[craynerd]

Hi, I signed into our first plot the other day after being on the waiting list 5 1/2 years. I'm pleased with our small plot but it has been left to get a little over grown. I'm not scared of hard work but can I ask what the general consensus of opinion would be in terms of getting this plot ready for next year.

Picture attached.

There is an awful lot of overgrow grass as much as anything and I don't have any none mains power tools that I could use like a strimmer, which I will purchase but in time. I need to spend more time looking, but as far as I can see, there is no plant life living on the plot that I wish to keep and would like to get back to scratch.

Is a weed killer such as glyphosate an option or is hard work, digging and drives to the tip the key here?

I'm really interested in your advice.

I have a separate thread running on the greenhouse structure at the end here: http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=111413.msg1261957#new

[fatcat1955]

Bit late for weedkillers, they need to be applied whilst the weeds are growing . Looks like digging to me.

[diospyros]

It looks to me like you have some wooden edged beds separated by little grass paths.  One way of managing the weeds could be to put down something to suppress them on the beds, because the weeds won't be able to get back in from the paths, if the edging is still sound.  You could use cardboard or a purpose made fabric and plant through it in the spring, and for the first year concentrate on crops that can cope with that medium like courgettes and potatoes.  At least if you do dig, you have nice well defined areas to focus on!  You could use a mix of methods, you don't have to commit to digging or mulching or weedkillering the whole plot.

[gavinjconway]

That's not overgrown!!!! You should have seen mine!! A Dogwood and Laurel forest and all sorts of nasties!!

Anyway for the size I would do it properly from the start.. Dig it properly.... If you can get hold of manure I would add a good layer and dig down at least 2 spade depths and remove as much of the roots as possible. Basically - double digging. Search on how to double dig. It looks like its all basic bush grass and little or no couch.. Anyway get the grass hoed off before you get to dig and start a compost heap with it. Then add the roots as long as they are not couch grass. You should have time to do it now before it freezes over.. If not you can carry on when the ground thaws out.

I manured and double dug my plot in a very short total time - mainly all in the early spring as I was getting all the infrastructure sorted during the winter. See my profile for my info blog which shows my first 2 years - so far..   

I'm no Tarzan but was able to double dig about 5 sq mt in 2-3 hours and removed loads and loads of roots at the same time. Just do some each time and you will soon finish it. Your pic of the plot looks like it could be about 15x5mt less some areas for pathways (I hate paths)... So say 20-25 hours to dig it.. simples. I use scaffold planks for movable pathways so I get maximum plantage area all used.

I got my plot in November and dug and prepared the whole plot in March and April  and planted the whole growing area of about 190 sq mt. So it can be done..  You just gotta DO it. Oh and you say you are not afraid of hard work so it will be a doddle. I did spread some beds with manure during the winter as well.

You mentioned drives to the tip.. you can compost most so no need to throw it away. If you have couch grass and other bad perennial roots like doc or bindweed , collect and dry them - then burn along with any wood and hard plant material etc. that you have - then use the ash as potash..


Remember to have fun and enjoy it.

[craynerd]

Thank you very very much for your reply!

I`m going to ask some questions and I have been googling but struggling to find answers.

You mentioned about simply hoeing off the grass - once it has been hoed up and unrooted, would you just shake the soil of it all or simply hoe it up and shoved it all off? I`m guessing if I compost it I won`t want too much soil on it.

There are loads of videos on youtube for double digging so thank you for bringing this up. They do all mention that weeds should first be removed. Is it once again a case of digging up the weeds and roots and removing the whole lot - I`m just picturing ending up with a lot of weed/root/soil piles!

You also mention about getting hold of manure. I`m in no doubt that the farm garden centre down the road will supply manure - how would you apply and in what order. Remove weeds, double dig and then throw down manure on top?

I`m sure most of the answers are obvious, but here is the daftest question. At the far end near the building, there is a good depth to the weeds and overgrowth. Would you go straight in with a spade or try and lob some of it down first with sheers or such?

At the end of the day I`ll just try and attack it at the next opportunity with what seems the most logical method but probably next weekend now! It is exciting to talk about it and ask the questions and seek advice, so I do appreciate your time in replying.

Chris

[gavinjconway]

I hoed some of the top portion of the bigger grass patches first then banged the soil off and composted the grass. Looking at yours it looks pretty sparse so no real probs there. Just dig and batter the clods and pull the grass out - then bang off the soil and into the compost pile. I used a good strong fork with a long handle and found it easier to break the clods with the fork than by using a spade. Pile up the roots and non compostable weeds and burn them as I said in the other post.

We get stable manure delivered free to the site so I just pile it 4" thick and dig it in. I spread the manure first, then dug deep and turned it over and at the same time I broke the clods and removed the roots.. so all in one job.. You may find a farmer that delivers manure - ask your neighbour plotters. 

The bigger over-growth should be cut down first..

Oh BTW well done for getting your plot... enjoy it..

[cadalot]

What a nice plot - but not overgrown - when you remove the brambles and find a 6x8 timber shed at the back that you didn't know was there that's overgrown 

[grendel]

mine always looks a bit like that at this time of year, at least until I can get there and dig (or rotovate - but that's a different argument).
Grendel

[craynerd]

Thanks for the comments. So if you guys had two days working on it right now - what exactly would you be doing?

[J_B]

i would dig out the grass and pile up manure....its looks like u ahve beds that are hidden by thegrass, nose around and see waht there, pile manure and leve over winter

[surbie100]

Thanks for the comments. So if you guys had two days working on it right now - what exactly would you be doing?

I'd take a section, clear it then cover so it stays clear till Spring. And plan the next section for clearing, perhaps cutting the grass down/back. Half of mine looks like yours does now....I'm even less of a Tarzan than Gavin, I can dig & remove weeds at the rate of 2.5sq m in 2-3 hours, but that soil does STAY weed-free for a long time. I have the plus of a handy hedge for stashing unwanted turfs in. Others on my site pile them up and cover with a tarp to encourage the weeds to die & compost. They punch holes in the tarp in spring and grow squashes through them.

[gavinjconway]

Manure and dig it in one bed at a time.... and you can cover as people have said with cardboard although I don't bother as weeds don't really grow in winter. 

FYI - Once you have done it properly by double digging it only needs a spade depth and manure for the next few years. The reason to DD is to add manure deep down and to break through the pan that develops over a period of time from digging to the same depth each time. Farmers do a "rip" which is a long tyne with a shoe point on it dragged through the soil to a depth of about 2-3 feet to create a narrow slit  before ploughing. In allotments it is really needed after years of rotavating and shallow digging. This all causes compaction and water does not drain through the compacted soil..

[Yorkie]

1. If the soil sticks to your boots, keep off it.  You won't do the soil structure any good, and it will be hard to remove the soil from the weeds / grass roots.

2. Aim to remove as much soil from the roots as you possibly can.  Otherwise you end up depleting the growing areas of top soil.

3. There are two types of grass - normal, and couch / twitch.  The first type is your normal grass, with fine fibrous roots.  This can be stacked in a heap and composted.  But couch has long, white, touch piano-wire like roots.  It is an invasive weed and you need to remove all of the roots.  You won't get rid of it all in 1 go but you'll do it some serious damage if you're careful and thorough.  Don't compost the roots.

[noshed]

The main thing is to get as much of the weeds off as you can before digging. I use an Azada, or mattock, but a fork is just as good. Once the weeds are off it all looks much better and gives you a feeling of achievement. Then you can rough dig it all over and leave it for the frost to get to it over the winter. Double digging is good but not necessary every year really.

[gavinjconway]

This is the Azada or Chillington hoe.... the best thing since bubblegum was invented.. every African has one and all the hoeing in Africa is done with them. You really need to get one. You can hoe and dig quite deeply with it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/tag/azada/products

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silverline-GT52-Chillington-Style-Garden-Hoe-New-HQ-/330883520142?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM&hash=item4d0a31d68e