Allotment judging

[happyhippy]

We moved house last year and downsized.Consequently we acquired a small garden so decided to apply for an allotment.We were lucky enough to get one,and started growing stuff virtually straight away.Of late we have been attending allotment meetings/get togethers,and the councillor announced at the last meeting that in July he has decided to judge the allotments!He will be looking for weed control,companion planting ect.Im not sure how I feel about this.You cannot opt out of it.Yes I like going to veg shows,never entered one,just like looking at what people have grown but to be forced into entering????Thats a diff story in my books.Our allotment is always looked after,no probs with that score,just dont like the fact we ALL have no choice???Apparently the prize is a years free rent.Someone at the meeting joked "Are you doing this so we are forced to all look after our allotments"?And the councillor admitted yes that was the case!!!!

[old tree man]

I have heard of this before, but it does seem to winkle out the time wasters, still it's. bit extreme

[doofaloofa]

Plant an arrangement of red and green lettuce to spell 'F**k YOU COUNCILLER!'

[JoseyJo]

Ha ha, we have this at our allotments. We always laugh at what the judge will think of our messy plot! We can usually predict who will win, those one or two super neat plots - although I did hear that last year some were judged for productivity not neatness. I don't think our combination of over grown strawberry patch, old carpet, tangled fruit bushes and weeds counts as productive though.....

[Broad Bean]

I'd hate it. I grow as a hobby that helps me provide for the table and as a mental health release after days at a stressful job. I don't need more stress at the lottie and don't really care how my plot rates against other people's (I don't think that life should be a competition), I do it for me so although you have no choice in being entered, you do have a choice whether you do anything differently to normal. I can see good reasons why they want people to work their plots but don't think this is the way. Thankfully we don't have any competitions at our site and long may this continue.

[Flo]

Our allotments have a committee to manage them on behalf of the town council. We have a set of rules we get when we sign for the plot (ignored mostly of course). The committee also appoints a team of about 4 to inspect twice a year (April and August). They have a set sheet of items to mark against so no-one really gets any favours and you do get to know what's on the list.

One grade E on an inspection and you get a letter telling you to cultivate within 6 weeks (not so strict over winter but you can get caught in the next spring inspection of course). If you get another E it goes to committee meeting as 2 consecutive Es will get you evicted. Quite reasonable as there is a waiting list. It does sort out time wasters.

Yes those with 2 As spring and summer will be in line for the best kept allotment - if no-one has 2 As (rare) then you get down to an A and a B. Works quite well - if there are 2 plots with 2 x A (or 1 A and 1 B) then there's a vigorous debate - a few flowers will get you the edge and too many flowers might loose you the edge. With a group on the inspection committee there's not much chance of favouritism.

[happyhippy]

Flo:Wow sounds a bit strict?Yes I totally understand weeding (excuse the pun lol)out the time wasters,considering my OH told me in the news last week there are now 90,000 people on allotment waiting lists!
Doofaloofa:Laughed my head off reading your reply about the red and green lettuces? Reminds me of when I lived in Oz and our town did Xmas lights.Everyone was expected to contribute by decorating their houses with lights.Some looked like something out of National Lampoons Xmas hahaha My mate did her lights in the shape of a hand with two fingers sticking up!hahaha
Well I have no problem keeping our plot up together.We do have raised beds and weedmat/wood chips around those so there is no chance of things becoming overgrown and weed ridden.Just don't like I guess the fact none of us have a choice in whether we want to be judged.