Clearing an unkempt, overgrown allotment

[Undercaker]

I can't get over how forthcoming and helpful you've all been with your advice - thank you all so much.

Sadly, for some reason I can't attach any photos to my reply. I've now completely cleared a patch of about 3m×1m of grass and weeds, covered it in compost and covered it with weiged-down black plastic (belt and braces!) I'm going to leave that for a while while I carry on with some other bits and bobs, then hopefully start planting some vine stuff through the mulch in the next few months.

Jungle Jane - the sods and weeds I cleared from the patch I've piled up next to it on top of some other grass. I was thinking of leaving it alone to rot down a bit before I move it to a compost bin. Sound like the right thing to do?

Thanks again, you lot. Will keep you updated with A Rookie's Progress.

D

[Jungle Jane]

I put my weeds in the compost bin but I don't have an allotment,I use my garden & most of my weeds are dandelions & other things that flower & seed everywhere,if it's just leafy weeds they're fine in a pile to rot

[Snadger]

Snadger, on our plot we mostly worry about the Agrostis stolonifera....

Creeping Bent is dead easy to deal with as its shallow rooted. It will blank out Chewings Fescue ( Festuca Rubra Rubra) if left to its own devices. Thats why fine turf seed mixes are proportionately higher in bent grass (small round seed) than Fescue seed (large seed similar to Pernennial Ryegrass (Lolium Perenne.):

[1Bee]

I am sitting here laughing at myself. I did, of course, mean Elymus repens...

Such blasts from the past, those names. Fond memories.

[Snadger]

I am sitting here laughing at myself. I did, of course, mean Elymus repens...

Such blasts from the past, those names. Fond memories.

Indeed, my children new them better than I did as I had them testing me on them for exams! They can still recite them now and i have forgotten most!

[Muddy_Boots]

Doesn't make any difference to me what its called, if it looks like grass, it grows like grass, then I'm pretty sure its grass and it either gets dug up, weed killed or burnt if its growing in the middle of me veggies.

[Snadger]

Doesn't make any difference to me what its called, if it looks like grass, it grows like grass, then I'm pretty sure its grass and it either gets dug up, weed killed or burnt if its growing in the middle of me veggies.

If its in the middle of your veggies, that would probably be Poa Annua (Annual Meadowgrass) Its shallow rooted and easy to remove!

[Undercaker]

Cheers guys
Got plenty of perennial weeds on this plot as well as the grass. If I dig them up (as best I can - they've all got leaves or flowers already) and mulch the ground with black plastic after strimming it would that be sufficient to kill the roots? If so, how long would that take?
Also, keep dandelions, thistles, couch grass, nettles, etc away from compost, right?
I'm getting the hang of it. Slowly but surely.
I think.
D

[southlondonone]

Evening. Personally I wouldn't go near a rotovator. I can only speak from my experience of clearing a massively overgrown plot. I went for the hand and fork method and whilst doing this I could easily dig fown and find the little bits of bindweed, the long grass seeds that a rotovator would have just flicked everywhere spreading it.

I am now clear of the bulk of the weeds and put membrane down on the beds. Yes there will still be weeds but they werent going to vanish after one dig over.

If it helps, I have half a plot, 8 decent sized beds, I work full time, have two small kids, and put as many hours as I could into it and it has taken me since about August/ September to get to where I am now (pictures and update on my "diary" thread!)

Good luck, you'll get lots of tips here!