How big is your allotment and how much time do you spend on it?

[Ilovemybigallotment]

I'm new to allotments mine is 100m X30m and is taking up a minimum 4 hours a days 4 time a week, the smaller half is a total wildness and Ive not done much with it, the larger half I'm weeding fertilising and planting fruit, veg and flowers. I love being up there but friends are surprised how long I spend on it.

Mine is a full size allotment. Its huge. I've tried to organise it so it doesn't take my whole life up. Because it could.

So I've planted lots of fruit trees and bushes that need v little attention. Asparagus, squash, potatoes. I water well and lots when first planting. Then not v often. I mulch a lot to cut down on weeding and think I'll cover some beds with tarpaulin this winter to cut down prep in the spring.

I've embraced the 1/2 hour allotment strategy. So 30 minute most days keeps it under control. And then a 4 hour stint once month.

Ive also embraced the phrases 'for the bees' and "wildlife area's to use when some of the tidied (retired) plot holders come round for a nosey.

In short, about 3 to 4 hours a week!

mine is 18m by 7m, which is half a conventional plot. if your measurements are correct then i'm not surprised its taking you a while as it sounds very big.

i tend to spend an hour at a time max, as after that the joy is wearing off. in busy times i maybe do 3 hours a week. in winter less.

i notice on the plots next to me, which are half the size of mine, that the are struggling to keep the weeds in check. I would read about no dig gardening and follow that. if you enjoy spending time there and have it available fine. if not use labour saving tips - membrane under strawberrys, thick plastic or green manure on unused areas, labour saving veg (eg squash cover ground and stop weeds, climbing dried beans dont need any help once planted).

I didn’t know there is a “conventional plot” size mine is a private plot rather than through the local council which may ecehy it’s not a conventional size.
Don’t get me wrong I love it up there I find it quite addictive, but I have noticed I seem to be up there more than most of my fellow allotment holders.

We've got what is technically a quarter plot, and as it's our first year it's just about enough for us. If it was any bigger, we'd have covered part of it to keep it weed free until next year. I go down there twice a week for half an hour to an hour, then DH and I both go on Sundays for an hour. We do a lot of prep work at home though, starting seeds etc.

I think when you first take on a plot, it needs a lot of time, partucularly if its overgrown. When I first had mine it felt like I spent all weekend there without much result.

Now its more established I am also trying the half hour strategy. But I do like pottering around there so in the summer often take my lunch and a magazine and just hang out. I pop in two days a week for about an hour, two days a week its a bit more. It also depends if you have big maintenance jobs. Last week I spent two hours barrowing woodchip to renew my paths. I've not quite finished and will spend another two hours today doing the same but its a once a year job.
I've also found raised beds save a lot of time and reduce the need for digging.
If you enjoy it and have the time I wouldnt worry about how much time others spend there. Have fun

Ilove Has an errant zero sneaked into your OP? 100 metres by 30 would be a very large allotment. The standard size for a full plot is 10 by 30.

Was it very overgrown when you got it? A good tip if you're struggling is to have a good old hack at stuff and, as above, look to cover part of the plot while you work on the rest. But if you have the time and you're enjoying it, it really is up to you

Oops - xpost with Ted.

Mine is 10m x 30m. i know that because after 10 years of spending the same amount of time as you OP, we gave up, covered it in weed fabric, and put deep raised beds in and filled it with bought in topsoil.

Yes it cost £500 in total but it has given me a new enjoyment of allotmenting when I was close to giving up, and I've had more crops since last september when we did it than I've had in each of the previous 5 years, and that's only because we gave over half of it to potatoes. I now go a few times a week to water, and a few times to harvest for tea and very little back breaking digging and weeding.

I've got an allotment on a private site, and it's flippin huge. I'm working on it in sections, and concentrating on sorting some raised beds for this year. I felt a lot better once I realised I will probably never use all of it. Don't be too hard on yourself op!

@ThomasHardyPerennial - wild flower meadow, lavendar, great for the bees and butterflies

If you want cover for large areas stick a few squashes in, and mulch the area around with cardboard. If you do not cover what you are unlikely to prep and use each year, you will never get on top of it.

Absolutely Ted27, great ideas which I have in the works . I'm letting the comfry run wild too!

No errant zero I just measured it 110 m x 32 to be precise! It is very large lucky one have had bee. Vaudy tended recently. Just come back 3 1:2 hours and going back tonight to put fleece on the tender plants as a frost is forecast tonight.

I lucky I’ve got loads of lavender across all of it and wild flowers and 8 fruit trees. Am planting flowers to attract bees and butterflies of which there seems to be quite a few.

Wow!! That really is a mega-plot!! On a very rough calculation, I make it well on the way to an acre of land, in which case 16 hours a week work doesn't surprise me - I'd guess your friends are picturing the 30 by 10 plots, when yours is ten times as big.

Enjoy your lovely big allotment

ah yes comfrey, I'm going to have a shot at making my own comfrey tea fertilizer this year

It sounds like you’ve got a field, mine is more of a tennis court...

If you have a semi shady area a hydrangea in a pot will look good.
In more sunny spots I have patio roses, dahlia, mixed bedding like viola, marigolds, verbena and loads of different types of geraniums.
I also have lilies in pots, standard fushia, succulents and alpines, dianthus and carnations.
I have quite a large garden and large patio and love my pots dotted about.

Whoops I should have posted that on a different thread🤗

You have about three times the area we have. Our plot is established now so weeds are under control. We spend around 20 hours per week on the plot. It isnt intensive work more steady pottering.

Like yours ours is a private site which means we have a lot of freedom about what we can grow. We have planted a small orchard which takes very little week in week out maintenance.

DH reckons there is a black hole on our allotment. We go up there and time just disappears!