I took on my first half-allotment in Sept/Oct ish in 2007. The previous tenant was like us, removing weeds organically and refusing to use chemicals. He dug it over every year and applied manure. So when I took over it, the ground was in pretty good condition - still a bit clayey in places, but mostly good.
Then, in Oct 2008 the tenant who had been on the other half of the plot decided to move on and the council offered it to me (so now I have a full-sized plot). That tenant was not a hard worker, and prefered to spend his days down the local. In the year that we shared the plot, I saw him 3 times. His idea of keeping an allotment was to pour weed-killer on once a year, then attack the whole plot with a rotavator in the spring. After that he turned up only to plant things and harvest things and didn't touch the weeds which far outgrew the few vegetables he managed to grow.
Well, I cut down the huge growth and raked it all before finally starting to dig it over last week. The soil is horrendous! Less than half a spit deep it's thick, heavy clay all tangled up with couch grass roots. Digging it is such back-breaking work I'm only managing a couple of feet each time I go. I don't think it's been dug at all in years!
The difference between the two halves of the same plot is so huge that it can only be down to the way in which it has been cared for. So for all you Ishers who are busy with your spades right now, believe me when I say
YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB!
