[al1stair]

Hello all

Was allocated an allotment a couple of months back. Usual weed filled mess and hence it was available! I've since strimmed and glyphosated. I'm now in the process of spading off the dead weeds before I plan to dig over and manure for the winter before starting growing in earnest in the spring.

My question is whether or not I should cover the plot over winter and if so whether i need to use landscape matting or can I use dpm as its in much wider sheets, will cost about the same and be more reusable?  Will the weeds grow in winter anyway and if not is it worth covering?

Feel free to also critique my plan in paragraph one as I am pretty clueless other than surfing tinternet and reading a couple of books.

Cheers for any advice

[noshed]

Personally, if you're going to manure it, I'd leave it uncovered over the winter to let the frost at it.
Then give it a light going over in the spring to get ready for sowing. The purpose of covering your plot would be to exclude light so weeds won't grow but if you've glyphosated and are digging out the clumpy weeds I don't think that would be necessary.
Others may disagree...
Welcome, by the way

[PAH48]

Firstly Hi and welcome,
I'm in the process of taking on my second plot.
As the weather has changed so much over the past few weeks, all I 've managed to do so far is flatten the area and with the help of other fellow plotters, cover in viscrene (DPC), held down with bricks ect.
Come spring I dig over the area or an area, plant it out with spuds.
Dig the rest over as and when, but leave it covered until time allows me to press on.
I will add I haven't as yet manured the plot. Although I've noticed  a couple of guys who have manured their plots cover them.
Suppose the jury is out on that one!
ByePAH 'in

[peapod]

Ive left the manured beds open to the elements, and covered the ones I havent using old big plastic bags and big hardcore/sand bags from Travis Perkins
Hopefully itll stop at least some coming through!

Paula

[al1stair]

thanks all for the useful replies. It looks like if I can source enough manure I wont need to cover.

cheers