Overgrown allotment

[Tyrone87]

Hi guys I've only just got my allotment and new to all this. My allotment is about 1or 2 over grown and was wondering if I should dig the whole lot up ( I'm still fitish) to its bare bones and start a fresh or to clean it up as there is all ready so area with black sheets on it. I have a few months till I start planting. Also what's the best way to dig up plum trees and store till a plot is ready for them.


I hope you guys can give me some advice both I do something wrong

[Guest]

Hi and welcome to the vine

Do you have any ideas what your plot is overgrown with? (perennial weeds, annual weeds, neglected plants)

What type of soil have you got and what are the conditions like where you are at the moment? If you have saturated clay you might be best leaving it till spring

Can you not leave the plum where it is till you are ready for it? If it must be moved then you want as big a root ball as possible don't let the roots dry out (but don't soak them either) and don't let the roots get frosted. So temporary hole/ soil covering or shove in a pot etc.

[SarrissUK]

The plot is ready for it the moment you dig a hole. That doesn't have to be a permanent spot either - you can still move it again if you feel it's not in the right place.
And welcome to the vine Tyrone! Come in for a while, sit and chat!

[Squingy]

Hey Tyrone,

I'd say dig up and start afresh, depending.

Like Norfolkg said it depends on what weeds you've got. I strongly recommend digging it up to remove deep rooted weeds like couchgrass, dock etc. What's more, moving into winter when the weeds are 'dormantish' is the perfect time as when spring and then summer comes up you've got lot of top growth and it will be harder to get rid off. And like u said, there's a few months left, there isn't as much you can plant in to soil now, may as well do digging now.

If you've only got little soft 'surface weeds' that will uproot if you gently flip the soil over then you don't need to dig up.

There are some queer folk like myself who 'enjoy' transforming the soil through digging and other things, maybe you'll take to it too. Lot of satisfaction to be had by starting anew but could be very hard work. Remember to come back on the thread and tell us how you got on.

[4Shoes]

For the plum, I'm assuming that you want to move it to your Allotment. If it is fully dormant, dig it up and heel it into your allotment (if your space is not ready). Plant before end of March


I'd be tempted to identify where it is going and get area ready 1st and just move it.

[JMCKG]

Strim down, dig out nasty weeds. Cover in cardboard with all tape and staples removed. Pile 6 inches of compost, manure etc. on top. Google Charles Dowding.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Dig it over as rough as you like. Any lumps/clods will break down after a frost and give you a brilliant start in spring

[Tyrone87]

Part 2 lol

Thanks for the advice guys,

I will dig it up which in my eyes is a big job (25ft by 50ft) I'll try to answer and questions now,

My soil is very good believe it's sliky soil as of weeds I believe that it's got a lot of long rooted weeds so digging up would be best l, with the trees thanks for every ones advice they will be the last thing I move.

How do u add pictures I have some fruit brushes I don't know what they are as the only thing I have grown is cress

[Nicos]

You need to make a few more posts Tyrone before you can post piccies
Not many more

[Gillykat]

I will dig it up which in my eyes is a big job (25ft by 50ft)

Don't try to do it all in one day either or you'll just kill yourself My plot is 90ft x 35ft and when I first dug it over I took a couple of weeks to do so. Small sections at a time and weeing thoroughly as I went.

Main thing is to NOT let it make you feel overawed by the amount of work you might feel you have to do but, instead, to enjoy it and keep that image of how fabulous it'll look in the summer

Allotments are fantastic fun and THE Best thing I ever got!

[Guest]

Don't try to do it all in one day either or you'll just kill yourself My plot is 90ft x 35ft and when I first dug it over I took a couple of weeks to do so. Small sections at a time and weeing thoroughly as I went.

Main thing is to NOT let it make you feel overawed by the amount of work you might feel you have to do but, instead, to enjoy it and keep that image of how fabulous it'll look in the summer

Allotments are fantastic fun and THE Best thing I ever got!

Yes drinking plenty of fluids with all the exertion is important. You might also want to take out any nasty weeds as your digging as well.

[SarrissUK]

yes drinking plenty of fluids with all the exertion is important. You might also want to take out any nasty weeds as your digging as well. :d

Howling!! LOL

[Mark_Riga]

Robert Milne would approve, he swears by urine: in his book Organic Vegetable Growing. He quotes Shirley Hibberd from 1863 "A given quantity of land sown without manure yields three times the seed employed ... twelve times with human urine ..."

Though I would be disappointed if I only got 12 peas for every pea sowed but for garlic and shallots it would be good.