Just got an allotment (Merged)

katskorner

ROundup again is my recommendation - in Spring and plenty of mulch once you have done it to exclude the light. Persistant weeds will take some fighting but just keep pulling them up or spraying them and eventually they will give up. I am still fighting with brambles, nettle and docks on my three year old plot (well I have had it that long) and the docks are by far the worst cos you spray them then the pigeosn go and eat the leaves before the stuff gets to work. I worry about it harming them but I can't let the docks grow freely as they are a nightmare to shift!!

Peartree

I used old carpet in part of my garden. I've read various views on it leaching chemicals but it doesn't seem conclusive. As my family use to be in the trade I had access to a lot of carpet so it seemed a good solution. Although I wouldn't use the nylony stuff with the rubber backing for the same reasons I wouldn't use plastic in my often very wet garden.

In fact, it turns out that carpet backing (not the rubbery stuff) is actually pretty much the same in composition to landscaping fabric. The only problem is that annual weeds like growing on top of carpet and the really persistent ones (I am blighted by horsetail as well as the other nasties) just punch through. One area of my garden still has carpet on it, although it now also has landscaping fabric and several tonnes of gravel too!

I've used the cheaper landscaping fabric on other parts of the garden, (covered with bark) and it wasn't worth the money as the *£@$ing horsetail punched through within a year. However, I was very lucky this time last year when B&Q were selling off the better quality stuff at about 80% off - filled the car with two trolley loads - and so far so good on that one.

In my heart I'd love to be organic (understand katskorner's dilemma!) but on my plot it is also totally unfeasible. If you're going for weedkiller, my advice is don't waste your money on the 'branded' stuff - you're only paying for their marketing. The strongest weedkiller is glyphosate and it is what is in many of these brands. I get the own brand gyphosate in B&Q, although you sometimes have to search for it and read the labels closely. If anyone has a cheaper source of glyphosate I'd love to know - the little beggars will be poking their heads through soon.

On the non-horsetails, if you get a good weather forecast for a couple of days in February or early March (and there are often a few good days) if you get out then and spray just as the weeds are coming back into growth, it can give you a good head start. It has worked well on an area where I have a bad problem with couch grass.

(Gosh, looking back on this, my garden sounds very depressing! Never mind, I'm sure one day the balance will shift from killing things to growing things).

Peartree

speedyjoe

Peartree wrote:

If anyone has a cheaper source of glyphosate I'd love to know - the little beggars will be poking their heads through soon.

My dad, who was a smallholder, used to get cans of the agricultural grade stuff from a farming supplies wholesaler. It was stronger than the retail stuff and much cheaper. Don't know if you still can get it as an "ordinary member of the public" The rules and regulations might have been tightened up now.

beefster

Well the rolls and rolls of carpet didnt go very far..... covered half of one plot! I spent a sweaty couple of hours digging out a very small patch yesterday...... Backbreaking and mind blowingly teedious getting all the weeds out. Gave up in the end and am getting some weedkiller for the rest of the site today. Is it too early to spray it on now?? The plots are surrounded by farm land and the influx off weed and grass seed in the summer will no doubt be large.

I have found 2 small mounds of well rotted manuare covered in tarpaulines and also have 2 greenhouses that will come in handy! I've got a couple of dads old veg patch and allotment books and have also got my daughter and wife watching "grow your own veg"... which looks so easy on there.. lol
All systems go!

jap200

This site has lots of advice for allotments - this is a section dealing with clearing a new allotment:

http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php

beefster

Top site, thanks.
Currently pruning the well overgrown fruit tree's! Clearing tree's that fell in the winds a couple of weeks ago too..... Back to work on thursday for a rest!!

culpepper

I did my veg patch a bit at a time.I dug a 4 foot width for as long as I could then covered the dug bit up with anything I could. Mostly the thin black weed suppressant stuff from wilko or poundstretcher but also large pieces of cardboard. Then on to the next 4 foot strip. I managed about 5 strips in the first year and planted potatoes etc into the earlier ones whilst digging the later ones so was able to move the weed suppressing stuff to newly dug strips saving buying anymore of it. Last year I completely removed the strips and started on a new area while just planting up the previous years beds which had hardly any weeds due to the amount dug out in year 1. This year most of the weed supressant stuff is too torn to reuse but the area dug in year 2 and planted up with potatoes has hardly any weeds ,year 1's beds are still good and have brassicas in still and I have just finished digging this years area to plant up with potatoes. A long job but no chemicals and I have a large useable plot for little expense. The potatoes are great for clearing any excess weeds as the leaves make good cover and the act of digging out the tubers helps loosen it al up. Plus ofcourse we havent bought any potatoes all year.
Digging is easier with a mattock,azada or pickaxe as they go in deep and dont rely on you back muscles as much.

beefster

Wasnt keen on growing any spuds... apart from a few for new potatoes.... they are so cheap to buy i cant see the point. Still selecting what i really want but raspberries are top of my daughters list!

Frugal_Fox

Hello Knowledgeable People!

I have lots of questions that I hope you will not mind me asking now or in the future!

What is a Rod? - I know it is to do with the size of the plot - but I'm not sure what the measurement is?

We got our first allotment just before Christmas - and its in a state! DH had an idea of creating paths and was thinking of gravel...:eek: I couldn't think of an alternative - until this thread - mulch....

We have a long plot, no water on site, although there is a stream nearby....

At the end of the plot was a fruit bed, which was covered in black plastic. No fruit is in this bed - was empty when we took it over. Should I continue to use this for fruit?

Next we have a grassy area with proper grass and a tree.... keeping this for the kids.

Then planning to divide the rest of the plot into the four plots as suggested in #40.

It is very overgrown and was organic prior to us taking it over. Ideally I want to grow organically - but not sure how feasible this is initially. From speaking to the other plot holders I understand we have lots of couch grass and comfrey - which I understand to have very long roots. Quite happy to have comfrey growing - but not over my entire plot... any advice regarding this?

Planning to hit the allotment tomorrow and try to get it into a basic shape - I'm not expecting to be able to weed it and dramatically change it tomorrow... however - I do plan to at least mark out where I think the 'paths' through it should be.

I have a small patio garden at home and a plastic framed 'green house' thing - Obviously not heated.... What can I grow from seed at home and what should I be looking to get from plant sales etc for the first year?

Many thanks - and please feel free to point out any stupid ideas and set me straight!!!!

FF

tight_jock

Roundup - rotovate - roundup again should do the trick. !!:D