[Potterer]

Hi, yes I almost enjoy seeing the bindweed giving it a try in my nodig beds. It’s easy to pull out and I can see that a year on, its far more spindly and light green, as I haven’t allowed it much time to photosynthesise. I feel that I’m winning the war at the moment!

[New shoot]

Trouble is with fruit is getting to the weeds to pull them.  Woody fruit bush centres and shallow rooted raspberry rows are  a nightmare once perennial weeds get into them.

DHM talked about missing a weekend and having a weed jungle to come back to.   I hear you    Annual weeds are easily put off by mulch, but not the underground invaders.  Leave them a week and they will be several feet long, with even more under the surface.

If you are buying fruit to put in, I still think it is worth clearing the ground first, however you want to do it.  My fruit is now on my small piece of plot, which was bindweed central, plus thistles, nettles, docks ...  you get the picture.  For the first few years I used a lot of big veg that could cope with weeds, membrane, cardboard, deep mulches, plus some digging and weeding.  It worked a treat.  My new fruit patch is a few years old now, deep mulched and pretty easy to keep in order 

[Stewarty]

I've just had an interesting experience with no-dig compost. A year ago a long-time excellent gardener from Jamaica had to finally give up through illness, and he bequeathed to me his huge and ancient compost bin - about 4 yards wide and 3 yards deep by about 4 feet high. My son and I barrowed it across to my plots over 2 hot afternoons last August, and spread it as deep mulch over 2 large areas. Crops have been excellent in those areas this year. Then suddenly, about the start of August this year, hundreds of big strong weeds started appearing. When they set seed I finally recognised them  -  Kallaloo (I think you spell it like that) - the Caribbean spinach-like vegetable. Of course I remembered that he loved to grow it, and his compost was full of the seeds.
I regret to say that I hadn't got my mind in gear as regards ways to use Kallaloo in the kitchen, so most of these plants have already found their way to my compost heaps. I suppose they are likely to re-appear on my plots in future years, so I'll be looking for recipes for Kallaloo.....

[Flowertot]

I would be very interested to hear if anyone who has mares tail on their plot has been successful with no dig gardening. I have a veritable forest of the stuff. I cover it with weed membrane over winter and always dig it out when the covers come off before planting things ...but it persists. However, I will be working full-time from now on and am therefore looking for ways to reduce plot time (especially digging/weeding). Would no-dig work for me?

[Plot 1 Problems]

I would be very interested to hear if anyone who has mares tail on their plot has been successful with no dig gardening. I have a veritable forest of the stuff. I cover it with weed membrane over winter and always dig it out when the covers come off before planting things ...but it persists. However, I will be working full-time from now on and am therefore looking for ways to reduce plot time (especially digging/weeding). Would no-dig work for me?

Just keep that hoe working! I have it on my plot and the more I cut it back the less vigorous it's been each year.

[andreadon]

I've just had an interesting experience with no-dig compost......
 I suppose they are likely to re-appear on my plots in future years, so I'll be looking for recipes for Kallaloo.....

I bet if you head to the cooking section they'll have some ideas

[DHM]

cc, we use an organic approach on oir plot so Glyphosphate (?) is off the menu. It would make life a lot easier using weedkiller I know but it aint for us.