Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Katt on March 24, 2006, 09:54
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:D Hi everyone!...Weve just taken up an allotment here in wolverhampton.....and its covered in grass...i dont think its been seen to for a couple of years at least!!...The area we're going to use is all strimmed down...But my question is....how do we go about preparing the land for planting? :wink: ...It seems a very daunting task as the soil is covered in grass and we have no idea where to begin!!....Id like to start planting as soon as possible and am not keen on using too many pesticides....Any tips??.....Thank you sooo much...your newest recruit... Katt x x x :D
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Hi Katt let me be the first to welcome you. I am a complete newbie myself and took up my plot a couple of weeks ago and they sound very similar covered in grass and not used for a year or two. I have started off quite small and have dug over and got ready for planting a plot about 5X5 meters. First i started by roughly breaking the soil up with a fork so that the clods could be left for a few days to dry out then i have dug over it roughly again and removed all the weeds and plants i could see. Then i have gone over it for the final time and bashed out all the lumps and got the final weeds and made a nice level crumbly soil. to top it off i have sprinkled a box of general plant fertiliser and raked that into the surface. so now i believe that spot is ready for planting now. i would have like to use compost but seeing as i have just started and not built my compost bin yet i will have to wait. It has been hard work but very pleasant and i can't wait for my bountifull harvest. My allotments offer a rotovation service for new tenants, you may find there is something available at yours and that would take a lot of the work away. The best advice i can probably give is to get talking to the old boys on your site most allotmenteers seem very friendly and only to willing to give advice. Good luck and let us all know how you get on.
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Take off the turf/grass layer. We didn't for most of the beds and we regret it now. It takes ages for it to rot down and if it doesn't rot down, you just get heaps of weedy grass trying to take over your beds and drown out your plants. We're leaving our turf chunks grass side down because we heard that it will eventually turn into loam if left like this. We're also covering it in black plastic to help it heat up and rot down a bit quicker.
Take a look at this for organic plot clearing too: http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicgardening/plot_clearing.php
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Hi there, I am reletively new to this site, but I think I may have some words of wisdom!
Take off the turf first, and pile it grass on grass, mud on mud, somewhere on your plot, it should rot down eventually, leaving you with some nice topsoil.
To clear my allotment, after getting rid of all the trees and brambles, I divided it into a grid, using bamboo canes laid on the ground.Then I dug over one section at a time, and before you know it, the whole plot was done!
It is better to try and do a bit at a time, rather than trying to do the whole plot in one go, as that can be soul destroying! I have seen so many people on their plots trying to do it all at once, and all of them haven't returned.
If you are worried about weeds growing on your nice clean soil, try growing a green manure, or putting in some teddies, they will condition the soil nicely, for next year!
Another idea to clear it, could be to get all your friends over there with you, for a digging day, maybe you could all take refreshments, and have a good old laugh while your burning all those calories!
Good luck, I hope that has helped a little!
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Couldn't have said it better myself, Becky!
Welcome Katt - don't forget to enjoy the plot when you've done all the hard graft.
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Hi Katt, and welcome. I'm another relative newbie myself. Don't have an allotment, but house stands in half an acre of weedy lawn!!
I'm gradually getting it sorted, but may be moving again soon if all goes as planned, so I'm a bit worried about putting anything in the ground, because I don't want to leave it behind!
When I got my first small veg plot dug, OH stacked all the grass clumps in an oblong up to about 2.5 feet, then filled the middle with compost, earth and kitchen scraps etc, then spread earth across the top and I had a lovely raised strawberry bed! the grass still grew out the sides, but it helped it all keep together.
Mind you, OH dug it all up last year because he built a little patio on that spot to catch the evening sun!!!
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Hi there, I am reletively new to this site, but I think I may have some words of wisdom!
Take off the turf first, and pile it grass on grass, mud on mud, somewhere on your plot, it should rot down eventually, leaving you with some nice topsoil.
To clear my allotment, after getting rid of all the trees and brambles, I divided it into a grid, using bamboo canes laid on the ground.Then I dug over one section at a time, and before you know it, the whole plot was done!
It is better to try and do a bit at a time, rather than trying to do the whole plot in one go, as that can be soul destroying! I have seen so many people on their plots trying to do it all at once, and all of them haven't returned.
If you are worried about weeds growing on your nice clean soil, try growing a green manure, or putting in some teddies, they will condition the soil nicely, for next year!
Another idea to clear it, could be to get all your friends over there with you, for a digging day, maybe you could all take refreshments, and have a good old laugh while your burning all those calories!
Good luck, I hope that has helped a little!
What are teddies?!
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i was going to ask that but felt silly.
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I reckon potatoes - now hoping I don't look silly :)
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Hi!. Sorry, teddies, are potatoes. Old devonshire word used by my grandad, that rubbed off on me! Have a good one!
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JHi Becky and welcome !!
DIG
OGGY
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:D Thank you all so much!!...Youre all so lovely and friendly!!!...Hope im not too late in the year to get started!! x x x
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Being friendly isn't unusual on allotments, we all talk about the benefits of growing veggies, the healthy exercise and so on but the social interaction is really important too.
You're not too late at all, maybe you won't get all your plot under cultivation this year but you'll get a fair amount of produce, I'm sure.
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I thought teddies would be like "teddy bear" marigolds :oops: Speaking of marigolds, I read some place that a certain kind of marigold tagnes minuta (or something like that) can inhibit weed growth, even killing bindweed (!) and couch grass. Pondering if I want to spend £2 on a packet of seeds to see if it really works on my one "bed" that isn't being cultivated this year...
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Thompson & Morgan do Marigold: Tomato Growing Secret - the smell repels whitefly and nematodes - hence the name. (Tagetes patula)
Marigold: Tomato Growing Secret (http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/299/1?SA=1505)
I've heard about the effect on couch and bindweed but I've not seen any proper tests.
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Marigolds are normally good for keeping pests away generally but that isn't the kind I found mentioned elsewhere...
http://www.plantcultures.org.uk/plants/marigold_grow_it.html
"Another marigold species, Tagetes minuta is distinct, being a very large plant with tiny flowers. It is usually grown by organic gardeners for its beneficial properties on soil, as the roots exude chemicals which repel couch grass and eelworms."
and http://www.thecuttinggarden.com/html/DataCard.asp?cat=2&type=halfhardy&Product=343
"Not a looker, but an extraordinary plant - its roots kill perennial weeds. Its cleared a whole bed of bindweed at Perch Hill. Give it a try."
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds/pages/moreinfo.asp?pe=DBFBCJGFQ_+tagetes+minuta&cid=211
"It is not as an ornamental that it is sought, but for its reputation as a destroyer of weeds by means of its apparently herbicidal root secretions. Among the more popular weeds said to yield to these are Ground Elder, Couch Grass, Convolvulus and other nasties. "
Maybe it's just all rumours though :wink: I know in companion planting marigolds are suppose to keep pests away from tomatoes etc, but I can't find out if it's pot marigold/calendula or african/french marigolds. I'd not plant the above marigold as edging on a bed, though, as they apparently get up to 4-8ft tall...
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Some good links there, thanks.
I'm always a little cautious of claims - but the marigold vs whitefly is well known - OH usually grows some for me to put in the greenhouse.
The tagetes effect has been talked about but Garden Organic (HDRA) say it has no effect on bindweed, nothing abour couch grass though.
Still, you can always give these things a try - nothing ventured..