[Bibbiz]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie on this site and a newbie to gardening who has just paid for an allotment for the year!

I was wondering if anybody could give me any adevice on how they would tackle my allotment( pictured). I have read a few articles on preparing allotments but would appreciate a bit more clarity on the gardening terms or for lack of a better word - jargon..

I'm guessing I start by raking off the dead grass and removing doc weeds - are these easy to eradicate? I plan on covering with a plastic sheet over the winter so do I turn the soil then add manure before doing so?

I have been told the soil is fairly fertile from previous owners using, I am also on the Isle of Man which I believe is zone 9??

There is also an old raspberry bush with a few greenish leaves on but I might take that out to start over with a new plan come February..

Please see pic.. any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!!

[azubah]

Welcome Bibbiz.
I would select an area to build a compost heap and put all the weeds there.
You have plenty of time to get ready for spring so take advantage of any dry sunny days that you can.
Have a look at what everyone else is doing and copy them.
Enjoy.
best wishes.

[Mr Dog]

Recent advice here http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=126672.0

[JMCKG]

Go the No Dig way, just google. Clean up remove weeds to compost. Cover in cardboard, cover with manure, compost etc. Cover with plastic till ready to plant.

https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/no-dig-growing/allotments/

[Yorkie]

Recent advice here http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=126672.0

I agree - look at the posts in that thread, but there's also an article on the main website: http://www.allotment-garden.org/allotment-information/clearing-new-allotment/

[Tenhens]

Hello from North Derbyshire!!!

As above and take more pictures so you can look back , especially next year when you serve up that lovely veg , and say to your self ' I grew that' .  My family love home grown spuds plus anything else we can get to the plate.

Good Luck!!

PS . Everybody has been a beginner.

[Fairy Plotmother]

Welcome and good luck

[sunshineband]

Welcome Bibbiz and congratulations on taking over your first plot. Lots of sources of advice already passed on so I won't add to them.

Would you mind adding your location into your profile for us please so people know whereabouts in the country/world you are growing please? It will help understand your local conditions a bit better. Hope you don't mind!

[al78]

I would start by going to the local bike shops, and asking if they could let you have their discarded cardboard bike boxes. Once you have a few of these, take them to the plot, and use them to cover the ground (weigh down with stones). Select a small area (say a few sq m) and start digging out the perennial weeds and break up the soil if it is compacted. Repeat whenever you have a couple of hours every week. If you can get hold of manure in bulk, spread that on the ground as you are digging it. By the time Spring arrives, you should have a plot which will look like it can grow something other than docks and nettles.

You could go no dig, I don't have experience/knowledge of this, but as I understand it, it involves spreading organic material to knock the weeds back, which the worms will gradually pull into the ground. Bear in mind you will need a substantial amount of organic material to do this. If your plot is 250 sq m and you want to cover 80% of it with four inches of compost/manure/whatever you will need 20 cubic meters of material. That is a lot! Think how you will get hold of this material and how you will transport it to your plot.

[Bibbiz]

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

I've figured out how I can level my plot out and roll all the soil back and been told that the couch grass will work very well as a 'wall' at the bottom of the plot.

I have decided to go with the no dig option as my allotment association gets free manure tipped out to us which is extremely handy.. and figured it would take around 30 barrows which is where I will have my work cut out as my allotment is the second furthest plot away from where it is dumped!

I will be sure to update my profile info for future chats.

Thanks once again and I look forward to posting pictures after the hard work is done 😄

[Pescador]

Hi Bibbiz,
 
What is the size of your plot? 30 barrow loads is about 2.5 cu.m. if it's a large builders barrow. That would give a 10cm covering over 250 sq.m.