It might seem like a strange request, but you’d be surprised at how many times we’re asked to provide allotment removals. Yorkshire offers lush soil and good land, and many residents love to flex their green fingers.
Allotment rules ensure that plots are awarded to local residents only. If you move home, it stands to reason that your produce must move as well. With all that soil to shift, plants to move and beds to transport, you’d think this was an intimidating task. However, with a big van and the right attitude, it’s not so difficult.
The joy of allotments is that each one is different. Your new plot might not accommodate a like-for-like transfer of all your vegetables. Even if they are the same size, there are a number of factors that encourage certain plants and discourage others; soil acidity, raised beds versus ground soil, nearby shade. One plot might be in the open air, the other might bask in the shadows of a plum tree.
Before you begin to dig up your old crop, scout the land in your new allotment and take notes of its features. You might have inherited a raspberry bush or two, in which case you can leave behind some of the plants you’d previously grown. It’s nice to leave your successor a welcome gift or two.
If you’re moving trees, bushes and bumper crops, it’s important that they’re disrupted for as little time as possible. The last thing you need is to transport all your crops to the new allotment, only to find that you haven’t got anywhere sensible to put them. Besides the sensible precautions of moving plants, consider the following:
Do dig prepared holes and beds for your old plants. Measure their width, depth and soil type, and ensure they’re the correct dimensions that you can move your plants straight in. This will mitigate the damage to your plants’ roots and allow them to quickly readjust to the new soil.
Do ensure you have the right equipment. No amount of elbow grease can match a good rubble sack or strong tarpaulin. Products exist for the specific purpose of moving allotments - make good use of them.
Don’t make this your last trip to the old allotment! Somebody else will use your plot, so be courteous and fill in the holes where your plants were. Being neighbourly is part of gardening spirit; inheriting a tidy plot will make somebody else very happy.
