Starting from scratch, I need some overgrown advice!

[robmurphy]

Hello there everyone,

I am a new member, though I'm sure I'll become a frequent one!

I would love some advice, if you have any for my problem. I have just got myself an allotment. Though it's been neglected for a while. Tough ground, lots of weeds, straggly grass etc. Though nothing above waist height. And luckily there are no obstacles of any kind, just a large flat miserable looking area!

So, what is my best course of action here?

Pull out the weeds, wait till it's soft enough to get out there with a fork and just turn it all over?

Rip up the top layer of ground and go from that?

Lay carpet everywhere to kill everything off?

Pay someone else to do it?

Help! haha, I hear now is the time to start to do this, so this is it, I am starting my journey right here and now! Thanks in advance for your help,

Rob.

[Cutecumber]

Hello

And welcome...

I'm very jealous - all that lovely space!

I guess you have to think about

1) how much time you have to spend on clearing the plot
2) how much strength (and patience!) you have
3) your budget

It doesn't sound as if you have any terrible problems, but I think I would try and identify your weeds, as this might help you decide how to clear the plot. Some nasties just spread if you chop them up, for example. How do you feel about using chemicals? Are you going to be organic?

You can always cover half the plot for this year (to exclude light and kill weeds) and dig over or rotovate the other half to get you going. Then it won't be so daunting!

[Seahorse]

Hello and welcome Rob

I took on a horribly overgrown lottie last autumn and have had the same quandries about how best to proceed. The deciding factor for me has been that I have a lot of couch grass, which if rotavated will just think it's Christmas and multiply many fold! It's going to be a slow process getting rid of it by hand, so this year I am removing as much top growth as I can, then laying a mulch of cardboard and manure to exclude light from the weedy stuff and improve the soil conditions. I shall continue to dig and sieve as much of the plot as I can and will also plant things like spuds, beans and squashes through the mulch.

I'm not an expert though - this is just my personal conclusion based on all I've been told and read!

Good luck - I've found even the routine bits of clearing very satisfying!

[snake the squadie]

mate i had the same problem two years ago. for starters under no circumstances rotavate it. i am still paying the price. secondly cut the weeds down on half the plot and cover with some old tarporling and leave it(mine is still under cover). then start on the rest of the plot. but start of very slowly just working on the bits you are going to use

[shirlthegirl43]

Hello and welcome to the vine. Take it steady on the clearing, don't try to do it all at once or you will just end up sore and fed up. Get a bit clear and plant in that and take the rest slowly.

[Flummery]

Welcome to the grapevine!
A good start, once you have cleared some ground, is to put potatoes in. They will give you a good crop reasonably trouble free (unless we have blight again!) and digging them will continue to cultivate the ground.

[Minty]

Hi buddy and welcome.
As easy as it might be to pay somebody to do it, consider this. Will they take as much care as you would ?.
I was in a similar situation to yourself last April(and had the choice of a rotavatored ready to plant lottie or the jungle i went for) and considering i am the kind of guy who gets out of breath running a bath and takes a lie down after jumping to a conclusion , i have had immense pleasure in doing it little by little.
My course of action was to carpet the allotment and after a few weeks peel back, skim off and dig.
I would strongly advise that once you have a bit of clear ground plant something in it. The amount of time i went to the lottie to collect a few runner beans that then resulted in getting the spade out and doing half an hour clearing/digging made a MASSIVE difference.
Also take photos, its great to compare before and after and say " i did that"
Best of luck Minty

[robmurphy]

Wow! Thanks so much! This answers my query perfectly. I don't know why I didn't think about doing it little by little before! And I have just the spare tarp in mind to peg down over the rest. Though I'd prefer carpet, I think I'll have less wind problems. Luckily I'm a bit of a skip browser, and I know where one's being throw out! The potato idea makes sense too.

So that's it! I'll get started! I'm just so relieved that I don't have a mammoth task ahead of me, or the choice of paying someone who doesn't give a crap!

Haha, I need some potato tips now! Is it okay to start them now!? I have reading to do!

I'll keep you posted, I promise!

Rob

[Seahorse]

Rob, a lot of places like Wilko, B&Q etc are good for seed potatoes but if you want to try something more adventurous, have a look at Alan Romans:

Alan Romans - Potatoes

You don't say where you are but you might be lucky enough to have a 'potato day' near you , when you can buy all manner of weird and wonderful tubers in as large or small quantities as you want.

If you let us know your location, there might be someone near you who can point you in the right direction, otherwise a quick Google might provide more info.

Oh, and Alan Romans book is very useful too:

Amazon.co.uk: The Potato Book: Amazon.co.uk:: Alan Romans

[snake the squadie]

another good tip mate is to dig a good size strawberry patch. only plant a few in there but spaced out quite a bit. then over the next year you will have more plants than you know what to do with. and they look after them selfs. for the first few years your strawberries wont taste as good but its worth it in the long run

[HeyWayne]

Welcome aboard Rob, some sound advice already given above, and I would concur with Flum that spuds are a great idea, and snake's suggestion of strawberries is a good one (although I gave up on mine as they got swamped by bindweed before I had a chance).

I'd say that for me, taking it on bit by bit, chunk by chunk is the best bit of advice I could give, get each bit going as you go along and before you know it you'll have half the plot working.

Enjoy it, whatever you decide. Good luck.

[Hans Mum]

welcome from me too, just take it nice & steady clearing bit by bit & dont stress about getting it all sorted in one season, it is supposed to be fun

[moggssue]

And a hello and welcome from me as well!! Cant add anything to the (excellent) advice already here, only just starting myself, but would agree with the little by little approach. Most of all, in my view, ENJOY!!

[robmurphy]

Thanks loads you wonderful bunch, I have done a bit of reading (In between watching River Cottage)

I don't think I'm going to come across many seed markets or anything near me though. But not to worry! Thanks for the link by the way!

[snake the squadie]

if only life was anything near to being like river cottage.