Do you swap plants on the lottie?

[Nikki Arnold]

If you like raising plants from seed on your windowsills or checking out deals on plug plants at your local nursery - the chances are that by the middle of spring you'll have all the seedlings that you need for the allotment, and many more to spare!

Which made us wonder...what you do with your excess plants?

Whether you hold designated plant swapping days, share excess plants with allotment neighbours or are planning a new plant event for this year we want to know about it! What's the best thing you've swapped? What's the worst? And what do you hope to swap this year?





*Please note your comments may be edited and published in the May issue of Grow Your Own

[Matt94]

i dont do plant swaps with my excess plants, i send them to my local horticultural society, which they sell on cheaply - which helps the society to keep going!

[Thelma Sanders]

We have an old table, on which anything that is excess - plants, seeds & harvested crops etc are placed.
Anyone that wants to can take them
You don't have to swap but your turn to have excess will arrive in good time for someone elses benefit

[Kleftiwallah]

I normally give my surplus plants to the chap on the next patch, nothing has been returned and I don't mind that at all as he is quite new to the game. Cheers, Tony.

[ladylottie]

I usually give any surplus plants to the plot holders either side of me. If I have a lot, I leave them by the "shop" aka shed for people to help themselves.

[alex-adam]

Well, a mixed bag really.

Firstly I don't have an allotment, just a small veg plot in my garden (20ft x 12ft) plus growing some early potatoes in pots along the path and some tomatoes in a grow bag or a couple of pots,and the use of an area (4ft x 25ft) in a neighbours garden (In return for a bit of tidying etc., and of course she gets some of the produce too). Veg seedlings, I usually give a few to other neighbours and to our Community Allotment Project. "Growing Together" which is aimed at getting more people in the inner town area to grow a few of their own veg.
Shrubs and perenniel herbs we give to a couple of the charity shops locally and any surplusess from the above go to Seedy Sunday (when we can afford to arrage it).

We do have a couple of very old (over 100 years) apple trees and the surplus crop from these we put in trays outside the front gate for anyone to take.

The best thing: Undoubtably an heirloom bean "Bridgwater" - attractive , and delicious.

The worst: - to be honest I don't think there is one, but perhaps Jerusalems, which although are a lovely and versatile veg. do have some rather unfortunate after effects.

a-a

[VirginVegGrower]

I don't actually swap so much as offer my extras and sometimes I am offered some fruit, a few bean seeds or some tubers in return. Its not so much about swapping for me, more about ensuring I have no wastage, help others out and spread a little something different. When people have been kind enough to swap seeds or offer me something new to try...I like to spread the seed love on

[zazen999]

I think I give away more than I grow. At the plot, at plant swaps, at gatherings, at the places I grow - I tend to use cardboard trays now or I end up leaving trays everywhere and not getting them back [and I will need them for next year].

[BarleySugar]

Swapiing implies you always get something in return, which is not necessarily the case. I always grow more than I need, take cutting, save seed etc. Last year most either went to the fund raising fairs we attended as the allotment site started with no capital at all, or was sold at charity events at school. Some was given to friends and family.
I suppose my best swap was with my brother. He ran a water pipe from my downstairs cloakroom out to my back garden. In return I grew him plug plants to start off his veg garden as he and his wife were getting to grips with starting their family after a number of years being just the two of them.
I can't think of a bad swap, I'd rather just give than accept something I didn't want/need.

[SarzWix]

I always, always grow far more plants than I have room for. Mainly because I get sentimental about them, and can't bear to pinch any out at seedling stage I pass the spares on to anyone who'll have them - my best friend usually ends up with a bunch of tomato plants because she hasn't anywhere to start them off, I share heritage pea and bean plants with passers-by who take a fancy to purple peas and multi-coloured beans, I take loads of spares into school to sell for extra funds for the gardening club. Also, all the plot-holders regularly help each other out with things that we've each failed with or forgotten to sow. Last year I was given a few brussels plants by the man across the way, and I gave him some spare leeks and swedes.

[veggiechicken]

One of the joys of gardening is being able to pass on surplus seeds, plants and produce to someone else who will appreciate them as much as you have. In return you benefit from their surpluses - but if they have none to offer, it doesn't matter at all. What matters is that nothing should go to waste, or die an untimely death in the compost heap.

[lottie dolly]

Always grow to many,i just give them away,if peeps about when am potting on,i make sure i got spares for me,then whoevers about at the time gets offered them,also1 or 2 of us swap anything new we growing,even garden enthuiasts who visit home get given any spare seeds or plants,i get exited about sharing and passing on,is a good feeling

[snakeshack]

I always grow more than I need and pick the strongest plants for my own use then give away any surplus to all and sundry .I also take anything offered on an ad hoc basis with no expectations,what goes around comes around

[Snadger]

Once again, too much clubroot and whiterot prevalent on our site to be swapping plants grown in soil outdoors.

One plot has New Zealand flat worm on it also so nothing accepted from that direction.

I once got a Hollyhock plant off another plotholder and only as I was planting it, noticed a few christmas trees around it! On teasing the soil out from the rootball I found the tell tale black roots of Mares tail, which i haven't got on my plot, and don't particularily want. All was well that ended well.

Sorry to be so negative but its a jungle out there!

[Hans Mum]

like others we have a table for excess and people leave plants or produce there, i give to my fellow lottie olders anything ive got too much of or cuttings ive taken - ive been given a cherry this week (thanks BM )
we also have a plant sale end May when we open the gates and sell plants to raise money for the site. I think growers are are very geneous bunch by nature.