[The Red Baron]

Right then, first of all, hi!
I'm due to get my plot in the next week or so and plan to spend the rest of this year at least getting it sorted (I'm a perfectionist!). Here's the initial plan,
1) Strim down all the waist high weeds, grass etc etc.
2) clear the plot of rocks, wood, glass and rubbish.
3) spray the whole blooming thing with Gallup 360 ( I'm sheeting the fence so the spray doesn't affect anyone else's plots)
4) lay down black plastic to help the weedkiller out ( how long should this be down before the next step???)
5) hoe down all dead weeds and burn the lot.
6) Rotivate the whole plot,
7) manure the full plot and turn this in.
build my paths, raised beds, greenhouse etc
9) have a beer and a sit down.

So, how does this plan look? Any advice and constructive criticism welcome.
Thanks muchos

Tony

[The Red Baron]

Oh by the way I'm in the north east.....up Newcastle way,

[mumofstig]

Hi there and welcome to the Site.

Please will you add your location to your profile, so we can see it with each of your posts;)

I'll move this over to the GYO board so you can get some answers, although this is a good start
http://www.allotment-garden.org/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php

[The Red Baron]

Yeah will do, I'll have a look at the link as well.
I love a good read and have had a look through a good few books....how does my plan look then?

[ThePragmatist]

Hi,

Good luck with the plot!

There is still time to plant a lot of different veg for later in the year. In my first year I found it encouraging to have at least a small corner growing something while I worked on clearing the rest.

I have an organic allotment so I can't offer much advice on the weedkiller side of things. For the black plastic, make sure it is well secured, it is amazing how much like a sail it can become. 

You may also want to insert step 9 between all the other steps, not just at the end.

Cheers!

[The Red Baron]

Haha yeah step 9 is the most important. Having read up on the weedkiller, after the whole herbicide thing you can plant quite soon, so once I've cleared the weeds from the last few years I will be going organic....alas I don't have the time to dig the whole plot from scratch....I work seven days a week so nights and Sunday afternoons are allotment time.....I'm only young so can still put the hours in though....

[DD.]

As I understand it Gallup 360 is for professional use. Whilst it is available on the market, I am led to believe that to use it on land not belonging to you is illegal. This would be the case if you rent you plot.

If anyone on our site resorted to it, they would not be very popular.

Glyphosate will have little effect of weeds that have been strimmed down, it needs to be absorbed via the leaves.
 
If you intend to use it, you need to let them regrow after strimming. During that time you could have cleared a lot by forking the weeds out.

[JayG]

Hello, welcome to the forums - looks like quite a busy day you're planning there!   

Not sure the weedkiller needs any help from covers, in fact it may well work better if the weeds are actively growing in the open when sprayed.

Might it be worth clearing a small area manually so you can at least grow something this year, or are you really so patient you are prepared to wait until next year?

[The Red Baron]

Thanks for the advice DD, I wouldn't want to make enemies so soon! So shall give that a miss! 

[The Red Baron]

Hey jayg, patience of a saint! I'll be more than happy if I can get cracking on the 2nd of January....want to get everything in its place and perfect so I can concentrate on growing instead of growing and clearing and building etc.

[fatcat1955]

You would be better rough digging the plot in the Autumn then manure then rotovate in the spring. The frost's and rain will break the soil down for you.

[seaside]

I think Pragmatist has a good view on this. You are lucky to get a plot this "early" in the season, so I also would suggest concentrating on getting say a quarter up and running and planted. Digging doesn't take as much time as it might at first appear, especially as the soil is less heavy this time of year, and if the plot was dug in the last 12 months before you took it over.
Perfection doesn't have to be methodical glaciation. There's a Summer coming. Cover a bit, dig a bit, plant a bit, drink a bit, that sounds like perfection, and get the feel of it and something for your labours, to carry you through to next Spring.

[Totty]

If you want to get the plot cleared and totally prepared by next spring, don't mind using chemicals, I would...
Strim the whole plot (if totally covered) right down as low as you can, rake up all of that, then let the weeds really get going. Probably a couple of weeks. Wait until a warm dry and still day and spray with a glyphosphate based killer, roundup is good but overpriced. If you can source a product called clinic ace it is cheaper and does exactly the same. One excellent product I have recently used is Weedol root kill plus. It contains the two usual types of killer together which means the roots die off totally over time same as roundup, but the other ingredient works immediately with results being visible in just a day.

After your patch is totally dead I would rake it and roughly rotavated it. Again leave it a few weeks, then re spray if new growth has been activated by disturbing old weed seeds. When this second flush is dead, heavily mulch it with manure (two inches plus) and leave it as long as possible before rotavating or roughly digging in winter and allowing the soil to settle. Hopefully then, all will be ready come next spring.

Totty

[Sweetpea C]

If you intend to use it, you need to let them regrow after strimming. During that time you could have cleared a lot by forking the weeds out.

I would really

I think Pragmatist has a good view on this. You are lucky to get a plot this "early" in the season, so I also would suggest concentrating on getting say a quarter up and running and planted. Digging doesn't take as much time as it might at first appear, especially as the soil is less heavy this time of year, and if the plot was dug in the last 12 months before you took it over.
Perfection doesn't have to be methodical glaciation. There's a Summer coming. Cover a bit, dig a bit, plant a bit, drink a bit, that sounds like perfection, and get the feel of it and something for your labours, to carry you through to next Spring.

agree with the above comments having got a ploy of nettles and brambles earlier on in the year. I'm new to this too but it has really helped to dig a bit, plant something, watch it grow whilst I am digging more. If you look at my diary you can see the before and after pictures (ignore the drivel!) . I decided against the use of round up because I'm really enjoying the process of digging it all out. It really doesn't take as long as you think - a 2 hour dig will give you a bed to plant. Still, each to their own - welcome and good luck 

[The Red Baron]

Wow! Thanks for all the advice. Having still not actually had my feet on the plot I think I'll wait til I get the old peepers on site and re-access....perhaps I may get something in the ground....also any advice on the best place for greenhouses....either new or used. In a man with a selection of cans so transport isn't the issue.