I’ve been there, I think we all have. You start on a complete high at the beginning of the year. The garden has been closed thanks to the cold weather and you’ve been itching to get outside and start growing again. So you run in at full speed ahead, whacking in plants and seeds, throwing yourself you own little spring confetti party.
Suddenly, a few weeks in and up come the weeds. Out come all the pests and suddenly your motivation has crashed. You can hardly bring yourself to bother to turn up at your allotment plot, mainly out of fear that you’re about to find an overgrown weed jungle.
So how do you stay motivated at your allotment plot? How do you stop yourself from giving up and walking away when things get on top of you?
Here are a few tips I’ve learned to keep myself motivated. I hope they help.
Tips to stay motivated
- Write it down
You have to have a plan. It doesn’t have to be big and fancy and full of thousands of jobs to do. Planning a few things to do each day or even week at your allotment plot is a great way of breaking down jobs into smaller manageable tasks.
Assess your plot the next time you are there and break it into tasks. Weeding, planting, tidying and protecting crops. Then break those down into practical jobs that you can work through. be realistic about the time you have to spend at your plot and don’t take on more than you can.
2. Weeding
Weeding is one of the biggest reasons I have lost motivation with my allotment plot before. it’s amazing just how quickly weeds can get on top of you. Here are a few tips to deal with them:
Use cardboard as a base on your raised beds when you top them up each year. This works as really good weed control.
Hoe around your crops regularly and if possible when weeds are really tiny. Break up the roots and stop them before they get too big!
Break your plot up into manageable sections and tackle one each time you are there.
Mulch around your crops regularly with a thick layer of compost or even something like straulch which will help with pest control as well.
3. Grow Practically
There are so many crops you can grow that almost look after themselves! Potatoes, squash, courgettes, carrots… these are all longer growing crops that wont require hours of pruning and caring for. You can even whack in some fruit trees and bushes and turn part of your plot into a proper low maintenance section!
4. Go often
I think the best thing you can do, is to go as often as you possibly can. Allotment plots are a commitment and though it is possible to grow some great crops without spending hours and hours every day there, you will have to go down there. A lot. Especially in the spring time.
What time can you commit to your allotment? Is it half an hour, three days a week? Or maybe 6 hours at the weekend? Whatever time it is, I guarantee you that as long as you are consistent with your commitment, it will be possible to grow some amazing things on your allotment plot.
Getting to your plot at least once a week means you will be able to keep on top of the crops you are growing. You can’t always be motivated, but you can be committed.
5. Take pictures
Documenting my allotment garden is not only my career now, but my way of keeping myself motivated. Looking back at pictures from my allotment a couple of years ago and seeing just how far I’ve come makes me excited and pushes me forwards. When I have bad days or my crops get eaten by slugs, I look back at pictures and remind myself that this has happened before.
Last year I felt like nothing grew. My plot felt baron and bare. Now, when I look at those pictures, I only see green growth and all the successes.
We can’t always see the beauty when it’s right in front of us.
I hope these tips help to keep you motivated this year on your allotment plots. Remember that it’s not always possible to stay motivated, but it is possible to stay consistent. Turn up, make a plan, do the work and keep going even when you don’t feel like it.
Good luck this year and happy growing!
