How to win the battle of the allotments – and save up to £2,000 a year

The battle to secure allotments is intensifying as an increasing number of families in need want one of the 300,000 vegetable gardens across Britain.

Pitchforks aren’t flying yet, but with the annual cost of food rising 14.5 per cent, the National Allotment Society says families could save £2,000 a year on supermarket bills by growing their own fruit and vegetables.

With allotments typically costing just £150 a year to rent from councils, demand outstrips supply. But there are lots to be found.

How to find a plot

If you want an allotment garden, don’t despair. While available plots can be hard to find, this is the time of year when some gardeners hang up their tools for good as the growing season comes to an end and winter approaches.

Tyler Harris, a consultant to the National Allotment Society, says: ‘Competition for fields is at an all-time high, but inspectors often come at this time of year when all the crops for the year have been picked.

“If they discover a plot where less than 75 percent of the ground has been excavated in preparation for next year, they can try to take it back and rent it out to someone else.

“If you already have a plot, grab your shovel and start digging. If you want to find a space, you have to ask around at allotments to see if one is available.’

Municipalities have sold many allotments to developers in recent years. Traditionally, plots are measured in bars – an average of 250 square meters (the size of a tennis court – but many are smaller).

Be flexible in space

Guy Barter, chief horticulturalist at the Royal Horticultural Society, believes that a good way to get an allotment garden is by not being too picky.

He says, “You only need a small space to get started. Check with your local allotment community to see if an existing member can share their plot.

‘New gardeners are often better off with a smaller plot because it is more manageable.’

Harris also suggests asking the council if there are any temporary plots available, for example on land earmarked for future development. There are thousands of private allotments scattered across the country – often tucked away in busy urban areas. These plots vary in size and are usually smaller than a traditional allotment garden – some ‘microplots’ are as small as three square meters in size.

Local gardening groups are a good place to learn about private plots. The average wait time for an allotment garden is usually 18 months, but depending on where you live, you could wait more than ten years.

Dig out a shovel

If you just got a plot, now is the ideal time to prepare it for next year’s harvest. Barter says, “Start digging before the soil gets too wet or freezes. It’s not just about turning the soil around, but making sure it’s suitable for all the vegetables you want to grow.’

An alternative is to put cardboard on the ground to kill the weeds – then spread a 10cm thick layer of compost on top to nourish the soil. Barter also suggests investing in a soil tester kit. Vegetables usually struggle to grow in acidic soil, but if you mix lime powder into the soil – a 10kg bag costs £12 – it will nourish the soil to support fruit and vegetable growth.

Cancel the gym and start gardening instead

• Growing your own vegetables will not only lower your groceries but will reward you both physically and mentally. Guy Barter, of the RHS, says: ‘Cancel your gym membership and the money saved can be spent on gardening. Not only will you get a healthy workout, but you’ll also feel a lot better working with nature. Planning what you’re going to grow is part of the fun.’
• Bare root fruit plants such as raspberries and blackberries can be bought in batches of half a dozen for as little as £10, online or from garden nurseries. They can now be planted. Starting strawberry plants are available in bundles of a dozen for around £15. These can be planted between now and March and will harvest as early as June. With 1kg of raspberries, blackberries or strawberries costing a whopping £10, you can enjoy a great summer crop of fruit while freezing a lot of it to eat later.
• Invest £20 in a heated nursery tray and you can start planting tomato seeds indoors as early as January. The seeds are tempted by the warm soil to grow early and can go outside from March, although they often prefer living in a greenhouse. A single plant can yield ten pounds of fruit. So a £2 pack of seeds can produce half a dozen plants that together provide enough tomatoes for the whole summer, saving you a whopping £240.
• One of the cheapest vegetables is lettuce. You can buy a pack of 800 seeds for £2, giving you the luxury of betting on plants in March in the hopes of early crop growth. Onions, radishes and fava beans are other staples you can grow from £2 seed packs. In a year, they can harvest vegetables that would cost hundreds of pounds in the supermarket.