[Mand312]

Hello all. Finally, after 3 years I've got to the top of the waiting list and taken on a 9m/6m (roughly) plot. Here is how it looks now:



Now, I know I need to strip it, dig it and get it ready for next year, but can I keep any of this stuff I take out for compost?

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site and congrats on your new lotty 

I'd take steps to identify what you've got in the plot already which you might want to keep.  It looks as though there may be some raspberries on there, for example (lighter green leaves, about 3-4' tall single stems).

The grass will be compostable if it's got fibrous, matted roots.  If it has coarser leaves and piano-wire-like white roots, you need to dig (or fork) those roots out and get rid of them.  You could cover up parts until you're ready to tackle them if you haven't got round to them by, say, March.

If you click on the Grow Your Own link underneath the top banner you'll find an article on clearing the plot, which may be useful.

Another useful thing would be to add your general location to your forum profile - just click your username to edit the profile 

[Mand312]

Thanks Yorkie. How would I go about rescuing the Raspberry plants? (I can confirm they are as I took the fruits home!)

[Growster...]

Great news about your Patch - congratulations, the wait will be well worth it!

The rasps are probably Autumn ones if the fruit was still there recently, so your best bet is first to see if they are in some sort of line, and mark them out with a stake at each end (if they are in a row that is)! Then cut them back to about 6" above ground level about now.

If they are summer ones, which I would doubt at this time of year, you would have just cut out the fruiting stems, and left the new growth. I reckon you need to do the former and take them down to the ground, don't worry, they grow like weeds, and in any case, there's quite a lot more you can do in the meantime...

It may be worth having a poke round and see if there are any other bushes like blackcurrants or gooseberries there. Certainly you need to do as Yorkie says, and get rid of the greenery you know will not be needed on the voyage, and then you'll be able to see what you've got left, because you'll surely be surprised, especially if something like rhubarb turns up where you least expect it! If you 'Google Images' of various types of bush, you might get a better steer on what's there, but it's a bit late in the year for some leaves now, so you may need to wait until spring.

(Just to say that we had exactly the same sort of patch that you're taking on, and it was full of surprises)!

Best of luck, and keep the questions coming!

[allotmentann]

Congratulations on your new patch. It is so exciting to start a new plot, and you have got it at such a lovely time of the year. You can concentrate on getting it all clear, ready for the new growing season, and it is the perfect time for adding any new fruit bushes or trees, Lucky you having established raspberries! I have had to wait months just to be able to plant some and although I may get a few next year, it will be the year after that, I think, that I get a decent crop!
Take your time and clear thoroughly. The more time that you put into
clearing all bits of perennial weeds the less time you will have to spend in years to come.
As Yorkie says your 'normal' grass and annual weeds (as long as they do not have seed heads) can go straight on your compost heap. But you can also compost your perennial weeds if you either drown them or dry them (do we ever have weather good enough to dry anything anymore!) first.
If you are not certain which weeds are which this is a good place to identify them:

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weedtype.php?id=0

Above all just take your time, enjoy it and don't expect to do too much too soon. Before you know it you will have a beautiful plot producing yummy veg

[pdblake]

You should be safe to take those rasps out and move them if you like. For the rest I would be tempted to strim it down and compost it, then tackle the roots a bit at a time. If that grass is just grass and not couch you could just turn it over and let the winter do the rest for you. Just make sure you pull out any perennial roots as you go.

Check before you strim though, you don't want to go dicing up anything nice

[ilan]

all good advice. I would however as you take of the grass as squares or clumps of turf stack them face to face with a few layers of cardboard . Next talk to other plot holders look at the plots and at this stage plan out the beds size etc , with this weather once stripped you will do more damage  walking on bare soil. 

[Mand312]

Thanks for the advice all. I've found a (Pineapple?) Mint bush, but from my experience doesn't mint go a little bit mad? Should I dig it out and pot it up?

Hopefully will get down there today and have a good look round. I've got blackberries? along the fence which are all overgrown and I need advice on them too!

Can I move the raspberries? I would want to put them on the boarder, but dont want to move them til I'm sure.

There is at least 1 Doc plant, and their roots go to hell don't they?

Should I be digging in organic material/feed once I start the dig?

Sorry for all the questions. I've read a few books, but its all so overwhelming at the start!

[Yorkie]

You can move the raspberries when you like, up till the time when they start growing new canes.  You should be aware that they do 'creep' over time because each year new canes grow from the base, so won't stay in the border obediently!

Docks can be a bit of a nightmare but with a fork or spade you'll be fine.

Blackberries I tend to chop out the older / fruited canes; not sure if it's a bit too late now to do it:
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=93

If you have easy access to organic matter such as well rotted manure, you could add it soon and either leave it on top or dig it in after weeding.  But I wouldn't worry too much about it if you don't have access this year.  Focus on clearing the plot if the soil is dry enough.

[Growster...]

Can you wander round the better patches near you, Mand?

Take a peek at what the state of their patches are in, and see if you can copy what they've done - it's a hard allotmenteer who worries about your interest, and you may get some help or tips if you need them!

Ask yourself, is my soil, my patch, my garden, going to look like this when I've dug it? Have I stacked the weeds that Yorkie suggests in a compost heap? Can I take those obvious weeds out, like docks, and chuck them somewhere out of harm's way?

Of course you can - just do it!

Don't even consider trying to go for perfection yet, because you'll (I've), never achieve(d) it, just do what your instinct - and Yorkie - says, which is make the patch tidy, clear away the rubbish, dig out the weeds (this will be the hardest part, so get ready for some back-ache), and then choose the seeds for next year (this is the great part, get ready for some real enjoyment)!

This time next year, there will certainly be several rows or beds of great produce, so keep at it!

90% work, 30% brain, 20% luck, 10% talking to us, and that's about it, give or take a few % points...!

[savbo]

I think it's worth mounding all the green stuff up and covering with plastic for a while. When you come back to it, it's usually obvious what is perennial weeds that need throwing and what is suitable for the compost heap - the pernnials are still alive!

Once you get the top stuff stripped and are digging over beds, you might want to use the 3 bucket system I use... one for soft weeds that can go on the compost, one for horsetail roots, docks and other nasty perennials that go in the green bin, and a small one for glass and other rubbish. Stones get buzzed to the boundary or collected up to be used as drainage... always feels like a faff getting it organised but good feeling at the end that everything ended up where it should....

sav

[GYO Girl]

All of the above.... plus have a look at the Free To a Good home section of this forum and ask DD nicely if he can add you to the Veg Seed Pass The Parcel!