Will today's younger generation start to grow there own

ACs have always grown their own, even when they lived in flats they had pots of herbs on the windowsills.

Even if you live on contaminated land you can buy or make raised beds on legs ( easier to buy than make) and buy soil.

Those who can’t be bothered will always find an excuse not too.

The length of wait lists for allotments are proof that its not just people already growing food who want to!

In answer to your question Mick - I would hope so, but doubt it. Some young folk will of course.
But growing your own takes time and patience as well as a bit of soil and sunshine.
The horticultural industry has often complained that it is difficult to attract youngsters to work in the industry, because of low starting salaries and low levels of patience!

The local nursery that sells (or did) on our city centre market is now doing mail order, delivering locally within 10 miles. Absolutely brilliant young plants, veg, herbs, flowers, etc etc. Can't wait for mine!

Then if you are not claiming “superior knowledge” * notanan* please do not shout me down contradicting when I say that many 30-40 year olds do whether in their tiny terraced house gardens or in balconies and many also have, or are on the waiting list for, allotments.
Do not diss those who have balconies as “privileged” or “well off” (is that a criticism anyway?) or write balconies off as unsuitable.
For heavens sake - why the negativity?
Might as well rename the site Groansnet ???

Oh I’m feeling guilty now MawB was just trying to say I’d love an allotment but almost impossible to get one . Sorry .

On a positive note . I do have a small garden therefore I am very lucky compared with some .

Then if you are not claiming “superior knowledge” notanan* please do not shout me down contradicting when I say that many 30-40 year olds do whether in their tiny terraced house gardens or in balconie*

I didnt. I said that most of those who can, already do!

That is not contradictory!

Do not diss those who have balconies as “privileged” or “well off” (is that a criticism anyway?) or write balconies off as unsuitable.

I didnt diss anyone.
I appreciate that having the ability to grow things doesnt make me superior to those who can't!

Not all balconies or sills are suitable.
A lot of the ones that are are already grown on.
The people who have the means do not have a monopoly on motivation
What a smug nasty thread

curvygran

Wilko online deliver compost and growbags and will e-mail you when they have some in stock.

Ditto things like vermiculite, perlite, growmore etc.,

Well,it wasn’t smug or nasty until,the negativity kicked in.
Mick made a perfectly reasonable suggestion and some of us agreed that many people do.

My DS 27 has an allotment and my DD grows her own veg. I think it is very fashionable at the moment.

Surely it’s acceptable for folk to drive to their allotment?
By allowing people to tend their vegetables there would surely be fewer supermarket visits?

My husband would love to grow vegetables but although we have a large garden we also have a lot of trees and he didn’t have much success when he tried some years ago.

Why not have a go if you have the space but I would be surprised if many lawns get dug up to plant cabbages or potatoes.

The impression I have of most young people is that their attention span is measured in nano seconds.

I agree that you said you should be allowed to go to your allotment.

I mentioned the fact that its only accessible by car in the context that the people less able to afford a garden/balcony/less damo flat are also likely unable to afford a car

I know allotment owners who have gardens. Yes not all gardens work well for growing. But the point is that the type of people who grow things already arent necessarily the only ones who see the point in doing so IYKWIM

GD (17) cleared a space in her dad's garden and proceeded to sow some vegetables which she then completely neglected. However, he has managed to harvest quite a lot this spring, has dug over the ground and is going to sow potatoes. Both my DSs have taken up gardening in middle age.

I managed to get my tomato plants/compost/grow bags the day Boris locked us down so they are ready and planted in my greenhouse. I'm also growing sunflowers and marigolds from seeds which I harvested last year from my own plants and, yes, I live in a 'naice' area. Not always so though; I grew up on a rough council estate. Places which sell agricultural feed stuffs are still open and they sell compost and usually supermarkets do too.

Thanks merlotgran! I’ll see if I can get some from them .

Not at all gilly, yours is hope over experience ie you would like to do so but can't get an allotment.
I want to plant seeds but I'm not sure when, or even if, they will arrive.

Negativity and p,aying devil's advocate is different altogether.

No-one is suggesting that people who live in high rise flats without balconies could grow vegetables and fruit, but that is, in fact a minority of people, about 1.5% of the population.

We were enjoying a series on TV a few weeks ago featuring City Farms called, I think, The Farmers' Country Showdown . I hope the City Farms are still managing to keep going now. They are a wonderful way to bring the countryside to the cities.

There won't be much choice but to grow your own if potatoes reach £5 for a bag and cauli's £8 each ! Exaggerating slightly but these commodities such as fruit and veg will increase rapidly before the end of the year.
No pickers/harvesters for a start and a general delay with Brexit and the Virus in the way of progress.

The allotment situation varies from area to area so it’s a sweeping statement to say you a) can’t get one or b) they are miles away.

Most allotments near us were pretty big so when new ones became vacant the local council split them into two (still decent sized) and that freed up the lists. Also many older folks were finding a whole allotment too much so they gave over half to those on the waiting list.

Now it’s quite easy to get a 1/2 allotment. Also they handed over the management of them to the holders and so now anyone who abandons or doesn’t look after their patch can be repossessed.

As far as distance we have four in our little town and I’d say all are fairly reachable by bike or on foot .,

I like the idea of growing our own fruit and veg but we both work full time and our garden isn’t big enough to grown anything like the amount of food we’d need to feed five of us. I’ve dabbled over the years and have grown a few bits and pieces but it’s easier/cheaper/quicker to get them from the supermarket.

I’ve had my name down for an allotment for a number of years but they are like gold dust - most of them owned by retirees (I know this from a member of the committee who has been keeping me up to date in my application). I’m also part of a committee setting up a community garden but again the scale is too small to do anything more than offer a hobby activity.

DH walks the dog down to our allotment several times a week.

Oopsadaisy3, I do have raised beds that I made myself, soil was bought in and I grow vegetables (not root veg, though). However, I've been here for 30 years and I'm a keen gardener.
Not many people would bother with all the rigmarole.

Tell me about it hetty DH wheeled 32 bags of assorted soil from the road to the bottom of the garden today, all was ordered for delivery today as we should have been coming home from our holiday yesterday. Poly tunnel is almost up.
At the rate we are going each vegetable we grow will cost us about £5!
Assuming any come up......

It is quite a rigmarole isn't it!
Keeping the carrot root fly off, the aphids off the beans, the sparrows pecking all the red flowers off the runner beans etc
The slugs and cabbage white butterflies!

Any tips anyone?
I forgot to order tagetes and there are no seeds to be had now.