Reply To: Guinea-pig litter, lost allotments, container growing

[sue_s lost plot]

Well, another whole year gone since I was last on your Forum, learning from you about the use of guinea-pig litter as a mulch. I mentioned then that our privately-owned allotments were under threat. Unfortunately in May 2014 the developers launched an appeal against the Nottingham City Council’s refusal of planning consent, and the Planning Inspector granted permission for the 27-acre site to be developed – one-third for 110 residences, one-third for public open space, and one-third for allotment regeneration. This scheme basically means the bulldozing of the whole site; 6 miles of hedgerow and hundreds of mature fruit trees to be removed, as well as our garden “home from homes”. The gardeners have now been given Notice To Quit by April 2016, and this has driven me to take the decision not to continue on my allotment; I do not want to be part of an organization that has put greed before gardeners and ecology, with no guarantee that they will not attempt further land sale in the future. And I know I will be emotionally drained by the effect of such sweeping changes on the wildlife, which in my case came a close second interest to gardening.

So, I have started this Spring my own 6 x 8 ft allotment at home in 30 pots! – my own version of No-Dig! I have a tiny back garden with a huge oak tree at the end of it; the size limitation and shade were what instigated my venture into allotmenteering nine years ago. Still, I am determined to have a try at home.

The advantages so far are: I can control watering regularly; I can deal with the shade problem by turning the pots regularly; I don’t have to drive to the allotment daily during the busy greenhouse season; the pots were free thanks to the local police who distribute them after cannabis raids!; the carrots will prefer the pots; the pidgeons can’t land on the pot edges to do their worst; I don’t have to cut allotment hedges and mow grass avenues

The disadvantages are: I will have the occasional healthy produce but this is by no means self-sufficiency; the pots dry out rapidly and can be difficulty to re-wet (could I mulch the top of each pot?}; I fear ants may become a problem – they certainly have been in pots of flowering plants; my conservatory turned into a part-time greenhouse this year; the compost has cost me a small fortune – next year I hope to be able to reuse and supplement what I already have; I don’t see my allotment friends as much as I would like; I miss the biodiversity of the site.

If you are interested, I will report towards autumn. In the interim, those passionate about the heritage of allotments might like to take a trip round our site – Before The Bulldozer – at my website at http://losttheplots.wix.com/beforethebulldozer There are sections on the history of the site, views and vistas around plots and avenues, garden produce and the all-important biodiversity – as well as the necessary but more boring planning saga. It will all be such a loss.