Worst Allotment Day I've Ever Had.

[@ballysillanallotment-man5793]

JB just take a step back and look at it from another angle . Its not the worst day its actually the best day because you have worked through it and now things will get better onwards and upwards

[@JBNat]

So true! It's so wonderful to have put it behind me now. 😀

[@majordog2399]

I will always dig over a plot to get rid of rubbish and weeds first. I know digging isn't popular but it has benefits.

[@meghanplamondon8639]

JB please be extra careful with all of the glass and maybe metal! Yes, what a nightmare….but just think of just how happy your land is that you are cleaning that junk all away and giving it a second chance to bloom! I can almost feel it give a sigh of relief that you’ve come along ………❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@juliaflood3045]

JB, I understand the frustration. I am almost a year into clearing my allotment. It was 4 years overgrown and I've only got 2/3s of the way down the plot. I have unearthed about 20 meters of submerged carpet so far, countless large shards of grass, several huge plastic tarps that have shredded off into the soil, metal containers, hundreds of plastic pots, wire everywhere, and I've yet to clear two large derelict sheds that have been cemented into place, along with some random patio doors, a lean-to , more carpet and a kitchen sink! It is demoralising but slow and steady wins the race. In sympathy!

[@JBNat]

Honestly that sounds similar (but much worse than) my first plot! That took me a good two years until I got it fully up and running. So to have got this second one there in nearly a week or two feels like a miracle! Good luck with yours, just take it bit by bit!

[@lookinglassminiature]

How incredibly frustrating! You would think people wanting to grow their own food would be more responsible and not leave a mess like this for others to clean up. On a positive note, you are making major improvements to this plot and educating people on what happens when you mix plastics that degrade like this with organics. Thank you for being so responsible!

[@jadegrowsveg]

Awww JB, I totally get it. It’s just so disheartening. I had so much plastic, bits of glass, sharp bits of metal etc over my plot. I’m a fairly relaxed person too, but there is something about it that makes you lose faith in humanity a bit 😫 I would want the person who takes on my plot after me to receive it in the best condition possible. Taking care of the space should be an absolute priority! Such a shame when that doesn’t happen. But you will definitely turn it around & make it amazing 🙌🏻 edit: bloody hell, I paused to comment before I saw the polystyrene bit! I had this exact same issue 😩 bless you. It will ok though, You’ll get it sorted 🙏🏻

[@JBNat]

Thanks so much Jade. Glad you understand!!

[@derekkozel]

I find the thought process of bringing all that plastic and polystyrene waste to the allotment in the first place really incomprehensible. My plot wasn't that bad, but it was several builders bags of bits by the time I'd cleared it. Not to mention the three UPVC glass doors, concrete bases for rusted metal pipes, and just piles of rotted wood scrap. Large stuff is annoying but manageable, its the tiny pieces which just get at you for years in the soil! Hopefully tomorrow is a better day, and by the end of the week you'll have a great plot for the summer.

[@JBNat]

This is exactly it!!!!!! I just spent the whole time thinking 'why is this even HERE!?' And you're EXACTLY right about the small stuff being the worst. Well done on yours!

[@TheGDJames]

You've got quite a lot of raised beds, so I think putting the dodgy soil/compost on one of them is a reasonable thing to do, as you have a lot of beds to build up, and if the soil does turn out to be weedy, they're confined to just one bed, and you can just put cardboard etc over the top.

[@grahambolton3428]

I use a govee thermometer mate, it saves data and is also bluetooth so you can see how the weather has been daily, weekly, monthly, around £18 om amazon👌

[@JBNat]

Oooooooooh nice one thank you!! I will look into that.

[@turiaturiana7529]

I can totally empathise the plot I've taken over is like this.. Broken glass everywhere, polystyrene, bottles, cans, food packaging.. It's so disheartening and it looks like the plot neighbours were using it as a dump too. But I have to say, I stick by my comment the other day... You're still the calmest angry person I've ever seen Chin up, at least once it's done it's done!! That's what I'm telling myself anyway!! Good luck JB

[@JBNat]

Hahahaha that's a very sweet comment! I must say the anger was probably slightly tempered by the camera being on 😉. I think it would have been fine if I had been expecting it to be horrible, but it just really caught me out and messed with my plans!

[@grahamwalker139]

Such a shame finding all that crap in that bin. I wonder what else you might find buried below ground. Perhaps its just as well you are making no dig beds. I took over a plot with a big ' compost heap ' took out the top part that looked ok then decided to cover the rest in paving slabs and put my shed on top. Sadly some folk think allotment means personal refuse site.

[@chrisstanley4405]

Rubarb crowns grow, you could probably spilt that one to double triple the plants. Shouldn't force the same plant every year, why have 4 plants is good to rotate which you force and give the others a few years off to recoveer.

[@simongostick5443]

I empathise with you... when we moved into our house a couple of years ago we had to hire a massive skip to get rid of all the rubbish that had been dumped in the garden... metal, carpet, a buried tent, buried compost bags and builders bags full of mixed rubbish and compostable material. We spent weeks digging out two plastic compost bins full of rubbish and buried in wood chips and other materials. Haven’t seen you getting so annoyed before but think how good you’ll feel when it’s done! Keep up the good work! Your leeks look amazing bye the way!

[@lyndaturner6686]

I can’t believe some people, they’ve obviously had the allotment to grow stuff and must realise how hard it will be for the next person trying to get rid of their rubbish. I applaud your tenacity trying to clean it up . I hope for your sake the worst is over and you will create a beautiful space eventually.

[@JBNat]

Thanks so much Lynda!

[@nh8324]

Ahh bless you... this is the realest allotment video out there! I have so many horrors on My allotment I inherited last year too.... I've cut myself off glass, they'res every kind of waste on there. One way I deal with everything is separating nails, cans, pots, plastic, pottery ... into jars and tubs in my shed and use them for art projects in the future.

[@dereknash3638]

JB get yourself a sieve and sieve the bad soil which contains plastic, much quicker than hand picking it out.

[@JBNat]

It's a great idea but the problem is the plastic is smaller than most of the bits of soil!

[@dereknash3638]

@@JBNat In that case I would fork,it over to get rid of the large rubbish items, then if you still have the skip, barrow load the rest of the soil left and put it into a skip, you may need a second skip with all the rubbish you are finding. Personally I would take a small area concentrate on that before moving to the next, rather than doing small bits here and there.

[@katherinegolightly271]

Now you've made me want to tackle some tidy up in my garden. Most of the snow should melt tomorrow so time for spring cleaning. Atleast any mess I find is probably my fault, the exception being litter near the front sidewalk that people toss on the ground all winter. It can really suck to find mess that someone else left. Try to think on the bright side that the allotment will be so much less polluted when you're done, and a better place for nature and for growing. Good job taking on the tough work!

[@helenhawkins4054]

That was unforgivable, to have created such a mess then just leave it for the next person to have to sort.😡

[@jonathanharvey4879]

Hi JB. Sole destroying I know just take your time and you will get there. When you do the sense of achievement at the end will be worth it. A chap who took on his allotment the same time as me found bin bags of polystyrene celling tiles buried on his plot amongst other rubbish. The most worrying thing about it was his plot was the former secretary of the allotments! Another's plot was totally covered with carpet which you could not see for the grass and weeds that had grown through. It took him an age to remove. Now they are both some of the best plots on our site (Including mine of course).🙂

[@JBNat]

Yeah that sounds about right! I've had so many comments from people saying they had the same issues. Absolutely terrible. So glad to hear you've turned it around though 😃

[@ConcreteCauldron]

It’s good Your the one that took this plot,someone else my not have been so diligent.

[@JBNat]

That's a lovely thought, thank you!

[@derekjackson5548]

I feel your pain, i dug a hole for a post the other day and pulled out the front half of a bike frame and 2 different size wheels my plot is full of old bits of metal I'm sure people just used allotments as a dump site......Try and stay positive, good luck.

[@JBNat]

Good lord

[@mjr2567]

I grew tomatoes last year sown March in an unheated greenhouse. They were fine, I had loads of cherry tomatoes. Trying to grow peppers this year the same way. I grew them a couple of years ago but they took weeks on a south facing windowsill to germinate.

[@Pixieworksstudio]

Oh for heaven's sake. I so felt for you! I just kept asking myself why? I mean it's an allotment, what on earth were they thinking? Chin up, my lovely, when its over its over 👊. Take it easy, and good luck with it all.

[@StellasVegetablegardens]

I just move my plants out when it is time and I don’t worry about acclimatising- truth is they will survive and mine grow beautifully without a problem 😊

[@DuffPharming]

Good work clearing that up. It’s sad to think that someone else tried to get their land under control and didn’t quite manage to do it. Whatever their reason it’s great that the plot is now in good hands. If there weren’t problems out there, there wouldn’t be people trying to fix them! Well done for all of your effort. I hope as the weather warms up you’ll look back on this with satisfaction at what a lovely plot it has become. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing it. Thanks for the content.

[@JBNat]

Ahh thank you Simon!! It's a bit interesting this plot, I used to chat with the woman who had it before and she was lovely, but I don't think her heart was really in it. She used to just come up on the occasional Saturday. She must have invested a bit of ££ into all the fruit bushes. I have no idea if the rubbish was hers or from longer before!

[@susiespearing6165]

I'd just back up my car and take the whole bag to the tip ! Really felt for you with that bin .What a nightmare 😑

[@mjr2567]

It's surprising the amount of rubbish people can accumulate on an allotment plot. For some reason there's a shower screen on one of mine... My newest allotment had basically a van load of rubbish taken to the tip but there were still broken shards of glass hiding in the soil to cut my hands...

[@debz_vegplot]

That plot is very lucky to have you to renovate it, its in good hands 😉. You made me chuckle when you apologised for the rant. Believe me that was a very calm rant 😂. My plot had areas like that and i'm sure i'll be picking out plastic and the like for years 😡.

[@JBNat]

🥺🥺 That's such a sweet thing to say, thank you!

[@ceridavis8876]

Well, as others have said, in the past many people commonly used allotments as their own personal landfills. Unfortunately on our site there’s also a big problem with asbestos where people dumped garage roofs etc so they wouldn’t have to pay for proper disposal. I’ve had my plot five years and I’d like to say I found everything but the kitchen sink…except I did find a kitchen sink and draining board! Just managed to clear the enormous “compost pile” in the bottom corner this last (dry) February. Lots of good quality soil which is bagged up and will be sieved. Under it, buried junk including window glass, mirror glass, rusty metal, plastic carrier bags of household waste, degrading weed control fabric, plastic string, plastic coated wire, plastic sheeting, old washing lines, carpet, bin liners…I could go on but you get the picture. Also loads of broken bricks, stones and roof slates, which I’ve reused for hardcore in a shed base and French drain, so they came in handy. Really time consuming and frustrating but it’s a good feeling once your plot is “clean” again.

[@JBNat]

Laughing a lot at the kitchen sink part 😂 Sounds like you've got an absolute horror show too. Honestly the comments on this video have made me feel lucky about how little I really had to deal with...

[@ceridavis8876]

I think the guy who had the plot a few years before me was a scrap dealer…and he just buried the stuff that had no value. I did find a couple of nice old horseshoes though!

[@sandraengstrand2784]

It is so aggravating to have to deal with this leftover mess… No fun 😖😵‍💫😵

[@richardpreston4320]

Don't stress JB, you've got this!! I got as angry as you about the mess of plastic in our garden when we moved in to a new house.... Took me days of digging and thankfully the council helped with the disposal...may be worth speaking to your local waste people and seeing if they can help. I wouldn't put it on the paths....I had a similar idea and bits were coming up for 2 years!

[@LP-ns4qk]

I like the way you add the filmed date to your videos, it helps when watching later, thanks

[@JBNat]

Really glad they help!

[@bhalliwell2191]

About the rhubarb: you might want to clear away the grass around the emerging shoots, but what I've found with rhubarb is there isn't a great deal you *need* to do with it, to it, or for it. (I expect you know that there in the U.K., you have a "Rhubarb Triangle" which is, iinm, the rhubarb-growing capitol of the world, up Tony C. Smith's way, again if I'm not mistaken.) Rhubarb is wonderfully independent stuff. The only thing I can think to watch out for is over harvesting, to avoid giving a too-young plant a set-back, but after about its third year (yours looks to be about three years old, or better) you can harvest one-third to forty percent of the stalks which of course are the leaf petioles. And of course never, but absolutely *NEVER* eat rhubarb stalks or stems after the plant has been exposed to a freeze. But in terms of care, as long as it has enough water, rhubarb is pretty much hands *off:* it's very self-sufficient If you wish to have more rhubarb plants, wait for this one to get to be too big, and then dig up and divide the crown in the autumn. Bear in mind that the more divisions you make the longer it will take for each one to get to harvesting size. You can grow rhubarb from seed, but from seed rhubarb doesn't grow true to its parent plant, whatever that was. If you don't mind that inconsistency, seed is a great way to have plenty of plants.

[@JBNat]

I'd never heard of the rhubarb triangle! That is amazing. Thanks for all the tips, so much info. I agree this one looks mature doesn't it, so it sounds like I'm doing the right thing! Phew 😃

[@bhalliwell2191]

@@JBNat Eeh! Clearly, I don't know my gardeners' geography in your country, so I apologize for that. *West* Yorkshire is where you'll find the Rhubarb Triangle, and the RT was known for producing forced rhubarb. *I'd* never heard of forced rhubarb, so thank *you*: I've learned something new. Where I live, when I was a child *everybody,* it seemed, had a luxurious bed of rhubarb in what you'd know as the back garden and we called the back yard, and we never did any fussing with it: just let it grow, make pies from the fresh petioles/stalks/stems, and some people made preserves out of the rhubarb, too, although what they used those for I've no idea. (Oh---once I made---followed the recipe/receipt very very carefully, didn't think this one up on my own---what amounted to a rhubarb upside-down cake although it wasn't called that and by now that was so long ago I've forgotten what it *was* called. Very tasty but required a lot of sugar; just looked up "forced rhubarb" and I'll bet that would have been delightful in a rhubarb upside-down cake, or whatever the correct name of that cake-like baked good is, and requiring less sugar.) I was mistaken about the timing of dividing a crown of rhubarb: it's best done in the very early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked. The plant you have, from what I saw, can wait until next spring for division if you want to divide it, but when you do, each section should have two or three buds (shoots) and a large portion of the root system according to the Iowa ("EYE-o-wah") State University's extension service. Oh, there is one more thing you should be aware of with rhubarb: early in its season, the plant will send up (or "out") inflorescences, flowers. If you want stalks/stems, then prevent these from doing their thing: the plant can make flowers and seeds, or it can produce stalks for you. My recommendation is to cut off the heads directly *into* some kind of bag, either paper or plastic, and not just the heads: put the plant to the trouble of growing a whole new flower head stalk. You'll easily tell these from the rhubarb plant itself because they shoot up above the top of the plant and, depending on how tall you are, often they'll be higher than your head, so catch them early on: much easier to manage when they're at least no taller than head-high. If I need to apologize for rattling on and on, I shall. But I've sometimes been on the receiving end of "half information," and then when everything went south because the info I'd received had been correct but I hadn't been given all the necessary information and my "advisor" later would say, "Oh, but I thought you understood!" and I hadn't had a clue. So, apart from natural or habitual loquaciousness, it's my other habit to make sure the reader has as much information as he or she could probably need and if I do end up preaching to the choir, the worst is that person already knew what I'd written. I extend my apologies to you if necessary, my young friend.

[@redbaron1392]

Totally with you on this JB. If it were me I'd not pick through the pile, especially with all that glass, just shovel it up and see if the tip can dispose of it?

[@JBNat]

Yeah most of it went into the bin!

[@aname5267]

I was prepared for the hard graft when I too on my allotment but I wasn’t prepped for the litter. We often talk about pests in gardening but humans really are the most horrible invasive species.

[@JBNat]

A great way of putting it about being prepared for the graft but not the litter... I found a lot of very frustrating and annoying crap on the first plot but none of it was really WASTE. Plastic weed matting and carpet was probably more work overall, but at least you could see why it had been put there in the first place.

[@dutchbeef8920]

I find the rhubarb in my back garden thrives on neglect 😂👍🏻

[@christinebrooks6364]

Hi JB, I ferl your pain, my plot was just as bad as your snd it's awful! You would think being a plot holder, they epild have more respect for our environment but, unfortunately they don't care. It's the hardest part clearimgcall the rubbish but, stay focused and you will get there. It will all be worth it in the end. Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

[@JBNat]

Thanks so much Christine, you are exactly right!

[@meapantz1983]

The struggle is real my plot is full of absolute pants which I've inherited. I thought I was just gonna dig/no dig/clear an area on Sunday and wack some spuds in and low and behold plastic strips through all the soil from old weed membrane plasticy sheet things as well as glass from an old greenhouse.

[@JBNat]

Nightmare isn't it. Best of luck with yours!

[@ShortstuffInline]

Just got an allotment myself it's my first and its a bomb site broken glass, plastic and general waste all over the place. Has taken 5 days and 2 tip runs to even get near to cleared out. Press on mate it'll get sorted in the end

[@JBNat]

Oooh great job on getting stuck in! It can be a real nightmare. This plot wasn't so bad in the end I just really ran out of patience this day 😅 it's looking good now!

[@Plotonthehill]

Aw JB I really feel for you but you'll enjoy all your hard and dedicated work all the more when your finished. A job well done is a job worth doing. X

[@madeleineowen8284]

My sympathies JB. I think I would have just dragged the whole framework out of the way to start with, instead of leaning over the side all the time. It might have made it a little easier. Do you think using a sieve might help, at least you may be able to see anything inorganic before it drops back onto the soil/compost. Best of luck, keep counting to ten or maybe one hundred😮😂.🤞🤞

[@JBNat]

haha yeah I did move the sides off pretty quick once I actually started going in. Building a sifter is a great suggestion, the problem is that the plastic is so small it would just go straight through!

[@railfanner8460]

Oh my! A trash bin in disguise as a composter! 😢 Hang in there, it will get better. Also, I never heard the term "allotmenting" before. I think you should put that word and a definition of it on a shirt and sell it. 😂

[@JBNat]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[@beansbrewsandbread]

Jeepers! What a chore JB - sorry you had to go through that. That blue plastic was tiny! Took some serious perseverance that did! I had similar with the old polytunnel plastic - you wouldn't think that it would break down deteriorate like that but there are still bits to be found here and there to my frustration. That structure looked like it was a guilty pile for "rubbish" though. We now have an area on the site dedicated to plastics / unrecycled waste for it be taken off site as buried rubbish is so persistent and it only encourages people to hoard / hide it if its not taken off site. No worries though - you'll not get demonetised - your swearing was after the 6 seconds mark. Or perhaps you could release an R rated "after dark" version unbleeped. 🤪 Top work though! You'll have a lovely extra plot with that intensive work this week no doubt. Cheers, Andy

[@JBNat]

Thanks so much for the sympathy Andy! Having an amnesty pile for rubbish is so important. It's tough for a lot of people to remove rubbish if they don't have cars etc. so having an actual bin would help so much I think.

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

i hated cleaning up glass! that sucked so much! I keep finding rubbish too, every so often i find more bits now but it used to be oten!

[@emonster500]

Thats a horror of a job mate but in my opinion you've probably just tackled the 2 worst jobs on the new plot so a massive pat on the back for tackling the worst of it and grinding through.

[@JBNat]

Thanks Stuart!! I think you're right!

[@gillianmoore6448]

Really felt for you, but sure in a couple of months you’ll be pleased that you’ve done a proper job!

[@andyingledow6024]

I got a Govee thermometer of Amazon, cheap and it measures the min max temps and humidity, keeps the data for the last month on the device and connects to an app on your phone where you can download all the data over Bluetooth 😊

[@JBNat]

Such a great recommendation, a few people have mentioned this one, thank you!

[@ginavalcke8162]

JB, I feel for you. We spent 15 years digging up glass from our old house garden. But you’ve done good: you have given me the courage to scrape some plastic from my raised bed - wood was protected by plastic which turned out not be UV stable. 😮

[@JBNat]

15 years!!! That sucks about the plastic though, hope you got it cleared!

[@yvonnedelappe6216]

You’re doing great job 👏

[@davemansell9309]

I absolutely feel your pain, I have pretty much just been through exactly the same. I was livid, I can't understand why allotments don't have a ban on plastic and carpet.

[@BillsCountrysideAdventures]

Get that anger out man, it was so funny 😂

[@janebray9736]

I dig out bricks, glass and all manner of plastic from my garden so can sympathise totally with you. Don't forget your coffee and have a rest every now and then! Good luck.

[@barerfootgardener11464]

Breathe in, breathe out...accept it and take small breaks. I would also try to get it mostly or all done in one day. Hugs

[@Dawn_Grows_Veg]

Wow! It's is a horror show! I feel for you, it must be bad if you swore! You are normally so upbeat, I completely understand how it would get you down. Not how you wanted to be spending you precious days off. I hope this box load is the worst you will see on your new plot and it. and it can only get bette for here onwards. Although that bath area .... well we will see 😕🤞

[@JBNat]

Thanks Dawn!

[@freckles2437]

We've had our allotment for 4 years and the previous owner loved her plastic. Green ties, plastic twine, plant labels and old tarp everywhere, we still dig it up occasionally 😢 . Jo Devon

[@tanyareilly8807]

Oh JB, I really felt for you with all those bits of plastic. I was just reading in the news the other day about plastiglomerates- where rock and plastic are intermingling and it was found on Trinidade Island 1100km off the coast of Brazil, a really remote site not even inhabited by people, but a conservation area where green turtles nest. Its the same with my allotment I'm working on at the moment. I'm forever finding bits, though thankfully not the dreaded polystyrene

[@JBNat]

Yeah I saw that news! Absolutely appalling isn't it 😫 Thanks for the kind words!

[@GardenerGray]

What a nightmare JB 😢. At least you've done a good job 👍

[@JBNat]

Thank you!!

[@GSDXephyr]

Hey it's looking great, and just think.. you'll only have to do these crappy jobs ONCE and then you'll have the place up and running

[@rachelcatchpole]

Your doing a great job! Remember your in this for the long haul and just imagine how great it is going to be! If I could make one suggestion tho is not to try and do a big job like that in one go. Do a bit then go and find a job that will give instant satisfaction then going back to that one and doing a bit more. As for the rhubarb weed it and clear the space around whilst you can easily get in, give it a good mulch around the crown not on it and then wait to harvest. They do like a good drink tho. Good luck with the rest of your week

[@JBNat]

I talk about exactly that at the start of today's video actually Rachel!! Treating yourself to a nicer job is important sometimes!

[@rachelcatchpole]

@@JBNat I have to remind myself that often in my garden

[@kellyhenry4187]

I'm in the US and I'm an organic gardener, unfortunately I see these methods being deployed often, really makes me sad. Sorry you had to deal with that.

[@NickSBailey]

Horrible job but you're fixing the space for yourself and whoever has it next, it's unfortunately the norm and It's good your highlighting it because perhaps with education we can change this and make people think twice about what they bring to a plot and what leave behind. Found lots of black plastic and carpet on ours, unfortunately I've added to it before I knew better by using blue tarp that was supposed to be UV stabilised, it only lasted a year before breaking up. Those cheap flimsy seed trays that are only useful for a season or two are best replaced with something more rigid and long term, same for that rubbish thin pea netting that tangles up in everything and becomes a hazard to wildlife best replaced with sturdier stuff that can be reused many times. All sorts of changes we can make to reduce plastic waste on growing spaces, it's weird how people treat ground used for growing food I've found batteries and all sorts while digging.

[@JBNat]

Absolutely!

[@BabetteZijlstraBroesj]

You are doing such a good job! Every step is a small one but in the end you have the best second plot! Good luck JB

[@JBNat]

Thank you!!

[@anitahaywood9827]

I can deal with Plastic, its Rats and bindweed I don't like, Rats come first though. My week off too, its Wednesday and I've spent so much time at the allotment, I feel I'm really ahead of myself this year, last year I had 2 plots and was really struggling, gave the 2nd one up at the end of last year, I go down there now and smile, I'm so chuffed on how good its looking and what I've sown already. Making the OH go down at the weekend so he can see I don't just sit on my arse lol 🙂

[@JBNat]

Sounds like you're really on top of things Anita! Nice

[@hobbithause9481]

Maybe build a big sifter to go thru all the bad soil???

[@JBNat]

Building a sifter is a great suggestion thank you, the problem is that the plastic is so small it would just go straight through!

[@penfold87x48]

Chin up JB. Was feeling depressed myself after all that 😂

[@JBNat]

ha, so sorry Joey! It got better!!

[@leatonveg]

I have a rule. If i see plastic i take it then. Not later when its come back out the compost heap etc. Plaster from houses is bad too. When mixed with organic matter it gives off poisons and gasses.

[@glassbackdiy3949]

could be worse, could be my brownfield garden lol, 12sqM greenhouse beds = 15 wheelbarrows of builders rubble dug out of subsoil/clay, 5x80L sacks of plastic, glass, metal, etc. the only way to deal with it was to build a 3Mx1m screening table, and after 4 days of that heartache and only getting 1/4 of it done (which got even worse after torrential rain) dismantled the screening table and cut up my old cement mixer and made a trommel with a 10mm screen size, finished the rest in an afternoon loading it with a mini digger - I honestly think we could have built a whole car out of all the parts we've dug out of 1/6 acre over the last ~20yrs, there was an injection molding co here too in the past, you'd have nightmares lol thankfully I rarely find any plastic bits anymore, unless I dig a deep hole, planted some fruit trees couple of months ago, a whole wheelbarrow of trash came out of each hole, I think they call it 'character building' lol

[@JBNat]

.............jesus christ

[@glassbackdiy3949]

@@JBNat yeah prvious owner used it as a skip tipping site to build up the land 1M deep, the 2 ton of aspesdos was the worst (most expensive) find when I was putting a new soakaway in for the septic tank, the rest of it was rubble/subsoil, we brought in ~400 ton of river dredgings to cover most of it but it varies in depth from the good end 2.5ft thick to the bad end where the GH is only has 6" of "soil" before we hit the rubble, it's turning into half decent soil by now tho!

[@JBNat]

@@glassbackdiy3949 That is absolutely mental, I'm just lost for words. You deserve a medal!

[@UpthePottingShed]

I do a similar thing with my chillies. I get them in the greenhouse early and subject them to pretty low temps for chilli. My reason being that on bad days in summer North West Cumbria on the coast is pretty cold, I want them as Hardy as possible.

[@TuftyMcTavish]

🤬It’s “JB, the F-bomb baby episode”!!! 😆😂🤣😂😆But as it got worse and worse, my face dropped in line with yours ☹️😖😡😱

[@JBNat]

It's a first but it has never felt so necessary 😂 I was absolutely livid

[@MrHorserider15]

I’ve had the same issue with weed membrane, covered under grass then another layer under mud, parts broken down, strings of plastic all in the soil. And the weed membrane did not even work. People need to stop😅

[@JBNat]

Yeah weed matting is so so terrible when it gets left in the soil and sun for too long!

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

Sad about the plastic. One reason I won't use the woven membrane stuff. Most allotment sites hold the previous tenant (or their estate if deceased) responsible for clearing a plot of rubbish like yours. Or they do it for you and charge the previous tenant the cost. I would throw away all the soil in that cage thing and not use it anywhere.

[@JBNat]

Yeah it would have been nice if there was anything like that 😅 I just got an "ohh nooo that's horrible" from our allotment officer ha... I completely agree with you on the soil though, the vast majority went into the skip.

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

@@JBNat That's a pity, JB. It is written into the T&Cs on my plot (and my old one) - might be worth suggesting it to the officer?

[@angeladrummie4461]

Poor JB, I feel your anger and frustration. The best way to tackle the small pieces of plastic would be to sieve the soil, that would also remove most of the roots too, a pain to do but will help in the long run. Deep breath a cup of tea and you will be fine. ☕☕🫖🫖

[@JBNat]

Building a sifter is a great suggestion thank you, the problem is that the plastic is so small it would just go straight through!

[@TheMartyMarf]

The former plot holder should be held to account for that pollution, disgraceful JB, unlucky mate

[@JBNat]

Yeah I dunno if it was theres or was there when they took it on... The CRISP PACKETS that I found had dates of 2018/19 so it's not THAT old!

[@irenesmith5676]

Hi j b so sorry for you sorting someone mess out 😱 lv Irene 😘 xx

[@gingerpeteofderby]

The joys of a allotment, little bit at a time, think of the end game. Use the skip mate.

[@francesbatycki404]

Rant away! I’m still picking those little fruit labels out of the inground garden. Three years of this! Each year I think I’ve seen the last of it. Nope! The previous owners didn’t garden; they just ‘composted’. Yeah, sure…. It was nice of you to shore up the neighbour’s greenhouse. Think of it as weaning yourself. Lol! Great progress. Best of luck.

[@robinmiller1783]

Wow how disappointing that folks could do that. I would be tempted to haul it all out of the plot since no idea what was put in there that can’t be identified. Rhubarb is really an easy going crop. Once we’ll established, t takes care of itself. Just keep it weeded. I have never blanched mine. Our favorite thing to make is a rhubarb and cherry crumble…so easy and delicious.

[@JBNat]

Rhubarb and Cherry sounds divine! I've never heard of that combo!

[@robinmiller1783]

@@JBNat Just add cherries instead of the typical strawberries in your favorite crumble recipe.

[@charlotteoleary196]

I ended up sieving soil that was filled with rubbish to get the crap out. Can the allotment association tell you who owned the allotment before, I wondered if they were booted out for being an idiot?

[@JBNat]

I actually knew the young woman who had the plot before me - she was lovely! I can only assume (hope?) that it was there when she took it on and she just didn't realise what was underneath....

[@JanesGrowingGarden]

I hardly dare say but it could have been a tiny bit worse ... I thought that drainpipe you pulled out was a prosthetic leg!

[@JBNat]

😂😂😂

[@PointofimpactTV]

You’d think allotment holders would be more responsible. Making their own mini landfill site is really poor.

[@JBNat]

Right! The thing that's shocked me the most is just how many comments people have left saying they found exactly the same kind of thing...

[@simplifygardening]

just stick with it not everyone is tidy on allotments ]

[@SJ-li6ho]

It’s no fun unless it’s really hard work and frustrating. If it was completely clean it would be boring.

[@mrcogginsgarage7062]

You will however have the solace from a job well done keep at it mate.

[@apirlrain]

I'm glad you found out during "down season". Part of me wants to give this a thumbs down bc it sux! But thumbs up for sharing this problem

[@MrLaking123]

I would have dumped all that in the skip

[@JBNat]

That's where most of it had to go unfortunately!

[@strifamne1749]

Not so sure about the rhubarb but unless I'm mistaken, did I spot some mint growing next to it ? If so, that'll spread and take over 🙂

[@briansgardenandpolytunnel8172]

until i retired, i ALWAYS started my tomato seeds off in an unheated greenhouse, and i live in manchester.......................brian

[@JBNat]

Great to know, cheers Brian!

[@amandar7719]

😩 nightmare!

[@Leanne_N]

🤯 Honestly if they had just kept it straight rubbish it would have been annoying but much more manageable. Onwards and upwards now tho

[@Crumbleofborg]

I sympathise. When I got my last allotment it was covered in carpet. Mostly an inch or two under the surface. Plus a couple of rolls that he hadn't got round to laying. It took forever to get it up and get rid.

[@JBNat]

Yes!! My first plot was EXACTLY like that!

[@stephenblaze4571]

JB be grateful it's all in one place hopefully, the plot I've just taken on is the same I think the guy that had it before me, if he saw a weed he put a piece of plastic on it to cover it up nightmare Rhubarb there should be a hole in the top so the plant reaches out to get at it, I would not force yours I would let it grow naturally it will be a better plant for it in the years to come. I use a data sender from my greenhouse that I got from Amazon ORIA Wireless Thermometer Hygrometer, ORIA Mini Bluetooth 5.0 Humidity Temperature Sensor with Data Export and Alerts for iOS Android (2 Packs)Wireless Thermometer Hygrometer, ORIA Mini Bluetooth 5.0 Humidity Temperature Sensor with Data Export and Alerts for iOS Android (2 Packs) 2 Packs £16.39 I've been using these for about 2 years now and they are not to bad, you get to see a graph on your phone and I sent the data home using my email, then reset ready for next time

[@JBNat]

Ahh Stephen that sounds amazing! Thanks so much for the recommendation!

[@paulinemorris5186]

What's wrong with people? Obviously, not concerned about the environment , it's perhaps a good thing that they have left. We were very lucky when we got our half plot as it was in good order, but you never know if the previous occupants have put on the soil in forms of pesticides. Had the plot for 2 years, but yesterday, when we went to check on it ,someone had sprinkled broken glass all over one of the beds. Very annoying.

[@JBNat]

What the heck!? Sprinkling broken glass???

[@dalemcgeachie6584]

it is a relatively clean allotment tbh

[@carolineholding]

I got an allotment in July. I feel like a really rubbish archeologist. There's layer after layer of disintegrating plastic. Generations of it. I'm asking a lot of the same questions you're asking. What were they thinking?

[@JBNat]

So sorry to hear that, I know first hand how frustrating it is!! I cannot BELIEVE how many people have commented similar things as you though, it's an absolute scourge!

[@carolineholding]

@@JBNat I feel like there have been lots of false starts on my plot. Lots of people coming in with good intentions and then just dropping the ball, giving up their allotment because they couldn't cope, and leaving half finished projects in their wake. I think I've got through the worst of it now thankfully. Fingers crossed you do too x

[@barrymorgan7215]

Keep your chin up mate

[@juliewilliams793]

Chill. This seems fairly normal to me when taking on a new allotment. Most plots are given up because people can’t manage them and very few are handed over in good condition. It’s to be expected.

[@juliewhite2688]

It’s so lazy to just dump all that plastic, this is the reason the world is in a bad way. My allotment has car parts dumped, smashed glass, and glass drugs paraphernalia. I slowly clearing it

[@JBNat]

Wow that sounds awful Jules!

[@Garden-of-weeden]

I inherited asbestos, glass, plastic, 1000’s of buried bricks, concrete, sewing machines, car tyres, car bonnets and a bath buried under ground …. Chin up yours could be a lot worse! X

[@JBNat]

It definitely could have been so much worse, you're right!

[@Garden-of-weeden]

@@JBNat got to give yourself credit tho! You’ve achieved bucket loads! And as you said editing and getting a vid out each day!! You must be shattered

[@StellasVegetablegardens]

Your no dig bed is beautiful

[@CardsbyMaaike]

I fee bad for you, the lady before you might have found it like this too, or it was supposed to be there till the next dumpster container and she never came back cos of this

[@JBNat]

Yeah I meant to say! I don't mean to judge the previous plot holder. Absolutely no idea why it's like this and it could have been there long before she took the plot on!