[Sweetpea C]

So, here is the piece of ground I have been offered for an allotment.

Its about 25ft wide and goes on for ever! The current owners have already done a lot of work in terms of removing trees and strimming. I had a practice dig and it's beautiful black soil underneath, just like compost, and nothing seems to be too deep.

Now, I've had lots of advice and offers of help.

So far these include:
1. use a weedkiller
2. don't use a weed killer if you want to grow veg on it this year (I do)
3. rotivate the lot and then dig the roots of the weeds out
4. don't rotivate, it will chop the weeds and spread them around
5. digging is the only way to guarantee you get everything out
6. shall I come and mow it with my tractor...

So, where should I start? Thanks

[mike0001]

i would say dig a piece at a time, weed it by hand but pace yourself ....... and most of all enjoy

here in corby now its getting deep with snow and your not to far 

[DD.]

Dig it to get all the weeds out, do not rotavate it, it will chop up all the weed roots and replant  them for you. It will be much harder to pick all the roots out afterwards.

However, if you do want to go down the weedkiller route, to say that you can't plant for a year is a load of rubbish. If you use glyphosate, you can plant pretty much straight away, although the instructions of "Roundup" say to leave it a week.

[Sweetpea C]

Thanks, I'll see how far I get with digging, I like digging.

I was thinking of doing one raised bed, cover it, move onto the next. At least then I will see a bit of progress. Even if I only get spuds this year it will be something :-).

Should I burn the weeds as I go?

However, not much will be happening this week apart from litter clearing - loads of snow :-).

[Aunt Sally]

1. use a weedkiller - YES definitely !

2. don't use a weed killer if you want to grow veg on it this year (I do) - absolutely not true, you can use glyphosate and grow food the same year.

3. rotivate the lot and then dig the roots of the weeds out - NOOOOOO !!!!  It will magnify your problem 100 fold.

4. don't rotivate, it will chop the weeds and spread them around - very true

5. digging is the only way to guarantee you get everything out - Herbicide then dig, cover with weed supressant if you cant dig within a couple of months of weed killing.

6. shall I come and mow it with my tractor... - You can but no need if you herbicide but the roots will be very strong still and make digging out a slower process that herbiciding.


I have seen so many new allotment holders on our site become slowly or quickly overcome by weeds because they won't use herbicides and don't have enough time to get their small (30 x 40 ft) plots dug over and perennial weed roots removed.  They give up or are evicted. 

If your plot is large and you don't have lots of time and a strong back to dig it over finely and remove all the roots before spring then herbicide is the only way to succeed in my opinion. 

[ThePragmatist]

If you are going to go with digging, I would recommend covering everything up with a weed control membrane. I found the thinnish black weed control fabric still lets light through, so you may need to mulch on top to keep out all the light. Thicker stuff may not need it.

I didn't do this and when spring arrived the weeds showed me how fast they can grow.

Good luck! Even if you only get part of it cleared this year, you should still be able to get some wonderful things out of the ground.

[pdblake]

Just to second what Aunt Sally said and to add, if you want to do something quickly then you could put a thick layer of cardboard down and top with manure/compost. Plant straight through it.

[Sweetpea C]

thanks everyone, you are a very helpful lot

[compostqueen]

You need not do it all in one go. Why would you?  If you did, could you fill it immediately?  I doubt it. It will still be there tomorrow and the next day so don't be hurried. Why hurry, as you didn't have your plot yesterday.  Enjoy standing and staring, daydreaming and planning what to put where, preferably with a cup of something hot 

As the weather is so cold at the moment it seems a good time to browse the seed catalogues and think about what you most want to get from your plot so you a rough idea of what you'll be sowing and planting when the weather picks up 

[Sweetpea C]

hummm cup of something hot or glass of something cold!!!

Yes, I have decided to do one bed and path at a time.

Thank you

[The Golden Heap]

Hi, round up and the like work best during the growing season, I would dig a patch ready for potatoes and onion / garlic etc, then spray the area required in a few months, I would recommend roundup, I have used lightly on my plot, and I am to a ig fan of going chemical but from what I have read it appears safe, with aunt Sally on this also. Just relax and enjoy

[Sweetpea C]

So, I've measured the plot today...6.5 mtrs (21ft) x 15 mtrs (50ft) the bit that has already been strimmed but needs digging over / weed killing.

Then there is another 21ft x 100 ft which still needs all of it clearing.

I'm going to have fun planning that lot! little and often, little and often!

Thanks for your help all. I'm getting some great advice on this site and actually don't feel quite as dautned as I probably should. 

[Yorkie]

Just make sure that you've got a way to keep weeds under control by the time they start regrowing in spring.  If you have a plan, and aren't bothering neighbouring plots with weeds / seeds,  then you're much less likely to get complaints.

[Sweetpea C]

Thanks Yorkie,

There aren't really any neighbours - the plot has been barely touched for 20 years, it's private land so I think I'm okay for a while.

Still, some advice is always welcome :-) thank you :-)

[DigIt]

When I took on my second plot (11m x 10m) which had been dug from grass and but then abandoned for 2 years and was mainly infested with docks, all I did w
ith the area that I did not immediately cultivate, was to chip off the weed tops periodically. Yes, this leaves the roots in the ground and they will regrow but provided they are not allowed to seed then your problem does not multiply and then you can dig out the roots at your leisure.
Just a thought, it worked for me (I eventually cultivated the whole patch over a 9 month period, nibbling away a bit at a time) and avoids use of herbicides.
D