Black plastic

[jackie j]

Where abouts in the country are you selfheal, if you put it in your profile we will be better able to assist you where to get stuff,. growing condidtions etc. Is there a local stables where you can get manure we have it delivered for free to our site, I can also get free wood chippings for paths etc.

[selfheal]

I've turned my own plot from a bramble covered mess into a fully-planted (well, 3 quarters) in less than 6 months. And I have a bad back. And no car.

I clear a bit, then plant a bit. Or clear a bit, then cover it with newspapers (like Toby Buckland has done in the latest GYO). Brought to my plot on my bike. A little at a time. I've done it, it works, it costs nowt.

ok, i think i need to explain more:

The site is brand new, the plots have been marked out and rotovated this week with a tractor, for free by a local farmer. (all 28 plots-7000sqm). It means that each of us has a fully cleared piece of land. Because the soil is so clayey alot of people want to double dig and add in the manure we are being given for free and perhaps some sand/compost/mulch to improve the soil. But that takes alot of digging.

Some of our crops wont need to go in till the summer, but if we leave the soil uncovered and waiting to be dug over until then the weeds and going to have sprung back up and undone all the wonder work done by the farmer for free. Yes we could and may sew in green manures for the bits that we know dont need touching for a good few months, whilst we slowly work on the beds with the earlier crops going in. But it makes sense to put the black plastic down on our plots temporarily to keep them clear of weeds until we are ready to cultivate.

Not everyone will do this- some people with full plots are sewing green manures on half the plot asap whilst they concentrate on digging the other half. Some people are planting potatoes all over to improve the soil. But about half the people want to put black plastic down whilst we get things going.

Alot of these people have allotments in other areas but are taking on a plot here as its in our village and will be leaving their old sites- they have been growing for years and know what they want to do in great detail. I dont want to snub everyones really helpful advice, but as a group everyone has looked at different options, we know the pros and the cons and each of us has decided what to do. Some will have palstic, some wont... i think i might cover half my plot and work on the other half. But it makes sense for us to buy in bulk for those that do want plastic.

I could just really do with some advice on good suppliers, thicknesses etc as ive ever bought it in such massive quantities before. As im on the temporary comittee im one of those that needs to arange things like bulk buying materials- even if i decide against putting the plastic down myself i will still have to order it!!!

Im having beds/rasied beds on my half plot. Im going to move the rotovated soil from my paths to the beds and double dig the beds adding in different improvers depending on the beds usage. Because of the clay im not expecting great results this year and am growing paris market carrots, lots of potatoes and holding off on things like parsnips and bush tomatoes until the soil is in better condition and using dward legumes because of the exposed nature of the site. I havent decided how to cover the paths yet. I have an amount of purbeck walling stone which is also used for crazy paving which i picked up for free a couple of years ago. im going to lay that infront of my tool store (not allowed sheds or greenhouses) and may lay paving slabs if i can get some off freecycle. Im also bringing some of my linkaboard rasied bed frames on to the site from home and will make them into permament beds for various different things.

Ive spent alot of time planning how im gonig to do things- ive got areas set aside for green manures but because im currently on crutches/in a wheelchair i cant do very much at once and ive been banned from doing any digging. So ive had to plan how to make it as easiest for me and also for my parents who will be doing the digging. Hopefully within the year with a bit of allotment therapy i might be back to my former chainsaw weilding glory (when i got ill i was at uni studying countryside management and doing a years work placement with the national trust) but until then i have to do what is going to be least 'work' and most sensably for my situation. Then i can put the little health and energy i do have into growing some veg. If i was fit and healthy id be taking on a full plot and putting alot of back breaking hours into double digging the whole lot!!!

hope that explains things a little more? Im not trying to be pig headed and ignore peoples advice, but i have several reasons for needing to know about the plastic. I know its not the be all and end all of allotments but needs must in my situation and its got to be bought regardless of my personal decisions anyway!

p.s. i did say in my first post that im in Dorset, but i'll go change my profile now

[SarzWix]

Garden Warehouse: Ground Cover and Membranes - mulch, weed control, phormisol

Kays Discount Garden Supplies - N A Kays Horticulture

1.4M x 50M HEAVY DUTY GARDEN WEED CONTROL/KILLER FABRIC on eBay, also Weeds, Weed Pest Control, Garden Plants, Home Garden (end time 14-Jan-09 17:06:44 GMT)

eBay.co.uk Shop - TRADE-MART SHOP: GROUND COVER WEED FABRIC: GARDEN BAG,LARGE, HEAVY DUTY,WEEDS, 24 X 18 20

Try those

I used the 100g to cover parts of my lottie and it did the job fine, I'm still using it in places, some on beds whilst some of it became path covering. If you can afford thicker than that, fair enough, but if you can't don't worry

[selfheal]

oooh thats really interesting thanks so the 250g stuff might be ok!!!

does the 100g stuff flap around alot in the wind? (trying to imagine the thickness- i.e. black bin liner versus compost sack) The site really is very windy as its about 1miles accross some feilds from the sea and cliffs- nothing to stop/slow the wind at all. i have visions of blakc plastic flying away into the village

[SarzWix]

Whatever thickness you're using, it'll take off if it's not properly weighed down - all it takes is the wind getting under an edge and it'll be like a full sail The thickness is more to do with how much light it keeps out, and how much wear & tear it'll cope with. You'll need to invest in plenty of pegs/staples to hold the edges down, and even then, I'd still weigh it down with plenty of stones, or soil piled all along the edges.

[selfheal]

when the tractor was rotovating the plots we went around ahead of it pulling out as many big stones as we could and we grabbed the ones it threw up with the rotovator too.

In one area there used to be a building (all the buildings round here are stone) so alot of decent sized stone came out near to my plot. Its all been piled up for people to use to weigh things down. There is also a piece of land next to us where the shed is going- this is where the stone building used to be, so in amongst all that im sure theres a healthy supply- hopefully enough to go round everyone. I can also use the stone ive got in my courtyard at home which will eventually be layed down infront of my tool shed.

I was thinking a nice heavy line of soil on all sides is also a wise move!

[pukka.tukka]

Hi

I have covered part of my plot with old compost bags and another part with leaf mould, which I can get plenty of, but it seems newspaper and cardboard are popular choses.

[OverWyreGrower]

If you are after a large quantity of cardboard, ask at local shops (pet shops, co-ops etc)

My sister runs a pet shop and has to pay for her cardboard to be taken away. There is no recycling facility for businesses.

Luckily, I have taken most of her boxes etc from her in the last few months to cover my beds over. There is no way I can afford to buy plastic sheeting to cover the beds. I started off using some rubble bags we found in the garage, and cutting them in half etc, but I would need loads to cover the beds.

Half of mine are covered in card now, and the rest with straw from the ducks and chickens houses.

[Two_Sheds]

If you are after a large quantity of cardboard, ask at local shops (pet shops, co-ops etc)

My sister runs a pet shop and has to pay for her cardboard to be taken away. There is no recycling facility for businesses.

That's interesting. Whenever I ask for cardboard boxes, the shops say they either don't have any, or can't store it or give it to me for HSE reasons (piles of it out the back attract arsonists)

I now go round the back and help myself after hours

[OverWyreGrower]

That's interesting. Whenever I ask for cardboard boxes, the shops say they either don't have any, or can't store it or give it to me for HSE reasons (piles of it out the back attract arsonists)

I now go round the back and help myself after hours

I would ask smaller stores for it, tbh. Bin charges are extortionate (and not included within business rates) for small businesses.

My sis gets 2 deliveries a week, plus 2 trips to the warehouse; tins of food, toys, chews, beds etc all come in cardboard boxes (and some are huge). She is more than happy for anyone to come and get as much as she has/they can carry!!