[teflon]

I've just been given the go ahead for a plot on a local allotment (about 90 feet x30).Unfortunately its been left for quite some time&is now covered in thick weeds(?) ,brambles and looks  like a jungle.As i'll be going over in the week to try and clear the ground i need some advice.Should i cut it all down to a reasonable height&then turn the ground over or take the advice of one of my neighbours &burn it first?

[doubledug]

I took on a plot last year that was heavily infested and as with most plots that have been let go you have different plants to clear on different areas depending what it has been used for. Its early yet but a systemic weed killer is a good start. I used it followed by a disk cutter followed by burning followed by another disc cutting. At this time of the year perhaps you could start with a small area to get going .   

[Ice]

Have a look at this for some ideas/
http://www.allotment-garden.org/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php

[Trillium]

But the problem with burning is that you burn off only the tops and not the roots of the mostly perennial weeds that thrive on empty plots. Best results are to cut/strim the tops then fork out the roots, as many as possible before rotovating or whatever. Keep on top of any weeds through the season by either pulling or spot dosing with glyphosphate which requires actively growing leaves to pull the chemical down into the roots. Mulching veg plants with lots of straw will help suffocate future weeds but might add to any slug problem so its something you must decide yourself.

[David.]

If you're going to bulk dig/clear following burning off the top growth, then what's wrong with that (rather than strimming and using petrol)?

[Robin Redbreast]

i am in the same boat im afraid mine hasnt been touched by anyone for at least three years and i am just getting to grips with it! firstly i have looked at the potential then i got down to it by first whacking down the height a bit with a strong rake because i havent got a scythe, or a brush cutter. i worked right from the back cutting pruning wacking and firing and now within about 6 hours of graft i have an are that i can work with, by that i mean start digging and weeding its gonna be hard work as the weeds are well rooted and the soil is heavy but what i can see from all the weed is that the soil is fertile and within a few more hours work i will have somewhere to start planting then the shape will start! so the moral of my story is this head up elbows in and work hard and before long you will have your very own perfect little lottie...  good luck with it and dont get disheartened!

[teflon]

Thanks to everyone.It  looks like i've got a lot of hard graft in front of me then.

[Elcie]

Thanks to everyone.It  looks like i've got a lot of hard graft in front of me then.

Yes that is true, but anyone who has every cleared a plot and gone on to have some success growing fruit/veg will tell you that it is absolutely worth it!

[Rangerkris]

I feel i got some good knowledge on this now hahahahha i started with my plot at the end of January



And a week ago we had one bed like this now we have two like this




We cleared the top growth of the whole plot so we could get around the whole site removed the litter bags and bags of it them made a start on removing the main stock of the bramble roots as they were tripping us up as we moved around

Then marked out a bed and started digging removing root after root after root.  Its not easy and we never thought it was going to be.  Weed killers dont bother me as i have to use them at work but i have not yet used an on my plot thats not saying i wont if things get on top of us.     

People on the site will be amazed at the work that you get done i know all the people that stop by say wow how quick do you guys work we only get wednesday and Sundays down there   cant wait for the clocks to change so we can get some hours after work.

Any shoots i see braeking the surface they come of with the matock normally followed buy the bramble root stock hhahahaha im tring to keep things down around us while working the beds as well. 

Seems to be doing the trick right now

[teflon]

That looks great.Your first pic is what my plot looks like now.Hopefully my plot  wont be to far off the other pic with a few hours &a bit of hard work.

[vortex444]

My plot i took on last year in the same condition..
We got it in april and strimmed it all down to ground level..then we covered most of it with plastic not nice i know but then we cleared a 12x12 patch double digging and then planted what we could for the first year..
We carried on with just general weeding where we planted and rolling the plastic back a little at a time and digging over and digging over again and digging over again until we got to nice soil then just run the hoe over it when the weeds formed..

It took almost 9mnths but it all can be planted now for the first time hard work but hey ho i think the secret is to just look at this year as a plan for next year and get what you can out of it you will be suprised what you can grow..

[doubledug]

I wish i knew how to upload some before and after pics they would definately give you some encouragement, part of my plot had never been dug in living memory,the longest standing member has been here for fifty years, virgin land they laughed as i fought with couch grass.brambles with shark fins for thorns and a small woodland developing. Almost a shame to destroy such a buding wilderness not to mention making a family of rabbits homeless But hey ho we now have 1800 yards of bare earth so take heart and rope your mates in to lend a hand.   

[Celery]

hi rangerchris
                     The soil in your raised bed looks more refined than mine.Have you riddle it?
I have installed one next to a wood.In the hope of getting better yealds.
                                                                                                                  celery
                                                       

[Rangerkris]

Celery

Its not really a raised bed its just a marker for my neighbour and me as i started to dig to close to his plot and didnt leave enough room for him to get is barrow in the shed.  We do hope to put in raised eds over time but we need to get the soil sorted other wise we wont get a crop this year saving bed making for times when i have been digging for hours and need a break.


This is how we work our bed digging it works quite well for us and gets the soil looking ok i guess.   Im on the fork and my better half sits on the ground on my caot and a black sack swapping from side to side of the bed removing the roots and stones shes happy im happy working it like this and it seems to work for us.  We have just got a seive but not sure weather it will get any use as its probley easier to carry on the way we do but we will try.

[cAnAry53]

First try to identify what youve got,mine looked like somewhere the SAS would train but after a close examination i found five blackcurrant bushes,three redcurrants and a cherry tree so you may find something useful yourself.Good luck with it and happy growing