[joolez]

Hi, 

I've been given an allotment from our council.  Its not been used in while and has become very overgrown.  I've managed to get it strimmed right down but can now see its very uneven underneath with some really knotty weed roots.  I'm wondering what would be the best way of killing off all the grass and weeds and giving me a clear start.  I did contemplate rotavating it but have been advised not to as everything will just grow back through.  Do I plastic sheet it to kill everything off or is there a weedkiller that anyone can recommend that will do the job.  I'm keen to get going asap especially before the rain starts again and I'm back to square one with grass four foot high! 

Many thanks in advance.

[AnnieB]

Always differences of opinion on weedkillers but the most used weedkiller appears to be a Glyphosphate based one. This is absorbed through the leaves and travels down to the roots and kills off the root. So the weed does not regrow.

It needs the weed to be growing so now should be a reasonable time. You may have to allow the weeds to grow a little to develop some leaf before applying. Depends on the efficency of your strimming.

It is supposed to be turned harmles on contact with soil but in all common sense that has to be looked on as a bit of an extreme claim - it may break down after a few days but it will not be immediate.

Usually the glyphosphate stuff takes a week or two before you see things dead enough to dig the ground over.

I have found it sort of optimalish to spray and remove the major offenders then just keep on top of the weeds by digging/removing as they appear. If you leave time between to first spray and the digging over then you may have to apply a second spray - the weeds can grow pretty fast. The adverts of:- Spray - dead weed - clear ground is fantasy more like:- Spray - dead weed - new weed is more accurate.

The most well known brand is Roundup, although places like Wilkinsons do their own brand that is less cost. Best applied with a sprayer and do not do it on a windy/breezy day as you do not want any to go on anyone elses plot. A sprayer also allows you to keep the nozzle close to the ground/plant to further keep the coverage under tight control.

From the mechanism that the glyphosphate uses you can predict that once you dig over the ground any buried dormant seeds that get to the surface will start to grow. So once done and dug expect an assortment of new weeds to appear - the idea is these are new and shallow so should be easy to remove (hoe).

Just in case make discrete enquiries about using a weedkiller on the site, just in case they are not allowed.

[fatbelly]

AnnieB is spot in with her post. I would let the weeds grow a tad so that you have some green to spray on & then Nuke the lot with Glyphosphate. I would buy a 5 litre concentrate off somewhere like eBay  because for a full plot that will be the most cost effective way of doing it. I have seen 5 litres of Glyphosphate for £34 on eBay.
Once you spray your plot will be ready to work within 3 short weeks. As opposed to months of hand digging and weeding.

When I got my plot in 2007 I wanted to be Organic and spent months of digging weeds and their roots out, knowing what I now know about Glyphosphate I would use that for the whole plot & then use the Hoe for the weeds that pop up. You will get a lot more weeds because there will be seeds in the soil waiting for the space to germinate but these will be easily hoed off. 

[Daamoot]

To each their own with regards to weed killers but I like to weed my patch with good back power!  The latest patch I'm digging is about 10x30' and I started by diggind a trench at one end which I then flip the next row of weeds into so they get buried upside down at the bottom.  It's all vegetation so burying it deep enough seems to solve the weed issue at the same time as adding nutrients back once it decays.  You obviously need to pull the deep rooted weeds otherwise they will make thier way growing back to the surface but I figure you eventually need to dig the patch anyway so why not do it now rather than wait for weed killer to do its business?  People will have their reasons but I personally couldn't justify using weed killer while trying to be organic.

You could plastic sheet any areas you don't intend to use in the near future as that will keep the weeds down until you get round to using it and you should have fewer weeds to deal with when you do.  I did that around my fruit bushes over winter as they were overgrown by weeds last summer, then earlier this year I cleared and levelled the area then layed weed suppressant fabric so they can't return this year.  It was nice being able to rake most of the weeds off rather than digging them out.

Good luck getting stuck into your new allotment and keep us updated with your plans and progress 

[grinling]

Have you got loads of plants/ seedlings to plant at the mo. If not clear a space (roots and all) for salad/beans/peas and continue to clear the rest. You can buy strong weedkiller on ebay, but will not be able to plant for another month. Even after weedkiller dig out roots etc and burn.
Identify your weeds first might help in long run as well as any weeds on other lots nearby..

[joolez]

Thanks very much for all of your replies and good advice.   

After reading all of your comments I think I will try a mixture of weedkiller on part of the plot, cover over what area I'm not wanting to use immediately and get digging on another part so I can get started whilst waiting for the weedkiller to take effect.  That way I'll be able to 'expand' naturally and when I need to rather than feeling overwhelmed with this huge amount of space and think that I have to plant everything in all of it all at once! 

I will definitely check with other plot holders regarding the use of weedkillers before I start and if it's not allowed reassess my little plan 

Now all I need is this rain to stop...... 

[crh75]

I may have misunderstood you so appologies if I have.  Do not cover where you have used weed killer untill it has taken effect.

[J_B]

i first cover with black plastic for about a month then dig it up by hand makes it a bit easier..