to be done without tuts and sighs from the other half. He keeps on about making everything perfect, whilst I'm more get it dug and planted and worry about the *niceties* after the growing season. This is not as straight forward as I thought it would be There are still a lot of bramble roots to dig out also, so question is should we not worry too much about those in the dugout bed and deal with them later or will that be storing up trouble for later on?

I think I will get some bags to plant some potatoes in so that we can at least have something growing whilst we're doing all this digging..... sowing the first seeds in the progatator, courgettes, cauliflowers, pumpkins and butternut squash!! Hurrah!!!!!

[Decaff]

I had to put a combi locking bolt on Her Maj's allotment shed a while back because someone decided they needed her shiny expensive spade more than she did. The allotments are quite remote and we're right at the back so there's a good chance it was another alloteer that nicked it. Tea leaves boil my p1ss.

I would have thought cameras would be prohibitively expensive and staking the place out for days seems a bit extreme, I don't know how you can stop thieving at allotments.

I agree, I can't stand thieves but like you say there really is only so much you can do but you can never stop it completely!

[Deeps]

How far have you got with the digging, Decaff?

Mr D doesn't want me digging when he's not there, he's gone all anal about lining the beds up (facepalm here) The sooner we have the beds sorted the better then I can do what needs to be done without tuts and sighs from the other half. He keeps on about making everything perfect, whilst I'm more get it dug and planted and worry about the *niceties* after the growing season. This is not as straight forward as I thought it would be There are still a lot of bramble roots to dig out also, so question is should we not worry too much about those in the dugout bed and deal with them later or will that be storing up trouble for later on?

I think I will get some bags to plant some potatoes in so that we can at least have something growing whilst we're doing all this digging..... sowing the first seeds in the progatator, courgettes, cauliflowers, pumpkins and butternut squash!! Hurrah!!!!!

I have some sympathy wit Mr D here, when Her Maj got hers we had a similar issue, the problem I found with her just wanting to crack on and plant was that in the long run it toke more work and its still ongoing. I wanted to get the infrastructure in first so she could do her thang but somehow it seems to require more effort from me to sort out 'her' allotment.

[featherstick]

I don't know how far Mr. D's OCD extends, but I agree it's worth having a really good think about how you lay it out as it can be much more work to put right later. Harrison has some good ideas at the front of his allotment handbook - perhaps sit down with Mr. D and use that as a basis for discussion? Don't rush to get stuff in the ground, it won't do well and you'll take up time that might be better spent planning, building infrastructure, and then just getting some basic fertility in - if you have well-dug, well-prepared but empty beds in Sept, sow some winter tares as a green manure, ready for the new season.

Take it from someone who knows....

[Decaff]

Thanks everyone, I will try my best to hang fire on the planting side till Mr D has sorted out the beds. I will not nag, I will not whinge and I will not interfere in his plot planning.... Very much

I have pumpkin seeds, courgettes and cauliflower seeds sown and in the propagator, the mogsplosh has had a couple of sniffs at it so I'm hoping he doesn't push it off the windowsill.

To keep me patient and calm I've been baking bread and have two apple/cinnamon raisin crumbles in the oven.

Thank you everyone, all comments are gratefully received.