which way to go

[lizagrowbag]

as i said in another post we just took on a over grown lottie  and we are totaly new learning everything  as we go.

with clearing the ground we have been given so much advice  but most of it diffrent  how would you do it?

we  was told  get stuck in with a fork n spade and basicly  do a little at a time  so thats ho0w we have started and we have done 2 days and we are knackered !  we managed and would carry on but i know it will get harder

today we was told  cover it with mulch? (never heard of it) and let nature take its course   so what does this stuff do and were to get it?

we was told  dont dig just plant  through the mulch  how is this poss?

ty for all n any advice

[lizagrowbag]

[Baccy Man]

There are lots of different types of mulch, see this thread a a better explanation.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,39610.msg394015.html#msg394015

[Buster54]

Hi Lizagrowbag this was mine beginning of April this year when I took it on all the advice I was given was dig it manually and remove every weed and root I find

and after 2 hours digging I was looking for any excuse to find a easier solution but I got stuck in cleared a bit and planted some peas and onions stuck some potatoes in a dustbin and planted some seeds while I was snooping at other allotments for ideas as I plodded on,took me 6 - 7weeks then I covered one half in weed suppressant fabric and started planting through it

its looking something like now but still have a long way to go as I didn't manure it  just used an all round fertilizer called growmore for now but I am harvesting peas beetroot-onions are not far of salad leaves-radishes and gonna try my potatoes in a week or so


You will get plenty of advise but in the end you will end up digging it all over one way or another so if you can't manage it all in one go little and often is the way to go,take a break from digging stick some potatoes in a bin-a box or bag set some seeds off in pots to plant out later for over winter then keep going back to it dig a small plot 8ftx4ft plant as you go bit of beetroot-lettuce-french beans-carrots-turnips and a few others are still good to go in then move on to do another plot the same then at least you will have something to show for your hard work  ;)

[caroline7758]

Those are really inspiring pics, Buster- well done you!
Liza, don't try to do too much too soon. When I got my plot, most of it was covered in black plastic,which was great, but I was too quick to uncover it and now, although I've had three years of reasonable crops, I still spend most of the time digging out grass and weeds because I didn't do it properly the first time!

[lizagrowbag]

ahhhh ok i think i was getting mixed up between mulch and covering with black sheets /carpets ect  those are great photos and very inspiring thanks for posting them

ok so i think the plan is  strimmer it down as much as possible cover it in black sheeting ect  uncover and dig as much as possible  when we can how does that sound? lol

[manicscousers]

sounds good, if you can get any thick cardboard, put that down first, helps smother the weeds  ;D

[Columbus]

Hi all,  :)

As I`ve written before, I never set out to dig more than a yard wide strip.
I would rather do one yard properly and have the energy to do more the next day than cover a greater area but do it poorly. I like to start the day with heavier tasks and do easier work later when its hot or I`m more tired.

If theres a patch that could be a problem before I can get to it I might strim it or cover it with a tarpaulin or similar cover.

Loved the pictures by the way, they illustrate the scale of work involved and the results. Lots of us have been through similar.

Best of luck, Col

[Angelah]

Last year we didn't get much done at the lottie, bar covering three small areas with black plastic. This year those areas have been easily dug, weeded and planted. We're now cropping spuds, runner beans and tomatoes, with loads more to come soon.
This year with bindweed, brambles and couch growing thick and fast I did resort to roundup, then covered with cardboard and black plastic (damp proof membrane, huge roll from ebay £20). We're slowly uncovering it and weeding it a bit at a time. Means the weeds are under control and the kids aren't constantly falling over the brambles!!! Oh, one tip we picked up from somewhere, to recycle the plastic milk cartons - we have loads of the two litre ones - filled with water, they are excellent for weighing down the plastic!!!!
This approach really does work when you have limited time.

[redimp]

That looks excellent Buster54 but how much did it all cost?  I would love that much fabric but cannot afford it and sticking holes in it :o

[Buster54]

The Fabric was £83 from our Allotment Society for a 100m roll only used  about half, it has its faults as it is woven when you cut it it frays but other than that no weeding.Everything else was recycled  ;)

[Sparkly]

The Fabric was £83 from our Allotment Society for a 100m roll only used  about half, it has its faults as it is woven when you cut it it frays but other than that no weeding.Everything else was recycled  ;)

Try burning a hole using a cooks blow torch....