[AK9]

Hi All,
Newbie here.
Just managed to get to the top of the list and get a plot.

The plot is full of weeds (or i think so) and from what the caretaker said these are surface weeds.
I think I can identify chickweed at this point in time (see photo below).
Can you see anything else?

What do you suggest? I was thinking of starting to get them out by hands(gloves) one by one..

[AK9]

Forgot photo..

[BabbyAnn]

Hi AK9 - and welcome.  I'm sure lots of others will be along to welcome you and give advice soon.  As for chickweed - well you can totally ignore me but I personally would not bother hand weeding it as it has brittle stems that snap off leaving the fine roots behind which re-grow.  Not the worst of perennial weeds, but can be just as frustrating when year after year it pops up again.  I'd be tempted to give it a once over with weedkiller but up to you about how "organic" you want to start off.  Otherwise, it does come down to digging and removing the weeds complete with roots by hand.

Good luck with your new plot 

[AK9]

Many thanks for your welcome BabbyAnn!
I think I am going to need all the luck I can get.


Sounds like I am going to have an interesting weekend then removing roots..

[mumofstig]

I can't see anything that's nasty tbh. Chickweed is an annual, which you can just hoe off. More will grow in any mild spells, so just keep hoeing it off!

When you dig or fork over now, or in the Spring, as you turn the soil over you'll bury most of those anyway.

Anything that looks like it has a long tap root, rather than a fibrous root - then these are the ones you need to dig out as you fork over or dig.

Good luck 

[Fairy Plotmother]

Hello and welcome AK9.  :)This is great advice that everyone will give you. Don't do it all at once!!!!! Section by section is best and perhaps you would like to plant some winter veg as you go. Others far more expert than I will be able to advise you on that score.

[AK9]

Thanks mumofstig and Fairy.

I am probably thinking of clearing a corner tomorrow and if it goes fast, i might try my luck with some garlic..

[Totty]

If it's mainly annuals, I'd strim it off tight, so you just have bare soil left, if your planting garlic, dig an area over for them to occupy, plant em, then coner the rest with black plastic or carpet for the winter.

When you come to remove the sheets in the spring all the annual weeds will be dead, and only the nasty perenial ones will start showing fairly quickly, the soil under the cover will be warmer, therefore stirring these weeds into early growth. These can then be dealt with easily one by one. You then have a clean slate to start next season. With minimal backache!

Totty

[Yorkie]

Lots of good advice here, but please do not use carpet.

It is now banned on many sites.  It contains chemicals which will in all likelihood leach out into the soil.  It is an absolute nightmare to lift and dispose of once wet and muddy.  Many people leave it down longer than initially intended and it either disintegrates into pieces, or the weeds grow through it.  Someone on here slipped a disc in trying to lift carpet with weeds through it.

The main website has lots of useful information, including this article:
http://www.allotment-garden.org/allotment/clearing-new-allotment-plot.php

[Totty]

Have never thought about the chemicals from carpets leaching out Yorkie. Good advice though. I've often used black plastic, but I've seen lots of allotments locally where people use them.

Totty

[AK9]

Thanks!

I was thinking about black woven plastic. The caretaker in the allotment recommended it.
Perhaps I will cover 1/2 or 3/4 with the plastic and focus on the remaining..

Sadly tomorrow looks like a rainy day, so probably wont try to remove any weeds.

[Yorkie]

Black woven plastic is very effective, as long as it's not the poundland stuff.

If you have a choice of widths, go for the widest available - you don't have as many 'edges' to weigh down against the wind.

Bricks will hold it down if it's robust enough; otherwise, large plastic milk cartons (post-consumption!) filled with water should do the trick over winter.

[AK9]

Will have to get something from B&Q or Homebase, so hope that quality wise it is ok. thinking for 10mx2 or more wider.
Thanks for the idea with the milk cartons, this will be very useful since i dont expect to find any bricks.

[JohnB47]

If it's mainly annuals, I'd strim it off tight, so you just have bare soil left, if your planting garlic, dig an area over for them to occupy, plant em, then coner the rest with black plastic or carpet for the winter.

When you come to remove the sheets in the spring all the annual weeds will be dead, and only the nasty perenial ones will start showing fairly quickly, the soil under the cover will be warmer, therefore stirring these weeds into early growth. These can then be dealt with easily one by one. You then have a clean slate to start next season. With minimal backache!

Totty

I second this 100% (apart from the possible problem with carpet, which others have now advised against). Even when you get past the starter stage (I'm still getting there after 4 years)  its good advice to cover areas you're not using. It makes life  a lot easier. I think that the difficulty with dealing with weeds results in many new allotmenters giving up. I've been there, nearly got the teashirt. Good luck.

[snowdrops]

You could gurgle weed membrane,wouldn't take long to come & more of a choice.