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Post by debbiem on Oct 20, 2007 9:33:05 GMT 1
Our allotments-to-be are covered with very course established grass, amongst the usual brambles and other nasties. I think if I grazed our chickens and a herd of buffalo on it for a month none of them would touch it!  But we have to start somewhere - OH has suggested we get a rotivator to start with. These plots haven't been used for a very long time by the look of them, they've all merged into one great big one. First of all we have to work out where our ones start and the other ones finish! And then the digging can commence - when faced with a challenge like this what has everyone else done to start with?  |
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Post by 4pygmies on Oct 20, 2007 9:41:44 GMT 1
I wouldn't rotivate it! Get a flame thrower and burn all the top growth off possibly but I'm afraid there's no substitute for digging and getting as much out by hand.....or, just for once, glysophate the whole lot and give yourselves a head start with the weeds.....you could try overwintering with black plastic and cardboard in some areas to keep the weeds down but that is really a long term way to get rid of weeds.
Whatever you do - this initial cultivation is very important and will dictate how successful your allotment is...just think of all that exercise Debbie and get your spades and forks out....... ;D
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Post by debbiem on Oct 20, 2007 9:47:19 GMT 1
Thanks 4P - we're thinking of all the exercise already, it'll be the making of us!! It looks like spadework then - I take it that's where the expression came from! |
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Post by madonplants on Oct 20, 2007 11:42:41 GMT 1
Thanks 4P - we're thinking of all the exercise already, it'll be the making of us!! It looks like spadework then - I take it that's where the expression came from! I would glyphosate the whole lot and then dig it in and that's hard for me to say, being I always try to be organic. Does glyphosate work at this time of the year? If not isn't there a new one that works at any time of the year? 4P's suggestion of a flame thrower is a good one, but you will need a big one!! How about contacting the army!!  I suppose it depends how you feel about using weedkillers. With me, I 'may' use them for the initial clearing of a bad plot, but afterwards only as a last resort or on things like bindweed!! Keith |
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Post by debbiem on Oct 21, 2007 10:15:15 GMT 1
Thanks 4P - we're thinking of all the exercise already, it'll be the making of us!! It looks like spadework then - I take it that's where the expression came from! I would glyphosate the whole lot and then dig it in and that's hard for me to say, being I always try to be organic. Does glyphosate work at this time of the year? If not isn't there a new one that works at any time of the year? 4P's suggestion of a flame thrower is a good one, but you will need a big one!! How about contacting the army!! I suppose it depends how you feel about using weedkillers. With me, I 'may' use them for the initial clearing of a bad plot, but afterwards only as a last resort or on things like bindweed!! Keith It would be a mega flamethrower Keith, and we'd have to rumble an army tank over several allotments to reach ours....... ;D I'll discuss glysophate with OH as I don't know anything about it - what is it? If it's weedkiller I'd rather find another way - and this grass is SO tough I wonder whether it'd have any impact on it anyway.......and since the bottom of our plot borders on someones elses - that'd be a good start, bad feeling with the neighbours......we'll mull it over. Thanks though! Are you still thinking of getting an allotment Keith? |
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Post by 4pygmies on Oct 21, 2007 17:59:21 GMT 1
I have used Round Up for the first time ever this year and I chose that one as it becomes inactive as soon as it hits the soil so it only attacks the plants. However I have to say I'm not very impressed! It's not been very effective at killing the nettles and I can barely see the difference on some areas. The only bit it did properly was the dandelions on the patio......I shan't bother again. It's back to old fashioned digging for me....
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Post by sweetleaf on Oct 21, 2007 18:25:17 GMT 1
I recommend you start small and cover what you cant get to with a sheet of tarpaulin, the weeds/grass wont grow under it and the soil will be like toffee if you leave it on long enough, when you do come to dig. |
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Post by Sleepy on Oct 21, 2007 18:26:11 GMT 1
I have used Round Up for the first time ever this year and I chose that one as it becomes inactive as soon as it hits the soil so it only attacks the plants. However I have to say I'm not very impressed! It's not been very effective at killing the nettles and I can barely see the difference on some areas. The only bit it did properly was the dandelions on the patio......I shan't bother again. It's back to old fashioned digging for me.... The only two glyphosate based weedkillers are RoundUp and Tumbleweed. RoundUp is the stronger of the two. Both are most effective when the weeds are growing best - late Sping to mid Summer. Now the leaves are not growing their effectiveness will be severely impaired - and considering the cost of these weedkillers is best avoided. |
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Post by debbiem on Oct 22, 2007 8:55:37 GMT 1
Thanks everyone - I get the feeling it'll be old fashioned digging for us. : Thanks for the tip about the tarpaulin Sweetleaf - I think I noticed one or two areas of other people's plots covered with that kind of thing. |
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Post by emseypop on Oct 22, 2007 9:49:15 GMT 1
Our allotments-to-be are covered with very course established grass, amongst the usual brambles and other nasties. I think if I grazed our chickens and a herd of buffalo on it for a month none of them would touch it! But we have to start somewhere - OH has suggested we get a rotivator to start with. These plots haven't been used for a very long time by the look of them, they've all merged into one great big one. First of all we have to work out where our ones start and the other ones finish! And then the digging can commence - when faced with a challenge like this what has everyone else done to start with? cousre grass! I hope its not the dreaded couch grass, but if you've decided to dig, your doing the right thing, you've got plenty of time over winter, little and often. |
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Post by debbiem on Oct 22, 2007 11:34:20 GMT 1
Our allotments-to-be are covered with very course established grass, amongst the usual brambles and other nasties. I think if I grazed our chickens and a herd of buffalo on it for a month none of them would touch it! But we have to start somewhere - OH has suggested we get a rotivator to start with. These plots haven't been used for a very long time by the look of them, they've all merged into one great big one. First of all we have to work out where our ones start and the other ones finish! And then the digging can commence - when faced with a challenge like this what has everyone else done to start with? cousre grass! I hope its not the dreaded couch grass, but if you've decided to dig, your doing the right thing, you've got plenty of time over winter, little and often. Thanks Emsey - little and often and one day it'll be done although it looks a gargantuan task right now! I think it is couch grass - we'll get the better of it in the end. |
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Post by sweetleaf on Oct 22, 2007 12:21:35 GMT 1
Thanks everyone - I get the feeling it'll be old fashioned digging for us. : Thanks for the tip about the tarpaulin Sweetleaf - I think I noticed one or two areas of other people's plots covered with that kind of thing. Weight the sheet down with milk containers full of water, if you cant find any thing else, they will come in handy later in so many ways, too. |
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Post by debbiem on Oct 22, 2007 12:25:57 GMT 1
Thanks everyone - I get the feeling it'll be old fashioned digging for us. : Thanks for the tip about the tarpaulin Sweetleaf - I think I noticed one or two areas of other people's plots covered with that kind of thing. Weight the sheet down with milk containers full of water, if you cant find any thing else, they will come in handy later in so many ways, too. OK, thanks - all tips gratefully received. |
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Post by 4pygmies on Oct 24, 2007 13:10:53 GMT 1
And after pigs...proper bacon.....
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Post by karenwl on Oct 26, 2007 20:07:49 GMT 1
Mrs B its taken me 6 months to get my plot dug it was full of couch and other weeds, I used glyphosate but that only worked when thing were growing rapidly.
Cover as much as you can with tarpaulins or anything to stop the light and work on an area that is uncovered, take it easy though and do a bit at a time.
If you look at my allotment thread you will see it before and after, its not been easy but it has been worth all the hard work.
Good luck take your time you will get there.
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