Update

[greenishfing]

I'm in two minds about this. When we first got our allotments, they were covered in mainly couch grass. The roots were nearly a solid mat that went down a few inches. The first large bed that we attacked, we set off with a fork and a weed bag. The going was very slow. It was heavy clay soil and it was wet.
A while later, I decided that I really needed to get some potatoes in the ground. The next plot, in a similar state, but a bit drier by now, I strimmed to ground level, rotovated with a powerful machine, and pulled out as many roots as I could see. I then marked out rows, made holes and dropped potatoes in them. As the weeks went on, I began to earth the potatoes up and kept removing the weeds continually as they appeared. Amazingly, we got a decent crop of potatoes, and by winter, both plots were in a more or less weed free state. (Luckily we didn't have bindweed).

[cariann88]

,No idea about the leeks??,but i personaly would not recommend using a tiller off any kind where there are roots,especially if you not know what they are,if it's a type of grass it will just make it worse,and will end up in chopped up clumps that regrow,i have been there done that ,these days i cover my growing area,then when they removed you can see better what you got coming up,but grass only way is get it out using a fork

I am not sure its bindweed as I didn't see any on the plot but saying that I could if just missed the bindweed flowering when I got the plot.
I know it's not couch grass. And it's not mares tail as that is growing at the edge of my plot and not in the beds.

One of my plot neighbours says it's bindweed.

I guess I will have to see when the weeds start coming back but I am hoping to have the beds covered, don't think I will be using all the beds this year just want to use one bed for now.

[cariann88]

I'm in two minds about this. When we first got our allotments, they were covered in mainly couch grass. The roots were nearly a solid mat that went down a few inches. The first large bed that we attacked, we set off with a fork and a weed bag. The going was very slow. It was heavy clay soil and it was wet.
A while later, I decided that I really needed to get some potatoes in the ground. The next plot, in a similar state, but a bit drier by now, I strimmed to ground level, rotovated with a powerful machine, and pulled out as many roots as I could see. I then marked out rows, made holes and dropped potatoes in them. As the weeks went on, I began to earth the potatoes up and kept removing the weeds continually as they appeared. Amazingly, we got a decent crop of potatoes, and by winter, both plots were in a more or less weed free state. (Luckily we didn't have bindweed).

I will keep pulling at the weeds but was just thinking more along the lines of making it easier on my back. I can only do so much and then have rest. So will take me a long time if I have dig it all.

[Snoop Puss]

Bindweed is a nuisance. It just snaps off and will grow from even the tiniest piece of root, which is why rotavating is a bad idea if you have that. You'll end up with scores more plants than you already have. It'll take you a long time, but just keep hoeing it off and eventually it will exhaust itself and die.

Out of interest, have you considered no-dig? Lots of info online.

[Florence Fennel]

Potatoes do break up soil and make weeding a bit easier Carrie, I've used the same method as GF has suggested with great success