starting from scratch!

[mandyballantyne]

Hi,

I am looking for some advice, please. I am about to turn a piece of waste ground into a small garden/allotment and I am unsure the best way to prepare the ground.

The land is well drained and about 30 meters above a canal, currently brambles and trees cover the area.

I had planed to cut back the area and rotovate the soil. I am unsure when to start this project and how best to treat the soil.

Any advise would be welcomed.

Thanks,

M

[andrewo]

Rotivate

This sounds okay until you say rotivate the soil, you must make sure all those bramble roots are out or you'll just cut them up and have twice the problem. You may have to it by hand when it comes to brambles and then rotivate, make sure that the biggest roots of the trees are out or it will destroy the rotivator blades. What kind of trees are they? If any are fruit, try and keep them.

You need to also address what direction the plot faces, how you're going to get water to it, and where your greenhouse is going - just sit down with a pencil and paper, and decide how you are going to do it. Are you going for raised beds (everyone on here will tell you I harp on about these) or normal beds. If you have to get manure in, can you get it there easily?

Good luck digging at this time of year!

Andrewo

[Lesley Jay]

The best way really is to take your time and dig. Sort out any roots and put these in the bin. If you rotovate you chop up the roots from the weeds into small pieces and every piece will re root and grow again. Brambles definately need digging out.

[Nicos]

good for you! Don't be put off by the digging. Once you have done the area thoroughly, it won't take much to keep ontop of it. You can work at your own pace-ie only do part of it for now, or go at it tooth and nail.A spade would be better.
Most of us who have had allotments for years can tell you all about just doing 1/2 hr at a time until your back muscles get stronger, and then when it comes to our own plots,in the spring (after 3-4 months of inactivity) go and do 3 or 4 hrs of constant digging on a Sat and Sun and take all week to recover.
I suppose it depends on how organic you want to be?

[sewer rat]

Hi Mandy
Depending on how thick you bramble cover is, it might be worthwhile hiring a brushcutter ( strimmer with strong blade) to remove the top growth so you can see what you're doing when it comes to digging them out. As everyone else will tell you, take your time -don't rush in or you'll end up knackered.
More advice will, I'm sure be forthcoming on how to plan your plot and grow your veggies etc - all you gotta do is ask.
It would assist if you could, as Andrewo points out, you give us as much info as you can on what direction your plot runs, what type of soil it has etc.
Good Luck and let us know how you're getting on.
Rat

[nick the grief]

New plot

Welcome to the vine Mandy,

If you have a look at some of the other threads this will give you enough info th try and put you off Spuds are always a good crop to stat withm so if you haven't got any, go and get some quick and then you could do the no dig method, this will take care of a bit of it and like the others have said clear the top growth off then get hold of some old carpets or black plastic and cover the rest. This will help kill of some of the rest. Then all you need to do is pull the plastic back and go at a small bit at a time.

When it comes to seed sowing, I'd get everything ready about two weeks before you want to sow and this will giv e the weed time to come thru, hoe them off and then sow your seeds otherwise they will get swamped with the weeds.

Don't be put off and come the end of the year yuo'll have loads of veg & home grown spuds that will tase far better then the ones that have travelled half way round the world to your local supermarket.

ntg

[mandyballantyne]

Hi All,

Thanks for all your feedback, I can't wait to get out and get started!

The plot faces North and has never been a garden, it is a flat piece of land at the top of a canal embankment. It has been overgrown with brambles for 50+ years according to neighbours!!!! As this is my first garden I am probably in for a shock, but will do it with your help.

Rat, I am not sure what the soil type is. It is not clay or peat but feels fairly loose where the moles have been digging.

I hope to start this weekend if the ground is not too frozen so will keep you posted.

Thanks again,

Mandy

[nick the grief]

If you've got moles it must be fertile mandy as they only go where there's a food source (don't think theyeat bramble root though )

you'll have to watch them in your seed beds though as youre beans may disappear !

[2910fredw]

I have been digging for three years now on a plot 10feet by 24. I still have 4 of the 10 to go. If you can cover half your plot, (old carpets, tarpaulins or black plastic) and start on the other half you will find the next years work much easier. Clear a small square, just a few feet each way, and plant something. That gives you incentive. Just keep digging and it will happen

[nick the grief]

Spot on fred,

I've had my lottie for about 4 years now and have only done 2/3 of it so far. Hopefully it will look as good as the rest this year, but as I have to work as well, I can't sit around waiting for the weeds to come up like some of the old boys do at our site

[WiZeR]

Hi Mandy

I've just started a new allotment and allthough I have had a garden for 5yrs, this is my first go at gardening. It is a steep learning curve, but it is easy to get carried away. As others have said, do it a little at a time and don't be dishartened if you don't get it all cultivated in year one. The work is hard, but very rewarding!

I wish you all the luck!

[Lesley Jay]

Fred welcome to the forum. Be careful when covering your ground to kill off the weeds. Carpets can contain chemicals that get washed into the ground with the rain.

[Nicos]

Yes...one of the guys on our old site put down foam backed carpet and when he pulled it up 2 or 3 yrs later, the foam had broken up and made a mess of the ground. goodness knows what chemicals it was releasing as it degenerated

[mandyballantyne]

Hi,

I started to clear an area 20' by 20' this weekend. Cleared all the brambles, eventuatly! I have cleared roots from about 20' by 6' so far and covered the ground with ploythene.

I am trying to get all the roots out but I am still left with tiny little pieces scattered around. How much do I need to collect, are little pieces ok?

I hope to fully clear the rest of it next weekend as it is dark when I finish work mid week. Do I need to treat the ground with anything before I start planting? The soil seems really fertile, not to dry or wet.

Thanks,

Mandy

[andrewo]

I am trying to get all the roots out but I am still left with tiny little pieces scattered around. How much do I need to collect, are little pieces ok?....Do I need to treat the ground with anything before I start planting? The soil seems really fertile, not to dry or wet.

Unfortunately, you will have to get all the pieces of root or even the tiny pieces will take root (it's a pain but do it now or else you will just be fighting it...if any come up in the summer, dig them out too). You can treat the ground with manure (dried or farm) and give it a good feed of blood, fish and bone (then decide which area you want to plant your comfrey in because it spreads!).