Grow Your Own Magazine

I'm hoping to be as organic as possible on my new allotment and am currently trying to rid it of the mountains of couch grass and thistles and bindweed by hand. I've divided my plot into three and plots 2 and 3 are coming along ok with the help of my very hard working dad and my husband when he's not at work. Plot 1 is a nightmare and the weeds seem worse on there than anywhere else. The reason for my quandry is whether to use weedkiller on plot 1 to try and get on top of it. I realise I've only really got a couple of weeks left when I can use it and it doesn't really fit with the methods I want to use on the plot, but it really is a mess and I wonder if its worth just accepting that to start out with weedkiller might be the answer.

Any advice anyone?#
Thanks, Clare

This is always a problem Clare,

You could always cover plot 1 with a good layer of muck & then some black plastic (Strim the weeds off first). The plastic will suppress the weeds & the worms will dig the muck in for you. Then come the spring you could plant spuds thru the plastic (no need to earth up.

Membrane would be better that Plastic as it will let the rain thru but it will be more expensive. A layer of cardboard on top of the weeds before you spread the muckwill help as well just incase there are any bit of stalk that stick up.

Otherwise its Roundup I'm afraid.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Hello Clarelouise, I understand your desire to be as organic as possible but if the plot is really bad I would go for the weedkiller to get it started then take it from there. Good luck and do let us know how you get on and what you are growing.

Hi Clairelouise, When we took on our allotment last year, I was determined to be organic although my dad kept telling me to glyphosate the whole lot & be done with it!!! We dug a lot of weeds out and covered some of the plot with membrane, but the bindweed came back with a vengence & strangled all our peas, so last week I had to use it to try & finally get rid of it!! Didn't feel as bad as I thought it would!!!! Also used a few slug pellets eventually after my carefully tended seedling courgettes were eaten to the ground!
Being completely organic would be great, but for us, we have had to make a few compromises. I wouldn't spray any thing that I was going to eat tho'.
Good Luck with your allotment!

Thanks everyone - I've been and bought the glyphosphate and I'm just going to do plot 1 and plod on with the digging on the other two parts. One of my best friends runs a shop so he's donated loads of cardboard to help with your suggestion nick and his wife has offered some labour in return for me doing her seedlings for her so hopefully progress will start to be made. I'll keep you updated!!

Hi I had a big problem with bindweed in our front garden. I used that membrane stuff and put gravel on the top ( only used gravel as it was a garden and it looked nice) but it has worked really well. I get the odd bit through but that can be ripped up wth hardly any effort. Before this is was strangling everything in sight including the gate!!