[Honey65]

We acquired a 10 poll, overgrown plot on heavy clay in October.  We've had an allotment before on heavy clay but this one clearly been extremely well worked in previous years.  My partner and I work full time and have 2 kids (9 and 11) who are TOTALLY uninterested in helping  .  This limits how much time we can spend on the plot.  To make it worse, I've had health problems and had major surgery 3 weeks ago so digging is totally out of the question for several months for me. 

In October we strimmed the couch grass back and covered with black weed cover (has weakened the couch) and a few weeks ago dropped our organic stance and glycophoshated the rapidly growing couch grass.  Fruit bushes were pruned and now doing well.  We cleared 2x 1m wide beds properly which are filled already and have just broken up the ground and dumped our potatoes in (the chitting was getting a bit desperate  )

Given 1 person working full time is unlikely to be able to dig and remove the couch grass roots in an area large enough to get our plants in I guess we have 2 options :
1) Rotivate in the 'killed' couch grass
2) Try the no-dig method

Any opinions?  I searched this forum for 'no-dig' and didn't get an hits - does no-one use it??! 

[BumbleJo]

Hi there! Yes lots of use the no-dig method and there have been discussions on here beforehand that subject.  I'm not brilliant at finding old threads but I'm sure others will advise.  I have semi-raised beds, generally 4ftx12ft but some longer ones too.  Before we established those the whole field (ours isn't a traditional allotment) was rotavated.  Then we made the beds and paths and just piled on loads of manure in the autumn.  I never do serious digging now although obviously getting spuds up involves a bit, but we never walk on the beds either.  I find it so easy to maintain them and weeding is almost (?) a pleasure.  So far a great success.  Hope you soon get your strength back and good luck with it! 😊

[Hampshire Hog]

Depending on what you want to grow You can cut holes in the weed  plastic and plant courgettes sweet corn beans etc in the holes whilst smothering the couch grass. If you want to avoid heavy digging at present perhaps just boost fertility with chicken manure pellets or grow more a couple of weeks before planting.

Best wishes for a swift recovery HH

[ptarmigan]

I use no dig and raised beds.  One method which did prove successful (I've used several not all successful!) was to put cardboard down over a weedkillered area and then pile all sorts of organic matter on top. Grass cuttings, seaweed, newspapers, mushroom compost which is quite light to carry - etc.

I then made holes or pockets in the bed, filled them with multi purpose compost and popped in plants.  Over the growing season the matter all broke down and it was a lovely no dig bed the next year.

[snowdrops]

I use no dig and raised beds.  One method which did prove successful (I've used several not all successful!) was to put cardboard down over a weedkillered area and then pile all sorts of organic matter on top. Grass cuttings, seaweed, newspapers, mushroom compost which is quite light to carry - etc.

I then made holes or pockets in the bed, filled them with multi purpose compost and popped in plants.  Over the growing season the matter all broke down and it was a lovely no dig bed the next year.

I do a lot of that now, it is called lasagne bed gardening, because of the layers you build. I just lay cardboard or newspaper watered well then cover with as much manure as I can muster. Works brilliantly fo my squash bed, which also gets covered with membrane with planting holes cut through,that the following year becomes the potato bed,then the carrots & parsnips. I do a less intensive one for the brassica bed, covering with 3/4 sheets of newspaper,then homemade compost, then a membrane,plant through holes then cover the lot with hoops & debris netting. No weeding all last year on that bed. In fact I prepared this years bed on Sunday,I took photos & will put them on my diary later today or tomorrow. It is hard work to prepare but in a different way to digging.

[Salmo]

In October we strimmed the couch grass back and covered with black weed cover (has weakened the couch) and a few weeks ago dropped our organic stance and glycophoshated the rapidly growing couch grass.  Fruit bushes were pruned and now doing well.  We cleared 2x 1m wide beds properly which are filled already and have just broken up the ground and dumped our potatoes in (the chitting was getting a bit desperate  )

Given 1 person working full time is unlikely to be able to dig and remove the couch grass roots in an area large enough to get our plants in

The couch grass should be dead so there is no reason to remove the roots. If you see any more green shoots that will be bits that were not growing when you sprayed so they were missed.

No need to cultivate all the plot at once. Keep it covered until you want it. Better to do a small area well.

[Honey65]

Thanks everyone.  In view of your comments we're going to do a combination - half as no dig and the other half will be rotivated.  It'll be a good experiment and I'll let you know how we get on! 

[compostqueen]

I don't dig or rotovate but stopped bothering posting about it as invariably the thread descends into a why you should dig thread

As long as your soil is fertile, through the addition of homemade composts and/or manures then it will be productive.  You don't have to clear an entire plot in one go. You can clear it bit by bit by hand weeding, or weedkill it if you wish,  and cover the remaining areas with black woven sheet mulch while you address the bit you're dealing with first. 

It's your plot, enjoy it 

Charles Dowding is a good bloke to read on this subject. He farms this way. He writes his monthly column in Kitchen Garden mag

[mumofstig]

I don't know why your search didn't find any no dig threads 

For starters try this one
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=101744.msg1135668#msg1135668

and this one

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=106629.msg1196859#msg1196859

Good Luck!

[Mr Dog]

Thanks everyone.  In view of your comments we're going to do a combination - half as no dig and the other half will be rotivated.  It'll be a good experiment and I'll let you know how we get on! 

I'd 2nd Compostqueen's advice to have a look at Charles Dowding's website - you'll find information on there about his dig/no dig experiment that's been going on since 2007.

[compostqueen]

I can't stand rotovators. Their noise makes me irritated    Demented gnats!  Yuk    Soil so fine it's like flour. I don't get it     

I like worms!  They all make their way to my plot so they don't get chopped up 

The bloke on the next plot to me doesn't rotovate either so it's quiet down our end 

[strangerachael]

I can't stand rotovators. Their noise makes me irritated    Demented gnats!  Yuk    Soil so fine it's like flour. I don't get it     

I like worms!  They all make their way to my plot so they don't get chopped up 

Me too Compostqueen - my neighbour spends so long fiddling with his rotavator, trying to make it work properly, he could have dug the plot twice over in the same time! And his plot is a dustbowl (presumably with lots of chopped up, dead worms)

[compostqueen]

I don't like to,knock the stuffing out of my soil.  😊

[BabbyAnn]

I can't stand rotovators. Their noise makes me irritated    Demented gnats!  Yuk    Soil so fine it's like flour. I don't get it     

I like worms!  They all make their way to my plot so they don't get chopped up 

Me too Compostqueen - my neighbour spends so long fiddling with his rotavator, trying to make it work properly, he could have dug the plot twice over in the same time! And his plot is a dustbowl (presumably with lots of chopped up, dead worms)

I can't use a rotavator  - my friend loaned me one a while back and I had to give up after just a few minutes because of joint/muscle problems.  Interestingly, I was digging over one of my beds on Sunday at about the same time my neighbour was using a rotavator on an equally sized area ... I actually got mine finished before he did 

On the other hand, those who regularly rotavate do seem to have less marestail on their plots - I really struggle to keep on top of the weed, and no weed suppressant is working as the needle point shoots push straight up through it.

[compostqueen]

Yes, it's the devil that it is.  Weed killer don't kill though either so I suppose it's a case of keeping on top of it.  Ground elder is another nightmare one.  You'd think rotovating it would spread it even further