Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: GreenDavie on April 06, 2008, 10:43

Title: Rotavating
Post by: GreenDavie on April 06, 2008, 10:43
Hi There

I'm just about to take over an allotment and its extremely overgrown. Someone has offered me a petrol rotavator which they no longer require. I'm aware that digging is best but just thought it would be simpler to rotavate it and be done with it. Will this cause any problems. Regards

Davie
Title: Rotavating
Post by: muntjac on April 06, 2008, 10:48
no it wont .spray roundup wait for 2 weeks  or dig out as many of the big weeds or scrub then rotavate it  :)
"werks for me"
Title: Rotavating
Post by: GreenDavie on April 06, 2008, 10:50
what does round up mean, is that a chemical
Title: Rotavating
Post by: GreenDavie on April 06, 2008, 11:00
i see its a weedkiller. will this not render the soil useless for a long time. Regards
Title: Rotavating
Post by: jimroden on April 06, 2008, 11:02
Quote from: "GreenDavie"
what does round up mean, is that a chemical



Yea mate it is...........not to contradict the mighty muntjac. I rotorvated my garden as like yours it was very over grown. It was the biggest mistake I made in the garden the weeds come back with abundance.

 I took my time and dug the ground over and did it that way I feel rotorvating is ok if you have ample time to spend getting on top of the weeds. were as I did not have the time I think you need to be there every day but digging seemed to really slow the growth. Plus if your plot is big you need to plan your day's work and stick to it don't start one job and then start another one write a journal or something so you have something to stick to I found that I was doing loads and really achieving nothing until I sat back and decided to do 20ft at a time and really spend time on it .This has paid dividends and the plot is looking much better  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: Rotavating
Post by: DD. on April 06, 2008, 11:32
Quote from: "GreenDavie"
i see its a weedkiller. will this not render the soil useless for a long time. Regards


No - it's rendered inactive on contact with the soil. Contains glyphosphate and will get back to the plant roots, not just kill the top growth. Depends on your 'green' morals.

(I've been known to use it, especially on  a new plot) :oops:
Title: Rotavating
Post by: fish on April 06, 2008, 11:49
i use roundup every season,its a good time saver.the problem with trying to be chemicle free is its such hard work for the begginner that they just give up! i find that the ready diluted stuff in the shops and garden centers is too week,get to a scats store or other agricultural type murchants and ask for the 1l concentrte , it lasts ages and you only need to apply it once.
Title: Rotavating
Post by: dugless on April 06, 2008, 12:51
Quote from: "DD."
Quote from: "GreenDavie"
i see its a weedkiller. will this not render the soil useless for a long time. Regards


No - it's rendered inactive on contact with the soil. Contains glyphosphate and will get back to the plant roots, not just kill the top growth. Depends on your 'green' morals.

(I've been known to use it, especially on  a new plot) :oops:

Quite Right I have used glyphosate for years first heard about it in the sixties at a University Lecture  it also goes under the name of Galloup mainly sold in farmers suppliers, cheeper then Diy shops. there is a lot of nonsence talked about organics as with climate change, reserch the subject from all angles and then you will have an informed oppinion.
Title: Rotavating
Post by: Trillium on April 06, 2008, 17:02
I confess that I try to be as organic as I can, however, I don't have a back of steel. So in the spring I"ll use Roundup on the really determined weeds I find with roots to China. Others I'll dig up first before rotovating, usually the day before so I can spend time properly rotovating and picking out those selfseeding rocks, etc. the following day. Weeds with Roundup will be dug out several weeks later and those spots turned with a spade. Every 2nd year or so before rotovating, I use the garden fork to loosen lower soil levels before rotovating. Sounds like a lot of work but if you want good yields, you've got to put in the time. Now if only I could make my back understand  :lol:
Title: round up
Post by: peterjf on April 06, 2008, 18:47
hi , round up is a systimatic killer what it touches it kills , a garden sprayer is best , once the round up touches the bare soil it becomes neutral and it will not harm your soil, PLEASE  spray the round up on a dry day , and if its NOT windy its better
Title: Roundup
Post by: loam ranger on April 06, 2008, 19:42
Just to say when applying roundup try to use a very fine spray so it sticks to the weeds and not to run off as this only wastes the weedkiller.
Good luck
Title: Hello
Post by: Babycat on April 12, 2008, 19:49
Hiya

I was happy to read this as I am just about as depressed as you can get after seeing my site going increasingly green each time I am there.

I am going to have to roundup the areas I will not be planting straight away.

What is best to do with stuff like the onion bed where I will be planting soon?  I was going to dig over and then hoe my butt off all season.

x Gina
Title: Rotavating
Post by: jimroden on April 13, 2008, 09:18
i was taking to a chap about this very thing this morning!!! what he said he does is plant every thing the width of his hoe then every day he just comes along and hoe's he said it takes him 20 25 mins to do his whole plot  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: and beleave me it looks fantastic

Jim