Allotment was accidentally rotovated

[Reks]

Hi all - Need some piece of advice.

We covered 1/4th of our allotment last year with some carpet in order to tackle weeds - bindweed, couch grass etc. Was at the allotment on saturday to find that the council had accidentally rotovated my plot (luckily they left a small patch I was working on at the top of the plot and had garlic planted). So now I am left with most of the plot rotovated i.e too many chopped weeds to clear. What can I do other than manully remove every bit of couch grass and other weeds with my hands.

Would the weeds under the carpet have been killed? or could each small piece of couch grass root grow to a new plant?

I am so angry with the chaps who rotovated... I had a plan to dig and clear weeds in small areas and now I am back to square one.....

[zazen999]

I'd rake the lot, drag out as much as possible and get the council to take that away. Then, cover the lot with cardboard - the biggest pieces you can find, and plant through that this season. Prep small areas for carrots and such but the main bulk just keep under cover as much as you can. The couch grass will grow around the sides so pull that out as it grows - but keep the rest under cover.

[Reks]

Thanks zanzen999 - could i consider covering with tarpaulin or large weed control fabric. Could I grow thru weed control fabric as another option??

[zazen999]

Well, I prefer cardboard as at the end you just dig it in and it costs nowt. Depends on how much £ you have spare. I'm tight as a snadger's - snadge so cardboard does me just fine.

[Reks]

ok, let me hunt down some cardboard.....ta!

[SarzWix]

Try places like Halfords - their bikes come in really big boxes. Or an independent electricals retailer - fridges and ovens are often wrapped in cardboard to prevent scratches. I've tried Comet etc before, but they weren't very obliging

[snakeshack]

sow a big patch of turnips!
couch grass and turnips don't like each other and any couch grass will die if surrounded by turnips

[Speed Gardener]

I get loads of free cardboard from my local Sainsburys. I try to get there around lunchtime and go to the frozen section, the guys are replenishing the freezers and usually have one of those tall cage trolleys stacked up with flattened boxes. I think they're getting used to it now....

[Aberdeenplotter]

When I took on my last plot, it was totally infested with couch and ground elder. I dug it with a fork and then went over it again throwing every forkful against a wire mesh. That was a great help. After that, I just forked out the odd pieces that were left as they showed. If yours has been rotoavated, it should be quite a simple task to do the throw against the mesh stuff as it should already be well broken up.

[AmyG]

I'm often concerned that people mulch with carpet or cardboard.

Carpets can contain toxic chemicals from the dyes or from the fibre if it's not wool that can leach into the ground. Carpets are also banned from many allotment sites and you would know why if you had taken an allotment over where thy had been used and left by the previous tenant. The weeds grow through and it's almost impossible to remove it.

The glues that are used to stick the layers of paper together in cardboard while mainly corn starch have a number of petroleum chemicals added to them. So I wouldn't use them.

I depend on good old fashioned gardening methods - dig and hoe. I've cleared my plot of mares tail and bindweed with just a fork and a hoe.

[jackyspratty]

I think it depends how much time you can dedicate to digging and hoeing etc, how fit you are, and how organic you want to be? Find away that suits your needs.

I have said many times this year that I used the cover in cardbaord method and mulch on top last year. It was fantastic. Weakened the extensive couch grass, and broke down the heavy clay at the same time. You can mulch on top with coffee grounds and grass clippings etc, it works a treat. You dont have to do it every year, you can then try the did and dig and dig method! However mulching is something that I recommend you do long term, whether you just add clippings, buy strulch or keep covering with cardboard.

Im in favour of the no (or at least as little digging as you have to approach) dig approach due to time constaints etc, but I also feel it improves the quality of the soil and doesnt disturb it too much.

Take a little bit of advise that suits your situation. Whats right for me might not suit you. BUt Id reccomend it heartily, as indeed it was reccomended to me on here a few seasons ago

[Two_Sheds]

could i consider covering with tarpaulin ?

I've used tarp before, and for some reason it doesn't work as well as cardboard - perhaps it lets more light through?

[oldie]

Right again TS. Tarps let light through. Incidentally most of the big cardboard boxes you get from places like Halfords are not glued, they have huge staples in them. Take care removing them.

[Reks]

Thank u all. I am constrained by time for hoeing. There r some very good tips above. Will try few options and see how I get on and will report back end of season ta