[MalcW]

Hi All

I haven't been here for quite a while due to work, other commitments etc. The old allotment is gone following a move down here to the West country, but we do at last have a tidy, but small garden. Now this is where I need the advice.
At the foot of our garden is a 6ft fence with a gate leading onto the remains of an old footpath. On the other side of the path, which is about 4ft wide, is another 6ft fence bordering another garden. The path is soil, very overgrown with bindweed etc., and runs roughly East - West. It hasn't been used for years, and is in fact impassable at either end, so it's a potentially usable bit of land. I wondered about trying to clear it and put something in - salad perhaps? The problem is, the ground only sees about an hour of sun max per day from April through to October, though I did wonder whether I could but some sort of reflector there to help get some light down to ground level.
What do you think?

Cheers,

Malc

[New shoot]

It is a difficult spot to grow a crop in.  What about trying comfrey or even nettles to use as fertiliser teas or for cutting greenery for the compost heap or the bean trench?

If there are going to be weeds there, they may as well be useful ones, rather than bindweed.

[jezza]

hi before doing anything to the path make sure its on your deeds and land registry it may be an old public right of way if it is and can be proved that its not been walked for 12 years or more you may be able to incorporate it on to your property.  we had a path running through the market garden a old man used to walk it every new years day  this kept it open if no one walks it new years day assume that its defunct but check with the local land owners at each end to see if goes any where     jezza

[Yorkie]

Salad leaves and other leaf crops such as leaf beet, chard, should be happy in that situation.

Make sure that the ground is not contaminated from when the path was created.

[MalcW]

Thanks all. The path hasn't been used for many years, and is impassable at either end. In fact a neighbour 2 doors away has legally incorporated his section of the path into his property, so it won't be used again.

For now I think I'll clear our section to the best of my ability and give the leaf crops option a go.

Malc

[3759allen]

try and get it incorporated into your deeds first.

i guess spray off any weeds, assuming there's decent top soil then pile on the organics as a mulch this year and grow in it next year.