[fibilou]

We have let our plot slip really badly; we had a baby this year and my husband was moved offices for 4 months. We had a letter from the management saying clear up or else; we have started and got most of the cultivated areas clear. What can we plant now to prevent weeds growing ? We can't afford to cover it so need something that we can grow now

[Plottered]

I havnt done this myself (yet) but id say green manure that can be dug back in next spring...also overwintering onions and garlic

someone with better knowledge will probably give more advice soon.

[mumofstig]

Green manures are good, but do need a bit of digging in come spring, and you may have a job convincing the OBs on the committee that it's not just more weeds

If you manage to find plants to transplant from the garden centre, you will still have to weed between the rows.

So I'm afraid it's carry on weeding till it gets too cold for them to grow.

[potatogrower]

show the management the new baby and i am sure the little sweet looking face will make them change their minds   :happy: . winter things you can grow are white radish (mooli), garlic and winter white onions.

[noshed]

Have you got any compost you can put down as a mulch?

[Christine]

It's no harm in letting the weeds grow and keep weeding as this will stop them growing next season. And baby can probably sleep for half an hour in pram or pushchair whilst you do some weeding.

Get a patch ready for onion sets and garlic which can be planted soon. That will be a good sign that you are now doing something.

If you can get some strawberry runners free from somewhere you could also set a strawberry bed away as another sign of activity so that they are well rooted by spring.

If you like raspberries, you could make a bed with edges to keep them in so that you could plant some bare root canes in October/November.

[Togalosh]

I know you say you can't afford to cover your plot and I don't know how much you have to cover..but.. I got straw bales from a local farm for something like £2 each.

 I covered my spuds to save them from the frost & they kept the weeds down to next to none (nothing stops dock or horseradish). It's then just a matter of raking it off when you need to & pop into the compost.

It does harbour slugs mind.