It is the quintessentially genteel British hobby featured in TV’s The Good Life – but many allotment-holders are in fact knee- deep in sabotage.
One in five are green with envy that their neighbors have caused them to steal their tools and deface their plots, according to a study.
A massive 90 per cent of offenders admit trampling on rivals’ vegetables and flowerbeds.
54% of respondents said that they simply envy their superior produce.
You can also use dirty tactics like pinching wheelsbarrows and spades as well as seeds, wellington boots, and watering containers, along with apples, tomatoes, and blueberries.
Tim Agnew, of betting site freebets.com, which quizzed 2,000 allotment-keepers, said: ‘We were truly shocked by the survey findings.’
19% of offenders spray harmful chemicals onto neighboring fields.
One in ten have flooded a neighbour’s plot – and six per cent have urinated on it. Seventy eight percent have spread invasive and unwanted seeds onto neighboring plots.
Joe Mills (a 30-year-old YouTube gardener) claimed his allotment got snatched by another rival jealous of his success.
A massive 90 per cent of offenders admit trampling on rivals’ vegetables and flowerbeds
It was revealed that some tactics were used in the study, including throwing out weeds and other invasive seeds onto plots, taking manure and stealing wheelbarrows.
After being doused with paint at Roeshot Hill Allotment, Christchurch, Dorset, his lettuces, tomatoes and onions were destroyed.
Mills claims that his Digging For Dinner channel boasts 13,000 subscribers, and the attack on July 2020 was a result of Mills’ popularity.
He said: ‘Someone took it on themselves to completely sabotage all of my efforts to grow my own food.
‘It was obvious that it was a targeted attack and what they have done was to write me off for the year. It looks like someone doesn’t like me. ’
Dirty tactics include one in ten having flooded a neighbour’s plot – and six per cent have urinated on it
Survey results show that Bradford growers are among the most dangerous, with 26% admitting to using sabotage. With 23% admitting to dirty tricks in Birmingham, Liverpool and London were close behind.
On 20 percent, Glasgow, Sunderland, and Leicester growers were joint third. Bristol was fourth on 19% and Leeds eighth on 18%, respectively. Hull and Newcastle upon Tyne allotmentholders were the most benign, only 16% admitting to sabotage.
The pandemic caused a surge in the desire to have an allotment. This was amplified by the current cost-of living crisis. It is common for a 7-year wait to be allocated a space, but it may take longer in certain areas.
An earlier survey of the National Allotment Society revealed that 90 percent of local authorities had reported an increase on demand.
Some councils may reduce future plot sizes to better serve more people.
Mr Agnew, of freebets.com, said: ‘We had the misguided impression that allotments represented a genteel world of green-fingered enthusiasts. In fact, our survey shows that many are competitive and envious and appear to be up to all sorts of skulduggery.’