Very overgrown allotment

[buzzingtalk]

Is now beginning to be tamed, above ground anyways!

I am absolutley infested with bindweed...I do not want to spray anything. Will double digging and riddling (I have a rotary sieve) be enough? I am not going to put carpet or anything down as I am fed up of digging out mouldy bits of carpet from my plot that have been left there for years, all the pastic fibers are all in the ground and the brambles/bindweed have grown rampant through the carpet! I have already filled a car load of mouldy rugs

Whats the best way to clear/dig? It is uneven ground so it needs levelling, and I am going to put in paths and raised beds so it will be hard work either way, but while I'm there I may as well try and get rid of the majority of bindweed. Plus there is so much of it that the ground is literraly full of bindweed roots! Not much will grow unless I remove it.

Advice please??

[SarrissUK]

I got a lot of bindweed too, and all I can say is.. whatever you do, don't rotavate. My plot is a lot better after digging, manually removing as many roots I can find, digging again, manually removing roots, etc. They are still coming back and I expect them to carry on for a few years, but it's MUCH better already

[Corris]

I don't know how frowned up this is but why not spray it all over with roundup or similar?

[Aberdeenplotter]

Two warnings about rotary seives. First, if you are using the thing a lot, you stand a very real chance of incurring a repetetive stress injury. I know, I did it.

Secondly, the action of the rotory seive can easily break the roots into small bits which pass through the mesh and these bits will grow again . better to set a large wire mesh against a wall or fence and throw fork/spadefuls at that. You will catch most of the roots in the mesh and still be able to see any other bits that pass through and pick them off. It is hard work and tedious and it is unlikely that you will get rid of all the bits of root but it will help. The next step is to dig up any developing plants as you see them coming through the ground. never ending isn't it.

[Two_Sheds]

You don't want to spray (and the cheaper ordinary Roundup won't touch the roots anyway) so you're going to have to pull/dig it out. Every bit, as soon as it appears. And it will keep on coming.

BT, I'm near Norwich, if you ever want me to come along to have a look-see, pull some weeds, let me know

[Corris]

ah - thanks twosheds - I did wonder if it was any use - as you know, I'm a beginner.

I'm also near Norwich - so if you want to come look at mine you'd be VERY welcome. I'd even bake a cake.

[buzzingtalk]

Ooooh, cake! I will second that offer too...cake and bindweed session!

But yes thanks for the kind offers

I do not wish to spray at all, so looking for organic answers. I have asked various people now and it seems that you're all right - the only way to really do it is to manually remove, dig, dig and dig, and pull them as they come My plot had been left for 4 years, so they are rampant. I have pretty much razed them all above ground level, I am off to buy a spade tomorrow (waited for payday so I could get a decent one - its gonna get a lot of use!) so will start digging from the back. Thankfully it isn't too bad at the back - just brambles to dig out - so it will be a nice introduction to how much work its going to be.

Aberdeen Plotter - thanks for the advice! Although i am struggling to picture your setup? There are no walls/fences on my plot so I am trying to think how I could do it...and what sort of wire mesh do you use? How do you set it up? Sorry for all the questions! But I would like to avoid a RSI if possible!

I bet the ground will go down a foot once all the big roots are out! They are that numerous...

[oldie]

I would not use a spade yet, you may end up chopping roots into even smaller bits. Just fork it over and over and over .........

[rustylady]

I can't use a spade for regular digging. I use a fork.

[taff]

a little border fork is fab, not too much at once....and really, just mark out a manageable area to do at a time otherwise hello bad back, arms, feet etc.

[Corris]

oh buzzing you are nearby too - the invitation is extended to you also.

[SarzWix]

I agree, I use my border fork for just about everything, and my spade for very little

When I was trying to sieve my soil, I used a piece of mesh over the top of the wheelbarrow. But, to be honest, it was back breaking and didn't seem to result in any cleaner soil than that which was just forked and hand-weeded. Slowly, slowly will get the job done in the end. Oh, and copious amounts of cardboard covering up what you've dug already, and what you haven't dug yet too...

Did I say take it slowly? Good luck

[Pies]

dig out as much as you can then as soon as it raises it head above ground pull it out,you have to be methodical and not let it get to sunlight to photosynthesize.This way you weaken it and it very slowly dies It takes years though

[Two_Sheds]

Bindweed leaves die back over the winter but of course the root remains alive beneath the surface. I've been digging mine out for 4 years now but it keeps invading from next door's plot (comes back every year stronger than ever on that side of my plot).

This year in exasperation I used strong glypho on it (I let the plants grow up a cane, then unwound them into a bath of the stuff, therefore avoiding getting it on my crops). It's worked a treat. The "normal strength" glypho is useless though, waste of money.

Let's arrange a digging day up at BT's plot (I can deliver her flower encyclopaedia at same time) ~ Corris, me and I'll drag RustyLady along too. PM me

[greasemonkey67]

Sorry i didnt reply sooner,I too am a beginner on an allotment and my plot when i took it over was stood for over two and it was waist high in grass,weeds and poppys. I started to dig it over using a conventional fork and spade but soon got fed up of not being able to stand up straight to sup my tea! The best digging tools i have bought are a heavy duty right angled digging fork and a right angled digging hoe,check out the Chillington web site,or Digging web site. The fork will dig deeper than a conventional fork,so to lift weeds out easier. You might get a few odd looks from the oldies on your site but try the tools there great,if you dont get on with it you can e bay it.