V Overgrown Allotment!

[jofanning]

I have brambles too!!!! I'm in sunny Gravesend.

[Jigje]

I wished I had used weedkiller on my plot, but not at the start, rather on the bits I had dug in autumn/winter, sprayed in the spring when the perrenials came back to life. I also wish I hadnt been impatient and tried to bring the whole allotment under control in year one. I should have cut most of it down and kept it covered, and just worked on a little bit, but thoroughly.

[kentish girl]

Hi
Do you have a local allotment buying group, im in Ashford & our seed shed is great, I got 10m of 4m wide ground cover weed suppresent for £1.45 per m far cheaper than the garden centres & it has a 10 year life.

Also the seeds work out a lot cheaper too.

[jofanning]

Yes I do but not too sure if they sell ground cover. Have actually been to the plot today and covered half of the remainder with ground cover and will do the rest tomorrow. Have exactly same thoughts as you Jigje and clear half thoroughly and cover the remainder. Its coming along, but very slowly. Getting worried that I wont get the ground prepared for sowing next year at this rate!!

[Earthbabe]

Not everything goes in at once though. so plan and prepare as you go.

[NOG]

Grass is very tought If you dig and turn it over it will just re grow you need to dig off the grass with a spade and remove it. Put it at the bottom of the compost bin. One of my plots was like a lawn and I just rotovared it now evrty year it re grows.

[Jigje]

The clods of earth I turned over still had couch and bindweed, but the actual "lawn" did die off, so just turning over was enough, it was the same with the plotholders next to us who started at the same time. I dont know how big your plot is Jofanning, but you may even want to consider growing in one quarter rather than half if its that bad, and just digging and covering the rest slowly over the year. next autumn some overwintering plants could go in where you dug throughout the year, a bit left for spring planting, and the bit you did first, if looked after well will have few if any perenials left.

The main reason I advise this is coz I stuffed up so badly on my own plot

[Digger-07]

I would be tempted to dig now and spray in spring to get rid of any roots that evaded you.

[Stroppy scotte]

Hi Jo
We had much the same problem when we started a year ago. Loads of couch
Now have most of the plot planted and some ready for next years planting. It seems a huge task when you start but is one hell of a kick when you see the progress.
Above all enjoy!!!