Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: animalsvegetables on December 05, 2010, 11:09
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We took over a plot a few weeks ago. I managed to dig over and cover about a third of it before the big frost came. There's still work to do -- half of it is still a jungle of weeds.
It's unlikely I'll be able to dig the ground now as it's pretty much granite. Instead, I was going to fork up the remaining weeds. But, should I mulch the forked ground or leave it uncovered? If
I covered the ground, would there be much point in forking up the weeds in the first place?
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Its unlikely that weed seeds will sprout through the winter but you can always cover the cleared area with flattened cardboard. This will stop any future sprouting, it will keep the soil moist, and it will break down by spring ready for planting. Just be sure to tack it down well so it doesn't blow away or onto neighbours' yards.
Avoid walking or working the area when the ground is very soggy; this only pushes out air in the soil and makes the soil harder and less appealing to worms and such.
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And in year 1 you can plant straight through the cardboard until you decide on your beds/paths or whether to grow in the 'traditional allotment' style.
I'd get as much cardboard down as possible through this long cold winter....you can weigh it down with plastic milk cartons filled with water, bricks or clods of mud. :D
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We're still getting deliveries of manure and council compost on our site so there's something to mulch with. Might be worth asking if you get that.