[Silva]

Hello, hopefully it is ok to start a topic that is a bit self-absorbed! I've read through a lot of advice on the site but it would be really nice to get some clarification on specific issues. I've just got a new plot that I will be starting to clear this weekend. Mine is the grassy strip down the middle in the photo attached and as you can see it is not too bad (certainly better than some of the other available plots where the brambles were up to my head- good thing I got in quick for first dibs!) but still a fair bit of ground to clear.

Now my understanding is that the best time to prepare the soil is in the Autumn, so that the frost can improve the soil structure etc, but obviously this isn't an option. My inclination is to dig up all the grass, stack it and pull up any other weeds. I was then thinking I would 'No Dig' mulch the existing raised beds with manure, and create some extra growing space by 'single digging' over the ground which has not been recently cultivated. I'm keen to try to clear the lot fairly quickly as it's not a huge area, but if I can't manage it in one go I thought I could lay some cardboard/polythene over the unworked areas to kill off the unwanted growth. Does this seem like a sensible approach? I'm keen to try organic, but a good argument could convince me otherwise!

As for covering over the cleared areas to prevent any surviving weeds regrowing I'm unsure- especially with the No Dig beds as presumably they will need time, rain and beasties to get in and do their soil improving work! Or would it be better to just dig over everything at this time of year as the No Dig approach is likely to need more time to penetrate the soil?

A couple of other things- there is an existing compost pile but it has lots of weeds growing on top of it, some of which I would imagine are nasties (I'm a new 'un to this so not sure, but could have a better look at the weekend). Obviously I would like to use it if I could, especially as disposing of it would be a pain, but I don't want to spread weeds all over my plot! Is there a way I can 'cleanse' it? Secondly as you can see there is an existing rudimentary Poly frame, but ordering a custom cover is more than I can currently afford. Has anybody tried patching together smaller sheets or come up with a different solution? The rolls that are usually sold seem like they would not be wide enough.

Thanks in advance, and sorry if any of these are daft questions!

[rowlandwells]

i usually say to new allotments folks when they ask me what  should I do to get started  I'm not telling you how to garden but rather how I would do it then its down to them if they take on board what's said

so how I would do it and I have done it my way first of do a soil test [soil testing kit ] I'm not an organic gardener so I would spray the hole site with roundup in the spring even the compost heap then after around three weeks I can start with a blank canvas marking out a plan  where I'm going to plant for instance first plot potatoes second plot brassicas and so on depending on how many plots you  wanted maybe a fruit plot

a load manure would be a good idea but not on every plot you could even sow some green manure in one plot  crop rotation is always a must for me and having  made several  razed beds there  all numbered for crop rotation year on year you could adopt the same principle with your plots

as for your poly tunnel depending  on size of your tunnel you really need to work out the length and width and you can either bury the poly sheet or fix it to the bottom of the hoops there's plenty of poly sheet suppliers on line and remember if you do re cover the tunnel put anti-hot spot tape on the hoops and I always buy a roll of clear jointing tunnel repair tape for what its worth

so Silva that's what I would do but others on this site mite have different thoughts and idea's on this topic that you mite think is worth doing anyway good luck with whatever you chose to do

[mumofstig]

I'd fork out the weeds from the raised beds and then  add manure, as long as you can get well-rotted (non-smelly) stuff. Then at least you'll have somewhere to start growing, while you sort the rest out.

  You could cover over the rest with black plastic and peel it back to dig a bit at a time. Mulching as you go.
  Or cover with cardboard and a deep (4inch) layer of compost/manure/mushroom compost - you'd be able  to plant through this. However, unless you can get manure for free, it is an expensive way to clear a plot.
  Or what I would do - get the lot strimmed down and Glyphosate to kill the lot. Once it is clear you can choose to be organic from then on....

[Silva]

Thank you for your replies. I think starting on the raised beds is a good idea. I will see if I can get hold of some black plastic at the weekend and maybe even a soil testing kit as I like the idea of doing science Perhaps I could also use the black plastic to kill the weeds in the compost pile so its usable at a later date. At the moment I will hold off on the weedkiller, but I'm fully aware that I may be being unrealistic!

Thanks for the tip about the anti hot spot tape as I'd never heard of that, and I assume the repair tape is strong enough to hold together two sheets if necessary?

At the moment I am planning crop rotation in the form of a legumes bed, roots bed and brassica bed, plus a soft fruit and potato area.