new allotment, hooray - and an electric strimmer !

[russw]

hi folks,
i have been lurking and reading ,  thanks very much for all the knowledge. :)
here comes a fairly longwinded preamble and then my questions !

I'm now waiting for my contract and keys on my 8m * 24 m allotment, here's my situation. :
its very overgrown, waist high in nettles, grass ( don't know what kind yet) & some horsetail :o,  so after much deliberation i am going to roundup it - 280ml roundup concentrate for £5.23 at my local tescos today so i bought 2 ! -  then  cover most with weed suppressant fabric  after weedkill has worked, and then dig up, 8ft * 4ft  beds at a time & see how many beds i can get ready in time for next year, when i will start planting - might be tempted sneak in little planting before the winter, though my paper plan doesn't allow for that !

most welcome - comments on my plan from anyone.

a question - i have an electric 300 watt strimmer & access to power  via a spare car battery and inverter. so, will a 300 watt electric strimmer be powerful enough to cope with major weeds or should i budget for a petrol strimmer hire ?  ???

[russw]

[betula]

Welcome to A4A.

Great news about your plot.It sounds a good plan and hope all goes well.

You can buy a petrol strimmer at Argos for around £50.We did and it is very good. :)

[Buster54]

Nettles, Cooch grass and Creeping thistle are devils to get rid of my research and experience  on nettles cooch grass and thistles after spending 6 weeks digging over my plot and removing every root I could see they still keep coming through they survive by storing food and nutrients in their roots so the tiniest piece some as small as a quarter of an inch will produce a plant so I don't think round up will finish them as you will be amazed at the root system of those plants its like the London underground that is how they spread  underground,why not dig your 8ft x 4ft  bed removing all the roots you can find then cover with weed suppressant fabric then plant through it that is what I have done as in a couple of months you wont need to worry about weeds,from this

to this well that was 3 weeks ago few more plants in it now
mg
Use your round up on any area you don't dig] :)

[manicscousers]

Hi, russw, welcome to the site, can't help with your query, sorry  ;D

[posie]

Hi Russw - welcome to the madhouse!

I would advise digging couch grass out as much as possible, believe me I speak from experience as it's the one thing I grow really well!

As for strimmers, I had an electric one and although it was ok as a short term measure I've now upgraded as Betula did to a petrol one from Argos which is fabulous, wire is thicker, speed is faster - only downside is that it's heavier and noisier.

Good luck and happy growing!  ;D ;D

[saddad]

Welcome to the site Russ, and you've done a great job Buster. Think I might have to treat myself to that strimmer..  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Petrol strimmers are horrible things to use but they do have the power you need on an alootment. I had a cordless one which just wasn't up to it.

[kt.]

Welcome to the forum.  I would not of thought an electric strimmer would last the job,  Could burn it out.  I would either dig; or if you can use a petrol strimmer.  Much more hardwearing and up to that type of job.  Most electric strimmers are for home garden use as opposed to the rougher jobs on an allotment.

[russw]

thanks for the replies - looks like a petrol strimmer hire then.

[SMP1704]

Hi Russ

So now you have decided to hire/buy a petrol strimmer lets talk about the Roundup.  this is from my experience - there are forum members who are qualified in the use of chemicals and hopefully one will be along soon - but in the meantime..........

Strim, clear the debris wait about a week for some green regrowth, then spray.  Add some washing up liquid to make the weedkiller stick to the leaf surface.

Go on holiday/ignore for a few weeks - rake again and ignore for a few weeks - go back and check for more green growth - respray as necessary.

Morale of the story - be patient and don't expect one application to work - even if the advertising blurb promises that ::) ::)

don't cover immediately after application as the weeds need to photothingy (it's been a long day ???) to carry on growing, taking the weedkiller down to the roots, which go into growth overdrive, using up all food stocks, exhausting then dying.

If you go fully mechanised and rotavate as well, be prepared for some regrowth but this should be easier to get out as long as you don't leave it to get established all over again.

But apart from anything else...........just enjoy ;D

[Barnowl]

I'd go along with the cut and clear then wait & spray or water with glyphosate  approach. If you want to get on with something, a week or so after the first spray start the digging over at one end and respray whatever area you haven't yet go to. Roundup etc take a while to work and as SMP says a second application is usually needed - especially if rain intervenes.

One warning: don't spray if it's windy - not if you want your neighbours to ever speak to you again  :)