After a week of confusion, meet my plot!

[lottie dolly]

Well done you,if you over do things,you will run out off steam and enthusiasm,take it easy,and let your body get used to things first,see if you any factories near you,some have really large cardboard between sheeting fabrics,like plastic/sign makers,also a good sauce for big pallets,when driving around,keep the eyes peeled for skips,

[Dorothy rouse]

Sounds like you're doing really well, don't worry about the Spring, it'll be fine, you'll see.

[Bren In Pots]

Sounds like you've made good progress

[Methe]

Its getting there now, thank you. I spent a couple off hours there today and am almost finished clearing it.. All but a 4ft strip is done ( the strip with couch grass!) and I have planted some garlic, shallots and onions and also the strawberry runners I was given. I found a whole cows knee bone and several funky caterpillars but nothing else of interest.

Next plan is to finish the clearance and get it covered. My father in law has sourced me some black plastic and some scaffolding boards. I'm going to divide it in to beds width ways as it is quite narrow.

I ache!

[mrgrower]

We have 5 bin bags of weeds and roots to dispose of now! Is it just a Case of taking them to the dump?

This is why I make my own compost as much as I can.

As I see it correct me if i'm wrong? When we take the weeds to the tip there are certain types they discourage from home recycle garden waste, however when we take the weeds to the tip that then gets chucked in to rot down with other waste which is then bagged up and sold.

Whilst most weeds are killed in the composting process certain ones can live on. We then buy that at B&Q etc and then complain about how poor the compost has gone whilst at the same time adding these pesky weed roots / seeds onto our plots.

What are others thoughts on this?

[Methe]

Our council don't appear to have any rules as to what we can't put in except no soil and no logs. I bung tons of bindweed in my home one and horsetail. That's what it's for... It's a means of disposal for me.

Anyway, my 5 bags are now 23 bags and their are weighting down my plastic at the moment. When the contents have been well and truly killed I'll put them in the compost bin I've yet to build layered with copious amounts of guinea pig poo and wee'd on hay.

The plots completely clear now.. The cogs are whirring in my brain now planning what goes where!

[Methe]

After all this awful rain I've finally been able to get going on my plot. The last 2 weekends have created 3 50x4ftbeds with 18inch paths between them and an aching back.

There is more horsetail then I ever thought possible bin bags full of the stuff which is quite worrying and every fork turn unearths more. Many thanks to Mr. Rotavator who had my plot before me. The couch grass has been weakened by the black plastic that is been on it for the last 8 or 10 weeks and has been easy to deal with.

The plan is dig all the beds over once and then when I've done them all dig them over again... Hopefully before I can start planting. Apart from the horsetail it's beautiful, fertile soil and I can't wait to get going. Lidl is amazing for seeds, isn't it! Less than a fiver and I've got most of the ones I wanted. I got a couple of rhubarb crowns some asparagus and and seed potatoes in tesco for a couple of quid. Bargain!

[Methe]

Oh and the onions, garlic and shallots I planted before Christmas are all going great guns!

[rustylady]

Stop digging Methe. Every time you turn the soil over you expose more weed seeds to the light and ideal conditions for germination.

Dig until the soil feels "nice" and you've removed perennial weed roots - then leave it until you are ready to sow or plant. If you get more weeds germinate then just hoe them off.

[Methe]

I've covered it all over again with the black plastic and was going to leave it like that until the beds are ready to plant