newbie allotment getter

[coffee time]

i've just taken over an allotment that's been left for about five years and is really overgrown with all sort's . could i just dig a small piece to try growing something this year and weedkiller the rest and cover it with cardboard or something while i take time to get to work on it?

[nick the grief]

Short answer Yes.

Better still is to cover it all over with Cardboard & Black Plastic having blasted it with roundup first.

I'd leave it for now so you can see whats what, then come the spring when there is a couple of hours of dry weather forecast give it a dose of round up. Then cover it over. If it's been left untouched for a few years when you eventually dig it you will get a flush of seedlings from the weeds that have been there but you can just hoe them off . If you leave the bit you're not using covered it will help and just uncover as much as you need. Also try growing spuds on it to help clear the ground as you'll dig it to put them in then dig it to take them out.

Welcome to the vine as well.

[pete10]

Hi like Nick says spray and cover ,But you will need the light on the weeds
for a few weeks to kill them off.

[Snadger]

Just start digging at one end, a bit at a time, weeding as you go, and you may be surprised how far you get by the main planting time!

The weeds won't be putting any top-growth on just now so you can make steady progress without weeds growing back.

Set yourself a task, say, digging 4'0" each time you have a session there!

Once the weeds start growing, wherever you're up to, you can use one of the other methods, ie weedkilling, mulching etc if need be,. but I would see what you could attain first!

I've just taken over a rundown allotment and that is what I'm planning to do!

Just booked a couple of days off work and plan to knock nine bells out of it!

[Peter]

Short answer Yes.

Better still is to cover it all over with Cardboard & Black Plastic having blasted it with roundup first.........

Err, not quite.
1/. Not at this time of year, Roundup needs to go on actively growing foliage.
2/. Do not cover it until the growth has died from the roundup.

No point paying loads for weedkiller just to waste it.

[nick the grief]

Ah but I went on to say .....

........I'd leave it for now so you can see whats what, then come the spring when there is a couple of hours of dry weather forecast give it a dose of round up. Then cover it over. If it's been left untouched for a few years when you eventually dig it you will get a flush of seedlings from the weeds that have been there but you can just hoe them off . If you leave the bit you're not using covered it will help and just uncover as much as you need. Also try growing spuds on it to help clear the ground as you'll dig it to put them in then dig it to take them out.

Welcome to the vine as well.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi CT - welcome to the Vine! You and I are in the same boat - I got my lottie just before Christmas but because of the bad weather havent been able to do much!
Looking forward to finding out how you get on. If youve got any questions then this is the best place to be! Everyone is SO friendly and helpful - fire away with your questions!
If you havent already get a copy of Grow Your Own - a valuable mag full of helpful tips and advice.
Keep in touch, looking forward to swopping notes!
DDL

[roitelet]

Welcome to the vine Coffeetime, like gardening it gets addictive

[coffee time]

thank's to everyone for the warm welcome and advice. i can borrow a rotovator would that be any help or do you advise digging and covering? we've just had a bit of frost so things have died down a little but the ground's rock hard up here

[JennieAtkinson]

I'll add my welcome to the others Coffee Time and Good Luck with Lottie!

[roadkill]

thank's to everyone for the warm welcome and advice. i can borrow a rotovator would that be any help or do you advise digging and covering? we've just had a bit of frost so things have died down a little but the ground's rock hard up here

dont use a rotovator yet as it could make more work down the road.. just start digging away at one end a little bit at a time then for the first year you could plant some potatoes also to break up the ground. Then after a few years when you have removed most of the weeds and roots then you will be able to rotovate it with out it growing back ten fold

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

Hi coffee time and welcome to the vine i'm sure you'll get a few tips here i know i still do.

[carlseawolf]

hi there
if you have bindweed ( a white smooth root ) or marestail ( a brown hairy root ) then if you use a rotivator it will chop it to many pieces and each one will grow into a new plant (doubling your work) its best to find out what weeds you have got before rushing in , just ask a fellow allotmenteer if they can identify any weeds that might cause you problems ( they will like been an expert for 2 minutes ) and the history of the plot.
i had both the weeds stated above and i'm slowly seiving the first foot depth of soil to aradicate them ( alot of hard work but the soil is great afterwards ) i use a 4' by 2' frame with chicken wire over it to seive the soil.

[Sue]

Carlseawolf
Like you I've been sieving to get rid of roots but when to stop? Is it just the white bits that will regenerate, is it OK to leave all the hairy roots behind?
I'm clearing ground thick with couch and bindweed.
Having cleared the ground I seem to have been mostly successful in getting rid of the couch but now have, I think, ground elder springing up everywhere which doesn't have nice identifiable roots.
BW
Sue

[carlseawolf]

HI SUE
I took the desicion early on to seive the plot after talking to the tenant next to me an finding the marestail had got a lift to the plot on the back of horse manure when an old tenant had manured the plot , and as i moved from that area the year before i knew bindweed was in the soil.
the plot given to me was 80' by 25' and there is very little soil on itso i decided to deep bed the whole lot to get greater soil depth for growing root crops and seiving it to get ride of pests and stones seamed a good way of getting the soil in the beds of to a good start.
answer to the question of roots , i take all roots out and throw them away and use the stones for paths between the beds.
i've allocated 12 beds for veg so i can crop rotate 4 beds per roots, brassicas, others and perminant crops are in separate beds at the top of the plot .
my website will explain more and show you what i'm doing , have got to update for this year but the basis is there and not longwinded.
www.freewebs.com/carlseawolf
its hard work , but only needs doing the once !