[janet12000]

Hi. As I said probably a silly question!
I've black plasticked half of my new allotment and have split the other half into round up one side and old fashioned digging the other side.
I'm letting the round up do it's work and have dug and dug the other half today.
There seems to be lots of stuff that looks a bit like hair in my digging side. Do I have to get rid of all of this before I plant anything? The hair stuff is about 30 cm deep.
The topsoil is nice and fluffy.
Thanks.

[gillie]

I have no idea what the hair-like substance could be.  Is it the remains of some kind of industrial use of the site? Is it present on other allotments? do the locals know what it is?

Anyway, if it is 30cm. below the surface I would leave it alone and try growing something in your nice topsoil.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Riala]

Would it be possible to maybe take some pics?

[janet12000]

Thanks. I worked so hard today and yesterday clearing and digging! I thought I had dug a viable bed until I found the hair stuff!
My plot looks a bit pathetic compared to my neighbours as they have all rotervated. We got our allotments all at the same time and theirs look lovely.
I'm determined not to rotervate though. I must be mad.

[barney rubble]

There seems to be lots of stuff that looks a bit like hair in my digging side. Do I have to get rid of all of this before I plant anything? The hair stuff is about 30 cm deep.

Thanks.

Any sign of coil springs with it , as you could have an old horsehair mattress burried there, but some of them were just stuffed with horeshair and no springs

[gillie]

"My plot looks a bit pathetic compared to my neighbours as they have all rotervated. "

You could have the last laugh here when the weeds the rotovator has chopped up all start to regrow...

Good thinking about the mattress!  Someone could have buried one (or some!) to provide water retention and a slow feed.  Sheeps' wool has been used in a similar way.  Unless there is a history of industrial use of this site I would just leave it alone.

Cheers,

Gillie

[janet12000]

Would it be possible to maybe take some pics?

I so forgot to take pics today! DOH!!!!
 Riala I was actually thinking about you today cause I think we are in the same boat..... ie....... having to cultivate a wilderness!

[Riala]

Yep, no rotovator for me either! Digging and chopping by hand... Although the blooming council went and cut all the grass/weeds 1 day AFTER I spent £25 on a sprayer and some Glyphosate and did the whole plot! 

I rang them and got really angry on the phone, only for the woman in charge to turn around and quite snottily say to me "Well, you went to the plot a day before the papers arrived on my desk without my permission!"

Really want to get back to it, but moved into my new house on Friday, so still unpacking.  I did plant 8 sunflower seeds with my son though in the new garden, and we sow'd 15 carrot seeds into pots too!

[barney rubble]

I rang them and got really angry on the phone, only for the woman in charge to turn around and quite snottily say to me "Well, you went to the plot a day before the papers arrived on my desk without my permission!"

They like their bit of power don't they?

[Riala]

They do indeed, I was so mad because she had offered rotovating to me, but only if I cut the overgrowth (4yrs worth) which I said I couldn't do.  She then told me that she couldn't get the contractors to strim or mow as they had already done all the plots in April.

So I said I didn't want rotovating.  I went to the plot 2 days after Spraying.... all the grass, weeds, plants, flowers.... all gone.