[savbo]

I'd just support maxyboo's comment  about covering areas. While we were getting to grips with our current plot, one of the best things we did was cover an area about 3m x 6m with weed fabric. It took us a couple of years to get round to tackling the bed properly, but what weeds were still alive underneath were so weak they were easy to cope with. We even planted some courgettes through the fabric so the area wasn't wasted.

In particular, covering an area you've bashed down but not dug over yet is really helpful - it's so disheartening seeing brambles and things come back in days...

BTW if you pop in your location you'll get more precise advice when it comes to asking about growing things - and who knows, maybe even an offer of help, plants or kit!

sav

[Plottered]

Sounds like your well on the way with things so just keep picking away at it and one day you will walk away and you'll be saying you know what, its starting to come together. Have you taken photo's if so compare the 1st photo to a recent one and see how things have changed.

[Bigfatsi]

Chin up! Sounds like you're already making progress.

Mine was in a similiar state (see my diary) and yet at the end of the year, I had it full of veg. JJust get your head down and keep going. A good bonfire does wonders for getting rid of your waste and keeps your spirits up as you see it all disappear!

Best of luck. Keep up the good work.

S

[Growster...]

If you've done all that in only 4 weeks, I reckon that's marvellous!

As several have said here, get some veg in as soon as you like, you'll at least have something else to talk about!

Keep at it, there's loads of time yet!

[LittleRedHen]

Please don't lose heart.  You have made very good progress, truly you have.  Brussell sprouts can be planted indoors now and every two weeks clear through late spring.  When there is no longer a threat of frost, you can put them in your raised beds and also plant seeds directly.  It's not too late for peas either, or cabbage.  Most of the garden centres have plants all ready to go.  How about some strawberry plants?   

[grinling]

Look at the section you have cleared so far, use that to plant beans/peas/lettuce etc and hoe to keep down weeds. Keep plodding on with the rest, if too hot and sunny sit and plan instead.
Brambles and nettles indicate fertile soil; mares tail may indicate damp areas. Do you burn or take to the tip your weeds? Do not keep them for compost. Mares Tail you have to live with, digging it up will produce less, but other plots will have it.
Good suggestion for the kids is to have a loo in the shed, made life easier with mine.
If black bags breaking up then leave the small bits.
Arrange a plot clearing party. We found using a mattock useful for taking the top layer off.
Just got mine under control then moved house, it took 3 years to get right, I had mares Tail.

[grinling]

Do not rotavate ever however tempting, mares tail by the thousand.
Alternative is to pay a bunch of eastern europeans to clear it.

[Yorkie]

Please don't lose heart.  You have made very good progress, truly you have.  Brussell sprouts can be planted indoors now and every two weeks clear through late spring.  When there is no longer a threat of frost, you can put them in your raised beds and also plant seeds directly.  It's not too late for peas either, or cabbage.  Most of the garden centres have plants all ready to go.  How about some strawberry plants?   

Just to point out that sprouts are hardy so no need to wait until risk of frost has passed before planting out.

However, the tomatoes / courgettes / squash / beans [other than broad beans] are not frost hardy so need to wait until after your last frost date before you plant them out.

Well done on what you've achieved so far - do indeed take photos and look back when you feel as though it's too hard.

You've got a lot of stuff in the ground already, I think you're doing marvellously.

[SnooziSuzi]

I think that the biggest turn-off for new gardeners is the more experienced retired ones whose plots are invariably immaculate and new gardeners tend to be offered plots that a previous tenant, for whatever reason, wasn't able to keep on top of and so they inherit more weeds than anything else, so the new gardener looks at their own mess and compares it with the old boy's plots and that's where the problems are... remember; they have all the time in the world to weed and plant and aren't likely to be doing it all within a couple of days at a weekend.

From what you've said about how much you've done already I think you're doing really well. 

Take photographs of what you are doing and again when you are finished, then you can look back at the progress you have made.

As others have said, once you've cleared an area if you aren't going to plant into it straight away then cover it up.  One thing I learned when I got my allotment is don't expect a cleared space to stay cleared for very long if you don't.  This includes when you've sown direct into the ground and disturbed seedlings start to germinate - new gardeners often don't know the difference between what they are expecting to see and what actually comes up and so leave them all alone and the ground becomes weedy again.

You'll soon learn the differences between weed seedlings and veg seedlings so don't be disheartened if it is all a bit overwhelming at the moment, just do a bit at at time like others have said and soon you'll be well on your way.

Also, don't get bogged down with having to get such-and-such in the ground at a particular time - if you can't do it this year because the ground isn't ready then there's always next year

[carlrmj]

I had a similar problem when I took on my bit of land 2years ago.

It had not been used for over 20 years and was full of couch, brambles,nettles,docks and every other type of weed you don't want.

On top of that I was recovering from 2 operations on my shoulder.I looked at it and thought I would never be able to clear it.

What I did was divide it up into smaller parts and then concentrate on clearing these,(weed killer first )then turn over the soil.That way I could see some progress

I had to stop every 5 mins as I couldn't use the spade properly,and took a chair with me to sit on.

It took me 9months to clear it so that I could start growing ,but had a reasonable amount  of veg last year

There is still loads to do and I get frustrated because there are things I can't do,but it's best to be positive and eventually it will all come right

It's therapeutic  and very rewarding in the end.

all the best
 Carl     

[gremlin]

Sounds like you are a hero for achieving all that so soon. Good luck.

Might be an idea to get someone from the Council or t'Comittee to confirm your plot boundaries asap, otherwise you will be gutted if it turns out that you have been clearing some of next door's plot  too.

Oh, and chuck some peas in. They are always quick and fun.

[potatogrower]

Hi Bec,

Sorry to hear about the plot. You will have to take it step at a time. don't over do it or you might cause injury to yourself. best thing to do is if there are large pieces of rubbish then move that out of the way until you have a ground of weeds to work with then divide it into short sections, get one section done and finish for the day, one another day. slowly you'll get the whole plot cleared. if you don't get it cleared in time for growing stuff this year then you can at least cover it with a thick layer of manure and get it ready for next year to rotivate it in.

All in good time.    

[tonel]

Sounds like you're doing great - we've had our plot a year now, was hard work to start with (lots of digging) but well worth it, it'll get easier. As others have said just do it bit by bit, you can cover areas to help keep weeds down till you get to them. And it's great when you harvest your first produce! Good luck

[Christine]

Don't say you have grown nothing this year as you have a crop there already - rhubarb.  

I've been on my plot since Feb 2007 and I got the good one. Not that the soil was up to much as it was hammered and that I have spent since then improving it. The first really productive year was last year. So remember, it can take five years to get to the point of growing everything you want. And that is starting from what looks like a good plot.

Now one bloke over the path from me has spent the same amount of time digging over his plot inch by inch. He has been the best friend to the scrap man in the district - his plot only grew scrap metal and bedsprings when he first started. Oh and gravel. There are more gravel jokes from his plot than that. But he has actually turned out to be a good gardener.

The bloke on the plot one up from him was on the dole for some months and spent the best part of a season sorting out the plot. He hired a 7.5 cwt white van for one day after he had started to clear and went to the tip fully loaded 10 times.

So far you have not dug up a Ford Prefect like our association treasurer did so things could be worse.

Think five years. A little this season, a little more next season and so on till you get to full production. It does get easier. Honest. Even if you only grow salad which is expensive this year you will have made a saving on the housekeeping.

[angelavdavis]

Sounds like you are doing fab.  With two little ones in tow, your achievements are even more remarkable!

As someone has said, I would get the boundary issue sorted asap - we had a slight issue also and ensured it got sorted within the first month.  You have paid your dues so it is only right that the committee do their bit.

I would also echo the recommendation to cover up areas you haven't yet tackled.  The best thing we did was to buy a 30m roll of weed suppressing fabric on the auction website which we used to define the paths and cover up areas we couldn't get around to clearing initially. 

On the plus side, the area you cover can also double up as an area your children can occupy while you are working on the weeds elsewhere.

It sounds like you have already started planting which is great and you have included radishes, etc which will crop soon enough, but ensure you get some strawberries in pots in early as you may well get a crop this year which is a bonus. 

Everyone has their plot clearing story - mine is that it took us three months to find the carpet buried under the weeds!  I placed it on top of the compost heap after I unearthed it, and then a fellow plotholder made a comment that I had "got stuck in - even remembering to bring my own carpet to cover the beds"!  Well, I don't know if I was more offended about the fact that I had just literally spent three days digging it up or that anyone would think that the nasty 1970's carpet would have come out of my house!!

Best bit to remember is to take a rest and enjoy it.