I bought the book 'The 30 minute allotment' and the principles really sounded very 'do-able' and I really wanted to give it a try. Luckily, I have been able to take on a new allotment which is literally round the corner from my place of work. An ideal opportunity!
I thought I would keep a mini diary (mainly as a record for myself), just to see what I can achieve in 30 minutes a day, Monday to Friday.
Wednesday 7th May - met with the secretary and he showed me which plots were available. All were overgrown, some were just imprenitable thickets of brambles. I chose a half plot that had been partially worked last year but still had a good crop of docks and brambles.
Thursday 8th - took some rubbish bags and collected all the visible rubbish. Filled three bags in the half hour!
Friday 9th - called into Asda on the way to work and bought the 3L size ready to apply Roundup. It comes with its own sprayer. At lunchtime I sprayed the worse of the docks and some of the brambles. Got about half way up the plot.
Monday 12th May - sprayed the docks and brambles on the other half of the allotment. I could already see the signs of the Roundup begining to work on the weeds sprayed Friday.
Tuesday 13th - took my strimmer and strimmed the first half of the plot. Spot treated any weeds that I had missed.
Wednesday 14th - raked the cuttings from Tuesday. Spot treated weeds again.
Thursday 15th - went back with the strimmer and cut the remainder of the plot.
Friday 16th - further raking and clearing.
Monday 19th May - moved house
Tuesday 20th - went up and did a final rake over. The Roundup has killed off a lot of the underlying grass and has shrivelled up most of the docks and nettles. The brambles appear largely unaffected. Not bad really; I have not used all the 3 litres and the plot is looking much better. Also, over the previous week I had disturbed one or two frogs hiding in the long grass. I was pleased to see that they were still there today, so the Roundup had not affected them at all
I thought I would keep a mini diary (mainly as a record for myself), just to see what I can achieve in 30 minutes a day, Monday to Friday.
Wednesday 7th May - met with the secretary and he showed me which plots were available. All were overgrown, some were just imprenitable thickets of brambles. I chose a half plot that had been partially worked last year but still had a good crop of docks and brambles.
Thursday 8th - took some rubbish bags and collected all the visible rubbish. Filled three bags in the half hour!
Friday 9th - called into Asda on the way to work and bought the 3L size ready to apply Roundup. It comes with its own sprayer. At lunchtime I sprayed the worse of the docks and some of the brambles. Got about half way up the plot.
Monday 12th May - sprayed the docks and brambles on the other half of the allotment. I could already see the signs of the Roundup begining to work on the weeds sprayed Friday.
Tuesday 13th - took my strimmer and strimmed the first half of the plot. Spot treated any weeds that I had missed.
Wednesday 14th - raked the cuttings from Tuesday. Spot treated weeds again.
Thursday 15th - went back with the strimmer and cut the remainder of the plot.
Friday 16th - further raking and clearing.
Monday 19th May - moved house
Tuesday 20th - went up and did a final rake over. The Roundup has killed off a lot of the underlying grass and has shrivelled up most of the docks and nettles. The brambles appear largely unaffected. Not bad really; I have not used all the 3 litres and the plot is looking much better. Also, over the previous week I had disturbed one or two frogs hiding in the long grass. I was pleased to see that they were still there today, so the Roundup had not affected them at all
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