Clearing an overgrown plot

Cyberman60

Yorkie1 wrote: »

I agree with the suggestion of using glyphosate if you are not against using weedkillers in principle. It's getting a bit late in the season but it should still work - albeit take longer than in the height of summer.

Ensure you apply it on a dry day - when the plants are dry, and it won't be wet for at least 6 hours. Avoid a windy day too for application.

You then need to leave it uncovered until it goes yellow - usually at least 10 days but at this time of year I'd advise 3 weeks. This is because for it to work, it needs to be taken down to the roots through the plant's growth action. If you cover it up immediately, that action stops and it's been a waste of time & money to use the weedkiller.



Carpet is banned on many allotments these days. You have no way of knowing what chemicals have been on it, or will leach into the soil. However, one major issue is that it is an absolute nightmare to get rid of. Either the weeds grow through it (I've known one person have a slipped disc trying to lift carpet which couch grass had grown through), or it disintegrates into lots of little pieces. It's horrid trying to put wet, muddy carpet into the car to take to the tip.



There is no evidence of this at all. Organic is a very valid way of growing but misinformation and scare stories do it no service at all.

Not a scare story at all. Whatever chemicals you put on that land will be taken up by the produce.

Dizzy_Ditzy

wallbash wrote: »

Thanks

I agree. Get a goat

lostinrates

To be organic you only need two years chem free in most cases.

On really bad plots its so etimes worth starting from a clean slate.

We have a DEFRA reg property surrounded by organic so and were keen to reg organic when we took over. We decided to give it a year or to before applying. This is year four, and I've used chemicals.

So etimes you have to be realistic about what's handle able. We'll hopefully be ready to take our holding through soil association ( keeping half an acre or so out) in year ten. If its before I'd say we'd be ahead if current less idealistic schedule. .....but then our plot is worse than the average over run allotment! By idealistic schedule now would be year eight sees us end of organic programme, giving us two years spraying. I just don't see us dealing with significant problem areas by then.

lostinrates

Lettuce_Turnip_The_Beet wrote: »

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

I like the one you have gone with best by far.

wellused

I don't know what the other posters allotment plots looked like when they took them over but I have to say that mine looked worse than that when I got it in August 2012 and now it is all dug over and productive, that's not to say that weeds don't grow in fact no matter how much weed killer you use the weeds will still eventually grow back so it is an ongoing job.

bargainbetty

I strongly agree with people who have suggested weed burning and raised beds. We had everything you can think of on our little plot, and while trying to avoid weedkiller, we suffered a lot of aching backs from trying to dig/weed by hand.

One hour with a small flame thrower made all the difference. We have since put in three large raised beds, with one more large one to follow and four small ones. Winter salad is growing nicely already, and the nitrates from the plant ash have helped the soil.

Or borrow several goats. That will also work.

I can also say that I own a flamethrower. Having it delivered to work was highly amusing.

Lettuce_Turnip_The_Beet

bargainbetty wrote: »

I can also say that I own a flamethrower.

We should be best friends.

Just got word back from the council. Sadly the plot above is ours. There's a fair bit to get done over the weekend, but once thats together, we'll take a bit of time to plan for next year. Probably build our raised beds off site and bring them down in the back of a van.

Yorkie1

Cyberman60 wrote: »

Not a scare story at all. Whatever chemicals you put on that land will be taken up by the produce.

Please produce the scientific evidence for your claim that glyphosate is taken up by vegetables subsequently grown on the ground.s

bargainbetty wrote: »

I can also say that I own a flamethrower. Having it delivered to work was highly amusing.

One point about flamethrowers is that on perennial weeds they frequently do not get rid of roots, so regrowth can be common.

They also kill off all the useful soil bacteria.

lostinrates

Yorkie1 wrote: »

One point about flamethrowers is that on perennial weeds they frequently do not get rid of roots, so regrowth can be common.

They also kill off all the useful soil bacteria.

We find ours most useful for cut top growth ( as you say, useless on roots) or dealing with burning off seeds over large areas we 've failed to get too.

Lettuce_Turnip_The_Beet

Morning all!

We've been researching things like mad over the last few days. Fortunately we've a builder among us, so we'll be foraging any discarded windows, wood and pallets to build our raised beds, mini greenhouses and what not.

I am terribly excited.