Clearing an overgrown plot

Lettuce_Turnip_The_Beet

Morning all!

Myself and a few friends have just been allocated a 40ft x 20ft allotment near my home. We have pretty much zero experience, other than windowsill herbs and spices, but are keen to learn and develop a wasted plot into something that can provide us with beautiful produce.

Our allocated plot is pretty over run and will require a lot of work before we can get started. (Can't link photo yet, but will do at a later stage)

First up, next weekend we aim to strim the grass and start our compost heap.

We've been advised to "double dig" the allotment, which I believe is loosening the soil below the original dig with a fork. Is this correct?

Is there any benefit of hand digging the allotment over using a petrol rotavator? We're three strapping lads, but tbf it'll takes us a month of sundays to dig the plot.

Thank you

wallbash

1st question, do you need to be fully organic ?

i.e whats your views on weed killer!

Personally would kill everything , then use a petrol rotavator.

Le73Uq86Uv

Clear and turn it over ruff by hand with a spade and in big lumps.


The winter will break it down and you will not break your backs.


Then in the spring spray any weeds with weed killer (Roundup) then a week or so later rotavate.

Dizzy_Ditzy

I got my plot in June and it was proper overgrown. There was no visible structure at all and only the patio was clear.

I put a good weed killer down on the bottom half of it where it was at its worst, and left it for a couple of weeks.

If it's all weeds I wouldn't go anywhere near it with a rotivator as all you'll achieve is to spread the weeds around.

I've not used a spade on my plot once. I have an azada (which Google will show you!) and have dug it all over with that. Slightly different to your circumstances, I was able to plant as I cleared. I just broke the soil up with the azada and cleared the roots as I went. I had bindweed, creeping buttercup and thistles, as well as bolted parsnips, onions, swede and leeks.

Have a think about what you can plant now. October/November is a good time to get onions, garlic and broad beans in.

If it was me I'd just get weed killer down, clear it and azada it roughly. Chuck some manure down and then leave what I'm not planting on until the spring when it'll be easier to dig over.

It'll be as easy or hard as you make it for yourselves! Good luck

wellused

Digging over clay soil and leaving it in clods for the frost and weather to break down is great advice but if we have a winter like the last one the clumps may still be there in the spring and you may have to break them down by hand or a rotavator. Double digging is digging two spade depths deep so if you like hard work that's ok, however if you have topsoil which is only one spade deep you will be bringing the subsoil up to the surface.

macsoupdragon

3 strapping lads???!!!! How fit do you want to be by the summer��? You haven't said what weeds you have but I would agree with the previous comments don't touch it with a rotivator as if you have bind weed or couch grass you will simply cut the roots which is how they grow rather than something like a dandelion which will spread by seeds. Personally, I'm not organic, I try not to go OTT on the weed killer but I do have bind weed and use it on that and at home also on mares tail. If you want to get fit then I would split the beds into more manageable size, say 8 x 7 ft put something like decent weed suppressant down to prevent the weeds growing (although it's winter so it won't grow as fast) and clear a section by section. That has a more rewarding feeling of achievement. From now you can plant garlic and winter onions and also over winter some beans and peas for an early crop next year. It all comes down to how much money you have, how much time and the type of weeds and soil. If it wet wouldn't going to dig the plot over - doesn't achieve anything except a lot of mud on your boots! Forums such as this and on facebook are great for advice but it's down to you how much work you put in now to get it ready for the spring. Have a walk round your site and see what other people have done or are doing to give you ideas on what you can do. At the end of the day it's a great way to spend spare time and meet new people.

Lettuce_Turnip_The_Beet

Thanks so much for the replies. Off the bat, we have no idea what weeds are currently there. Will need to do a little research and see what's what.

My own views are: Kill the weeds. Kill them to hell. I think the guys are on board with this too.

We took a walk round the site today and met a few folk. Most allotments are extremely well maintained and have been for sometime. Ours seems to be the only one left to the weeds.

We need to make a start and tackle them. I think clearing it and turning it over and leaving for the frost will be the right course of action. Means we can dedicate a little area to winter veg.

We plan to create raised beds for the most part to keep things pretty manageable.

Just checked the lie and its south facing with a tree line border to the back. Theres a decent incline we'll have to tackle too.

Here's a photo to the plot as it stands. Cant post links or photos yet (you need to remove the space) http:// instagram.com/p/txXaF0kPik/

I_have_spoken

Double digging etc. is very 'old skool' way of working an allotment, and very hard work.

Right now, I'd glyphosate the entire patch to kill everything green, then cover with black polythene to stop seed germination. Alternatively, a few weeks after glyphosating rent a proper paraffin flame-gun to burn off the weed seeds then cover the ground with anything to hand.

Next spring, remove polythene and build some raised beds from decking boards. Fill with compost, topsoil and well rotted manure.

That'll give you 'no dig' beds for crops that are expensive to buy. TBH it's not worth your while doing ordinary potatoes and root veg when they are so cheap in the shops.

Lettuce_Turnip_The_Beet

I_have_spoken wrote: »

Double digging etc. is very 'old skool' way of working an allotment, and very hard work.

Right now, I'd glyphosate the entire patch to kill everything green, then cover with black polythene to stop seed germination.

Next spring, remove polythene and build some raised beds from decking boards. Fill with compost, topsoil and well rotted manure.

That'll give you 'no dig' beds for crops that are expensive to buy. TBH it's not worth your while doing ordinary potatoes and root veg when they are so cheap in the shops.

Thats amazing advice and sounds exactly like what we'll do. We have been gifted carpet scraps to replace the polythene, but there are doubts of "contamination" from it. Are the worries warranted if we're about to spray weed killer all over the patch?

lostinrates

No advice here, you are getting enough, and I'm clearing stuff all the time, so maybe I'm no good at it ; )

Just wanted to say I LOVE your user name!

Lettuce_Turnip_The_Beet

hey lost in rates. Thanks for the props.

To be honest we were planning on starting a blog about the whole endeavour and are trying to come up with a witty name. If we can show others our mistakes, they won't make them.

Our current name suggestions are:

Lettuce Turnip The Beet - we like organic produce and techno
3 Guys, 1 Hoe
Give Peas a Chance
Never a Dill Moment