[richyrich7]

Will these roots sprout again?  Am I doing more harm than good?

 :?:  :shock:

Depends on the weed, but yes probably, 2nd answer is no the more you can get out the better, but every bit you leave in will make a new plant again depending on the weed type, any idea?. if they are thick whitish from a grass then it's probably couch grass which will come back, patience and perserverence are the key.

[littlemisssunshine]

The roots are really fine.  Further along my plot I had thick, long white roots that were easy to extract.  To avoid breaking them I used a fork to separate them and lifted them in one satifactory tug.

These are different, strand like and fine.  I know this sound thick but they just look like grass weeds that could just fade away!  :oops:

[richyrich7]

The roots are really fine.  Further along my plot I had thick, long white roots that were easy to extract.  To avoid breaking them I used a fork to separate them and lifted them in one satifactory tug.

These are different, strand like and fine.  I know this sound thick but they just look like grass weeds that could just fade away!  :oops:

No you don't sound thick, I'll stick my neck out and say they sound like annual grass roots to me, could be wrong   anyway if they are just dig them over, remove what you can and you should be fine.

Here's a link to show you what couch looks like

[littlemisssunshine]

Thank you!!  I shall dig confidently and bravely from now on, basically anything I can I will remove.

I have had my plot for 6 weeks now and I love it.  Just bought the greenhouse for £40 from a neighbour who kept it on there.

I cannot wait until we get really going.  My little broadbeans are coming through. I said 'hello' and welcomed them as my first ever planted seeds.

My garlic is in, I just need more time to be there!!

[gobs]

I am a bit confused,  As a newby up to my elbows in weeds, I covered half my plot in sheeting to try and knock the weeds back.  

I managed to get down to dig this morning.  Even though the ground was hard I was going well.  My only query is: the soil broke up fine, but the roots of the weeds were hard to remove and kept breaking off before I could separate them, if that makes sense.

Will these roots sprout again?  Am I doing more harm than good?

 :?:  :shock:

This scenario makes perfect sense to me in clay soil, or on slightly frozen ground, the roots will be brittle and very breakable at that point.

Choose a mild , dry period for winter digging , see DD's post, if you can't accommodate one , I personally would not bother.  Get back to it when the conditions are right, even if it means wasting spring planting time, you do not want to ruin your soil and you do not need to waste that time every year thereon after!

[richyrich7]

I've never had a problem digging on frosted ground gobs as long as you don't walk on what you dig you're not gonna damage the structure of the soil, if I get time this week I'll be digging, if the spade goes in I dig.

[WG.]

Hi, you mentioned bindweed in your first post : http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?p=110242#110242 : and that is a real pig to get rid of.  That will be the long white roots you mention above.

Also, if the polythene has only been down for 6 weeks - in winter - it will have done nothing to reduce the vigour of any of the perennials (sorry).

My suggestion would be to leave the polythene in place for at least one full season.  You can grow some vegetables by punching holes through it, e.g. cucurbits, cabbage, potatoes.

[littlemisssunshine]

Thanks for the advice, am thinking of punching hole through.  My aim is to get half the plot in order this year and then the other half next year.

[DD.]

Not much worth going in there once the soil is well wet though, I think.

Well, I intend going up to the plot next week, weather permitting. We've had a cold, but dry spell, there's old stuff still to be pulled out/chopped back and then I'll winter dig. The UK 10 day forecast give no precipitation in my neck of the woods, right up to Christmas Day, so it may be a case of wrap up warm & get cracking.

The plots are not bad, as I forked them out a couple of months ago, but you never get every weed and I see the couch grass is already coming back in places.

May take a frost check on that :!:  Highs of 0 celcius forecast for Friday & Saturday, early week not much warmer. Perhaps wait for the January heatwave.

[gobs]

Well, Rich, frost here or there, wet is alone enough for me. Can't see much point in playing with cold wet clay. It will depend for everybody on their soil type, too, not just the local weather.

As for the original question, I don't even seem to know when Fletch put her cover down, but I really think there is nothing wrong with not weeding it beforehand, that's what it can be used for, to ease the weeding problem. It just needs to be in place for a long while, as per WG.

[fletch]

I've been covering my beds for a few months now, since about September.  (I'm a "he" btw gobs !)
I went up yesterday for a peek and a lot of the weeds have gone (annuals I guess) and the perennials (dandelions etc) are all nicely blanched! So I guess at the very least they are weakened.

The ground is frozen solid though - even under the cardboard/plastic, so my digging duties can be put on hold until the New Year  

[gobs]

I'm sorry, Sir.

Just do as Rich, Salkela and WG suggested, a lot of things can be grown through them, and clear some place for other things, when the ground allows.

Never underestimate a blanched dandelion, though!

[mkhenry]

Fletch You have not said (unless i missed it)what you have covered your plot with.
It does matter because your course of action is a bit different if its just cardboard.If its proper weed suppressent thats one thing cardboard is quite another.  

[fletch]

Hi Henry, it's actually a bit of both. Some with cardboard and some with black plastic.

Some of the cardboard is looking a bit ropey, but hanging in there.

Which brings me to my next question........ what do I do with all the cardboard when I take it off? I've heard mention of composting it, does that mean chopping it up and putting it on my compost heap? (I've got a LOT of cardboard!).

Fletch

[Salkeela]

Mine has just rotted into the soil now.  
As my link upthread shows I laid cardboard, and covered it with compost.  I'm not digging this year but planting straight into the compost again.  One of the beds (with spuds) was also mulched with old hay.   Worked just great.

However if leaving card down it's important to remove all the tape, staples etc as they don't rot.