New Allotment

[Lisacornwall]

I have today got a new allotment, and I am a novice to this apart from helping out when I was a wee child.

I have read that I should dig over and remove weeds and then put manure on the soil and then cover with cardboard. Some people then say to compost the weeds and some people say not to. Which would be best?

I would like a good idea on when to start planting also. I would like to grow the usual; potatoes, peas, runner beans, broad beans, carrots etc

Does soil type effect how these would grow? I notice there is clover in my allotment at the moment, does anyone know what soil type this would be.

cant wait to start digging!

If anyone can help me that would be great.
Thanks in advance

[oldie]

I have usually put the cardboard or newspaper down first and piled the manure on top. Have just done so with a friends new allotment. By early spring the worms will have done their job. I am careful about weeds, if I don't know what it is I put in in a black plastic sack for a few weeks with some water before adding it to the compost. If you know what it is you may be happy to put it straight into the compost bin. Things like bindweed, couch grass, mares tail etc. grow from small root sections and they must be very dead before getting anywhere near the compost bin.

[Maximillian]

How exciting! Make a plan of your site deciding where you want your compost bin etc. Then decide where you want your veggie groups to be for the first year. You can do broad beans from November for an early crop. I usually start seedlings from around feb/march at home before hardening and plantig down the plot. Have fun!

[Two_Sheds]

I have usually put the cardboard or newspaper down first and piled the manure on top.

Do it like that ^^^^

The cardboard blocks the light so the weeds stop growing. The manure holds down the card (or else it ends up in next door's plot).

If you can't get manure, use clods of earth or lumps of weed.

It all rots down after a few months, improving the soil (which sheets of plastic won't do).

As to composting weeds: yes if it's annuals which aren't seeding (never compost weed seeds, bin them).

Perennial weeds: kill them by drowning in a bucket of water for a few weeks before adding to compost heap. They are full of nutrients, don't waste them.