How to clear an allotment.....?

[Cosmo and Dibs]

I am very excited about growing some simple fruit and veg'.

I do not know if the plot will be overgrown, but I know that they are 250 sq.yds.

I have been doing a lot of reading online about the first things I should be doing and all the websites tell me I should be clearing the weeds and grass from the plot. Whilst looking for this info', I have looked at a number of pictures of overgrown plots......and it has frightened me in to to thinking twice about actually having a plot.

1- Is it absolutely necessary to get a rotovator? Can I not just clear it slowly by hand/tools?
Or do I not even need to clear it? i.e- if I simply cover the whole plot with black plastic and leave it for X amount of time, will it kill all weeds and grass? If this is true, how long do I leave it for?
Do I then take the plastic up and remove the dead weeds etc? (Then dig over).

2- How long should I expect to wait until the plot is ready to receive the plants I'm sowing at home?

3- Where do I put the weeds and grass once dug up? Is there an onsite location or am I responsible for all rubbish?

Sorry for the essay!

Thanks in advance!

[Capsid]

The black plastic/carpet approach is the preferred way for most. Several months of this should kill off the weeds/grass, but there will still inevitably remain the more pernicious weeds which are best removed by digging out and burning. Then you can dig it over and plant the veg straight away.

If you cut back the grass and green growth of the weeds then this can be used to start of the compost bin (a necessity for all plot holders). You are responsible for the rubbish (usually).

[Growem]

I would clear one bit by fork and hoe and use this for planting. Cover the rest with cardboard or black fabric. As you have time, you can uncover bits and work at it, not just waiting for the plants to die on their own. A lot of people seem to cover their plots and disappear for a year. I think you are better off doing some actual gardening of planting and growing, even if it's a small corner.

[spennysaint]

Hi

i got my allotment two weeks ago and it's full of brambles that are taller than me - correction were taller than me, i've cut them all down

My plan - now that i've cut them all down i'm going to cover with black plastic type stuff. I'm going to dig little at a time and plant something before moving onto the next bit This way makes the plot manageable.

The best advice i was given (on the vine somewhere) was not to try and get it all done at once, Give yourself a small goal and then you feel a sense of achievement when you've reached it, Then set the next goal etc.... Breaking it down makes everything seem more achieveable. Also take a photo before you start so that you can look back and see how far you've come - all good advice from the vine. Don't be put off by everyone elses pictures,

As for other questions, i've found fellow lotholders really friendly and more than happy to offer advice and answer questions, If they see you are making an effort they will help you out too.
good luck
Claire

[Cosmo and Dibs]

Thanks for the encouragement people!

I know you are right- I should go and look at the plot I've been assigned before panicking!

Can I ask one more thing?

I'm thinking of splitting the plot up in to, say, eigths, and attempting to clear and prepare one segment at a time over a period of months. The segments that are waiting to be cleared will be covered with black bags or black plastic, and possibly sprayed with weedkiller. I would then get to work at planting in the prepared area(s) with the tomato and strawberry plants I have growing at home.

Does that sound ok? Do I simply cover the weeds/grass straight away, or should I be cutting them back to ground level before?

Will the allotment manager allow me to only use, in theory, one eigth of my plot for the first few months (provided that I keep the weeds under control)?

How long will the covered areas take before the weeds are dead?

And- finally- is there any need to cover the area(s) that I prepare with black bags/plastic, or do I leave it open?

Thanks again.

[Sprocket*]

I would suggest that you should aim to clear a bit by hand and plant what you can. If you do this then you can get some produce this year and continue to clear the rest as and when you can.
We have access to a rotivator but I would say that it is an added bonus and the work can be done by hand (although it takes more time). If you are on clay like me then it helps but is not essential at all.
Have you seen the plot yet, you may be lucky and get a clear plot already.

As for the grass, then we take it off and turn it over in a pile and cover it with plastic. Then in a couple of months we have nice soil to put back. As for the weeds then you can compost them (though not Dandelions or docks as the compost heap is likely not to be hot enough to kill them). We take any weeds that can't be composted home and put them in the council compost bin.

[NOG]

DO NOT ROTOVATE IT.

I made that mistake and it just spread the grass.

I would cut every thing down (assuming you are allowed bonfires), get some pallets and burn the lot. once it is all burming drag it over the plot to burn off the surfce. Then cover it with plastic.

THEN start in one corner. Dig it over and remove all the grass and roots add compost and start planting.

Don't forget to start your compost bin now.

[krazy_krok]

Get ya hands on plenty of muck-well rotted spread over a patch and cover with weed membrane. Cut X shape holes and plant ya transplants from home straight through it. Works well with pumkins and squashes especially but i'm planting brassicas like this and think ya toms should be ok 2. The worms take the muck into the soil over time enriching it, whilst blocking out the light kills off the weeds plus you'll get a harvest. You'll need to cover the weeds for a year to kill them completly, a couple of months will only weaken them.

Potatoes make the perfect Pioneer crop as their growth and harvest break up the land. Lay sheets of cardboard over the area and make mounded rows with manure/straw/soil, cover the rows with black plastic, cut x shape holes in it and put your tubers in-they'll grow out the hole.

With these tips you'll be able to make a quick start and get a reasonable harvest whilst the ground is clearing itself with no digging. I'd recomend digging and clearing at least one section though so you can plant straight into the ground come summer. Plus digging can be theraputic being at one with the land and shouldn't be avoided altogether

Hope this helps,
kk

[Peter]

...i got my allotment two weeks ago and it's full of brambles that are taller than me - correction were taller than me, i've cut them all down

My plan - now that i've cut them all down i'm going to cover with black plastic type stuff.

Claire, please dig out the bramble roots or stumps first.
If you don't you'll be upset when the bramble regrowth emerges.
A Pickaxe will do it, don't need to get every trace but neatly pruned stumps will throw neww shoots with force.

[di]

Having finally accomplished getting a similar plot up & going & almost clear of couch grass...we've just recently taken on another!!!
We'll tackle this one in a similar way to the last...ie,start at one end & keep going!!!
If you're going to choose the dig method(I'm with NOG & strongly reccomend...DO NOT ROTOVATE!)...Before you start actual digging,if there are a lot of perrenial weeds dig out a trench so that as you dig you've got somewhere to put your forkful & get out the roots(if you just turn the soil then you'll be covering half the roots)(Put the soil from the trench at the other end of the plot...I know it sounds like extra work,but IMHO it really is worth it)If you use a fork instead of a spade you'll get more roots out whole instead of chopping them with a spade.
For us,any ground that's going to have root crops or anything direct sown,will be cleared as best we can.But most of it we will plant squash which won't mind a few weeds & will actually help to keep them down a bit due to their massive leaf growth.
Finally,now is probably the best time to get started...leave it too long & as the ground dries,digging may become harder!
Good Luck with it...it really is doable & the sense of achievement once done is great!!!...just keep your eye on what you've done...not what's still to be done!!!

[Growem]

I don't know about the do not rotovate idea. What if the lot is already covered with couch grass and other weeds? At least if you cut it all up, you can fight smaller bits rather than huge clumps at once. I agree clearing by hand would be better, but it takes waaaaaay longer.

As for the question of cutting before covering, I would cut them. By cutting them you are immediately taking away a place where they have energy stored so they will die sooner. Not lots sooner, but sooner.

[Alison]

We covered most of ours last autumn after cutting it back from thigh high in weeds etc. Have been gradually uncovering sections of it these past few weeks and to be honest, the sections which were covered with tarps don't seem to be any different to the ones which weren't covered so am guessing it would take longer than Oct to Feb to see any real difference. However, scraped back some sections of old cardboard the other day and discovered that the grass under that had died back a lot and that section was much easier to dig.

Note, all is being hand dug with as many roots as possible being removed, get a couple of large trugs full per 4' by 10' bed and the thought of all those being cut up into little pieces makes me feel weary so am hoping that all this back breaking work now will help in the future. Currently got 7.5 of the 12 main veg beds dug so am feeling pretty positive about it all.

[di]

I don't know about the do not rotovate idea. What if the lot is already covered with couch grass and other weeds? At least if you cut it all up, you can fight smaller bits rather than huge clumps at once. I agree clearing by hand would be better, but it takes waaaaaay longer.

The thing is all of those smaller bits don't stay small...they become a whole new plant in themselves.IMHO far easier to pull out large long roots than fiddle about trying to pick out little ones.
I agree that the plot may look ready to plant far sooner if you rotivate,but from our experience digging is the way to go!
We took on the plot that's now clear at the same time as our neighbour...both in the same original state...he rotivated & thought he was ready to start sowing seeds way before we were....however,before his seeds showed any signs of germination the thistles & grass had taken over,making his job almost impossible.
I know there are many advocates of rotivating on here,so maybe I shouldn't dismiss it so quickly...but for our new plot,forking out the roots is the way to go.

[spennysaint]

Claire, please dig out the bramble roots or stumps first.
If you don't you'll be upset when the bramble regrowth emerges.
A Pickaxe will do it, don't need to get every trace but neatly pruned stumps will throw neww shoots with force.

Thanks for advice peter - i'll get digging! Shame i can't persuade OH to join in. On the positive side there aren't many other weeds under the brambles

Claire

[jackie j]

I like to dig my weeds out just do a bit at a time, clear an area then plant something, clear another area and plant, once you get going you wont want to stop or wait. I do mine myself OH not interested but he will help if I am stuck or need something heavy or diy doing.
Happy planting.