Clearing an allotment.....help!

Top_Banana_2

One more question.........

Is a membrane sheet the same thing as a vinyl ground sheet? The membrane sheets I've seen say they let nutrients and water through to the plants......

angelavdavis

Top_Banana wrote: »

Thanks for all the input- I really appreciate the tips and advice.

I am going to buy a compost bin and put in the weeds and grass that I cut down. But I've been told not to put the weed roots in it. Where do I put them? Do I have to take them to the tip?

Also, I am going to cover the plot. But what should I cover it with? I can't get my hands on any carpet, so was thinking of some kind of black vinyl. Where do you recommend getting the vinyl from (cheapest!)? And how do I weigh down whatever material I use? Bricks?

Thanks again.

You can burn them or keep them in a waterproof container and cover in water. They rot down, the resulting stinky liquid can be used as liquid feed - add a cap to your watering can. After a year, they should be OK to add to compost.

The allotment web site has some info here.
Carpet and bricks are often given away on freecycle. Newspaper is also free. You can also use compost bags split. As mentioned you can weight down with bricks or soil.

RAS

Top_Banana wrote: »

One more question.........

Is a membrane sheet the same thing as a vinyl ground sheet? The membrane sheets I've seen say they let nutrients and water through to the plants......

Any old plastic or carpet will do - silage bale covers are good if you are near the country.

The membrane you have seen will just let the weeds carry on growing.

Before you do anything, take time to LOOK. Even more so if the plot is overgrown.

Right now rhubarb here is a just a few pink dots on the ground. You may have fruit bushes or strawberry plants under all that cover. One plot I retrieved had rhubarb, strawberries, black currants and raspberries undeneath a huge pile of bind weed. It was well worth spending a weekend clearing the worst of it.

On this plot I inherited 17 red currant bushes! Plus gooseberries, black currants, a blackberry, loganberry, loads of raspberries, more strawberries and two types of rhubarb. You could even have asparagus, apple trees or artichokes, if you look first.

The other thing to do is identify where the ground has been dug most recently. It is a lot easier to retrieve that ground and then either expand or join up clear areas than to start in a far corner that has not been dug in years.

angelavdavis

RAS wrote: »

Any old plastic or carpet will do - silage bale covers are good if you are near the country.

The membrane you have seen will just let the weeds carry on growing.

Before you do anything, take time to LOOK. Even more so if the plot is overgrown.

Right now rhubarb here is a just a few pink dots on the ground. You may have fruit bushes or strawberry plants under all that cover. One plot I retrieved had rhubarb, strawberries, black currants and raspberries undeneath a huge pile of bind weed. It was well worth spending a weekend clearing the worst of it.

On this plot I inherited 17 red currant bushes! Plus gooseberries, black currants, a blackberry, loganberry, loads of raspberries, more strawberries and two types of rhubarb. You could even have asparagus, apple trees or artichokes, if you look first.

The other thing to do is identify where the ground has been dug most recently. It is a lot easier to retrieve that ground and then either expand or join up clear areas than to start in a far corner that has not been dug in years.

Excellent point RAS.

ScratchandSniff-->[X]

Top_Banana wrote: »

Thanks for all the input- I really appreciate the tips and advice.

I am going to buy a compost bin and put in the weeds and grass that I cut down. But I've been told not to put the weed roots in it. Where do I put them? Do I have to take them to the tip?

If they are dry then burn them.

Top_Banana wrote: »

Also, I am going to cover the plot. But what should I cover it with? I can't get my hands on any carpet, so was thinking of some kind of black vinyl. Where do you recommend getting the vinyl from (cheapest!)? And how do I weigh down whatever material I use? Bricks?

Anything opaque. Anything partly see through will cut down the light but and help kill off some light annual weeds, making the big nasty ones easer to find and dig out properly. As for what with, the only down side to carpet is that it will get wet and compact the ground by weight, making it harder for you to pull deeper taproot weeds out fully (and messy/heavy to move too). You could try covering the carpet with something waterproof that might not be suitable on its own. Don't use foam backed carpet - the rubber will disintegrate in the weather. Use whatever you have at hand to weigh it down.