Communal Garden Task Rota

Who this is for

Who does which garden job, week by week. The rota shares the mowing, bins, beds and watering among residents who have offered to help, records when each job was done, and keeps a list of the tools and supplies the garden relies on.

Residents who look after a shared garden themselves, and the coordinator who draws up the rota and keeps track of who has paid for what.

What this helps you track

• Which resident is down for each garden task each week
• Which jobs were done and anything noticed along the way
• Where the shared tools and supplies are kept
• Who bought what for the garden and whether they have been paid back

How to use it

1. Write the building, the garden area, the season and the coordinator's name.
2. Agree the tasks and how often they are needed, then share the weeks among the residents who have volunteered.
3. Post the rota where everyone can see it, or share the online version, which saves in your own browser.
4. Ask each resident to tick the job when done and note anything that needs attention.
5. List the shared tools and supplies with where they live, and record purchases so volunteers are paid back.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How often should each job be done?

That depends on the garden, the season and the weather, so agree it among the residents. The rota has no fixed intervals; add a line for each week a task is wanted.

What if someone cannot do their week?

Swap with another volunteer and change the name on the rota, so the record shows who actually did it. The notes column is there for swaps and missed weeks.

Who pays for plants, compost and tools?

Whatever the residents agree, whether a whip-round, a residents' association fund or the service charge. The tools table records who paid so they can be reimbursed.

Does this replace a gardening contractor?

It suits buildings where residents do the work themselves. If a contractor covers part of it, list only the jobs residents are doing.