What should I do with allotment this winter?

[Deleted User]

I took over a jungle of an allotment 2 months ago and quickly covered everything with weed suppressant while I got my breath and wrote out my plan including rotations. That way I dealt with 1/5 at a time. I have used glyphosate on some of it, when it was just too much for me and then quickly got winter cabbages and broccolli in under mesh. I am having to hand weed in that patch at least weekly but little by little it will clear. I have broken up the rest 1/5 at a time using an azada and a right angled fork from get digging and have hand cleared as much as possible. Only 2 bits are left bare soil now 1 for onions and garlic and one for broad beans and the rest is covered with either green manure or weed suppressant

I planted more veg for winter in my back garden and in pots and troughs. Pak choi, winter lettuces, herb salad, winter spinach, radish and land cress. I only want bits to pick for salads as my cabbages will start to be ready by november and I have enough of them and various broccolli to last until may

Fruit bushes and rhubarb are on order so I will have to get cracking for november, on one 1/5 covered in green manure, knowing that I can get the bushes into pots if needed

I am in my 60s and so is my dh and we have to use whatever we can to make it easier ie the tools, glyphosate if we have to and the weed suppressant and to minimise CBW attack, environmesh. I cannot see a need to use more glyphosate now that we have broken the back of the allotment. Basic paths are down using tripled weed suppressant and good black pegs and it is so much easier when you cn see a structure and can tackle an area at a time, so 4/5 are actually now in designated areas of 1/20s

I hope this is a bit helpful op

GreenFly_2

kittie wrote: »

I took over a jungle of an allotment 2 months ago

You have been busy to achieve all this in just two months I would be patting myself on the back if I were you.

Its taken me since April to get paths in, as you with weed suppressant and set out the structure (4 rotations). I have one bed left to dig over, the rest are either awaiting autumn planting or have green manure growing.

Well done Kittie :T, here's to next season

GF