Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: PennyS on May 09, 2010, 21:27
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Reached a real milestone today - I took on my plot last summer when it was all grass, weeds and stones. It's been a long job to dig it all by hand but finally it's done! No wonder my back hurts 8)
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Congratulations, I've covered half of my plot with weed membrane and I'm digging the other half by hand, it sure is back braking work. I dig a bit and then plant as I go
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Congratulations, I've covered half of my plot with weed membrane and I'm digging the other half by hand, it sure is back braking work. I dig a bit and then plant as I go
Keep going - it's amazing how quickly it does get done when you do a bit each week. Last year I really wasn't sure I'd ever get finished!
At least this time of year there is quite a lot that you can plant as you go, so you can see real progress!
:)
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Well done.
Just one more bed to go myself. Need to crack on as the sweetcorn are ready to go in next weekend.
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I am in a similar position and am just about keeping to my plan. About 2 thirds done since January and the last bit which is the worst will need to wait till next year. I will either glyphospate it and then leave it, or cover and dig next year. At the start I could just dig but the weeds are fighting back and I need to use more and more time to keep the ground I have dug. My onion bed is chucking up new weeds every week. It is so nice to be able to look back and see the progress though.
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Are you digging large stones out, perrennial weeds or just for the exercise?
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I had both.
Half the plot absolutely covered in stones - dig the fork in and it sounds like you're shovelling gravel. Stone "pavements" a fork's depth down in places. Other half very few stones. It's either from the road building, railway building or just drainage that was put in when it was farmland. Not sure which but either way, it's a pain!
Perennials: Couch grass, mallow, thistles mainly. Luckily though, no mares tail.
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Bare ground is a playground for weeds, and is also open to leeching by the rain. If you can't plant/sow stuff straightaway, either mulch it or cover it until you can do something with it. ;)
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It's a great feeling to finally be done. I have now dug over my whole plot since taking it on Jan '09, but one of my raised beds which I haven't planted in yet this year is already full of weeds so I think I need to get some stuff to cover them up when I'm not using them otherwise I will end up getting very fed up with weeding, or resorting to weedkiller again, which I don't really want to do.
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Hey Penny - think of all those calories you've burned!!!!!! Well done! Jude
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Well done - well worth all the hard work in the end.
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Whereabouts in oxfordshire are you digging penny i`m in south abingdon.
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Well done Penny -- I know what you mean about the stones.
We have loads too -- we are using stones as hardcore for a shed base :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Whereabouts in oxfordshire are you digging penny i`m in south abingdon.
just outside Bicester, not far!
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Well done Penny -- I know what you mean about the stones.
We have loads too -- we are using stones as hardcore for a shed base :lol: :lol: :lol:
I've got piles of them I'm saving to make paths - something to keep me occupied this winter :D