Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: heygrow on August 12, 2015, 14:24
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I got a new half plot on the local allotment back in March. It was not too bad, a few weeds and grass. I decided to turn it over and get as much planted as I could. I left about a quarter under plastic as it was very badly overgrown. I have had a good crop of a variety of veg from it this summer, but have a lot of weeds that have grown up among the veg that I have tried to keep on top of (anything from thistles, dandelions, buttercups and mares tail).
Now growing is coming to an end I want to prepare for next year's planting. Question is, should I put down some weed killer first and then dig over and cover with stable manure? I have some leeks in for the winter at one end and also some strawberries, so don't want to harm these. Is weed killer a good idea. I know it won't get rid of the mares tail, but the other weeds are quite a problem.
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Personally, as you have all winter, I would carefully dig it over adding manure. Then keep weeding - it will get easier.
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It's a personal choice really, I don't use weedkiller on areas where I grow veg, but do use it to keep on top of round the edges and paths.
First year I dug up as many weeds as possible before the winter and then either put a thick layer of mulch down on the beds, sometimes over cardboard, sometimes straight on the bed or sowed green manure on the beds to overwinter.
Used spent mushroom compost on the beds as I could get that delivered quite cheaply. I used cardboard on the beds where I hadn't done a very thorough dig (so only removed a few real nasties) and then covered up.
Every year since then it's got significantly easier to make the beds ready to take a covering of mulch over the winter.
HOwever you remove the weeds - do think about getting some mulch on afterwards.
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Or weed, mulch, cover a small area at a time through the winter. I find that soil that has had a good lot of muck on it and has been covered for a couple of months or more through the winter comes out as lovely crumbly stuff, mainly weed free and ready to start in the Spring of next year.
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Thanks for the advice. Looks like I better get digging and mulching very soon. Good exercise I suppose.....just need to get motivated!
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A product called Kurtail will kill the mares tail. Personally I would spray with glyphosate to kill any perennial weeds, but it's a personal choice. Glyphosate will have plenty of time to break down in the soil over the winter, so no worries there.
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A product called Kurtail will kill the mares tail.
Kurtail is for professional use only, so should only be used if you have the correct training, safety gear and pesticide storage facilites ;)
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A product called Kurtail will kill the mares tail.
Kurtail is for professional use only, so should only be used if you have the correct training, safety gear and pesticide storage facilites ;)
Plus it doesn't kill it, just knocks it back. You need repeat applications of it. It's a neurotoxin, which is why it has so many safety issues.
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Will the glyphosate get into the leeks or strawberries if I am careful not to spray near them?
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Glyphosate breaks down on contact with the soil. So as long as the spray doesn't touch them they will be fine.