An allotment really is a great thing to have, especially if you have a small garden and cannot grow as much as you would like to just outside your house. But how to get an allotment quickly? I’m glad you asked! Let us count the ways…
Is It Hard To Get An Allotment In The UK?
In the UK, having an allotment may seem like an unattainable goal – however it is surprisingly easy to get yourself a plot of land.
In the UK, getting an allotment, even if there are none near where you live, is a pretty simple process.
Your first port of call is your local community; try Facebook pages and noticeboards, or your town council, to find out about the availability of allotments.
If there is nothing in your local area, why not create an allotment space? You will need to contact your district council and suggest that they find a suitable area.
Your application will be handled more quickly if you have some extra people on your side; try to find at least four or five other people who want an allotment.
These people should all be on the electoral role and registered to vote, otherwise they may not be counted.
You’ll probably find that once you start the process that you will have a lot of support – so many people love gardening!
An allotment needs a committee, so you will need to find people who are willing to be on it – at the very least you will need a chairperson and a treasurer.
How Can I Get An Allotment?
Getting an allotment is a fairly easy thing – though bear in mind that it may not happen overnight!
- Ask around your local area to find out if there are any allotments nearby, and see if there is one available. Many allotments have waiting lists for plot holders, so you may have to wait a little while for one to become available.
- If there are no allotments where you live, you can apply to your local council to find a suitable area.
- Go to www.gov.uk to find out the name of your local council, and the best way to get in touch with them.
- Once you have found an allotment, you may need to wait a while until one becomes available, as some are very popular and have waiting lists.
- If you are starting the allotments yourself then you can just dive straight in there without having to wait!
This article, from the National Allotment Society, should tell you all that you need to know.
Are There Private Allotments?
There are, in some cases, private allotments that are not managed by the council or other official organisations.
These may be harder to find than the council ones, as they may not be as well advertised.
Again, your best bet is to ask around your local community, to find out if there are private allotments and how you would go about renting them.
If you are lucky enough to own a patch of land, you could always rent it out to allotment holders!
Can You Make Money From An Allotment?
There are usually rules and regulations that come with allotments, and one of these is generally that you cannot use your plot for financial gain.
However, if you are using your allotment to grow herbs that you then make into soaps, then who’s to stop you?
Similarly, if you grow fruits and make them into jams which you then sell, you’re not really breaking any laws!
Selling your vegetables for vastly inflated profits at a farmer’s market, however, may be frowned upon.
It is best to check with your individual allotment association, to see what you are and are not allowed to do with it.
If you are wondering if you can make your millions by renting out a field to allotmenteers, this, again, is probably not going to happen!
Allotment rents are quite low, to allow people who can’t afford much the chance to grow their own food.
Unless you have many, many fields and you are willing to rent them all out as allotment plots, you are probably not going to make all that much from your venture.
Your allotment will help you save money, because you will be growing a proportion of your own food rather than buying it at the shops.
But, life is not all about money, is it? Even if all you ever do is potter about, you will be getting your money’s worth from your allotment.
Your allotment will save you money, ass long as you are able to grow enough veg, as this video will show you:
How Much Time Does An Allotment Take?
Obviously, you may want to spend all your time at your allotment, weeding and planting and harvesting.
It can be tricky to fit in the time to garden, especially if you live a little way from your plot, but it is so worth it!
On average, it is suggested that you spend around 5 hours per week at your allotment. You can, of course, spend longer, and it is likely that you will, once the gardening bug has bitten.
This should allow you enough time for the essential maintenance such as weeding, fixing the shed, and simply for standing around admiring all your hard work!
If you have a smaller plot then you may not need to spend as long, and if you share it with someone else then obviously your time will be halved.
For those with football pitch sized plots, you may find that you have to spend longer, in order to keep on top of all the little jobs.
Final Words
Allotments are a fantastic invention, that can help you supplement your grocery shopping – and even allow you to stop spending money on fruits and veggies.
Now you know how to get an allotment quickly, dig out your gardening tools and get out there and start growing! Here is our guide on putting manure on your allotment.
