winter management of Allotments

[robmarston]

While we're on the subject.....I was wondering about weed suppressing fabric in gardens myself. I don't have an allotment yet, (more of that later - building my own on a patch of land I have this winter...) but do have an extensive garden. Every year I mulch all the beds with lots of manure. If I put down a weed suppressant fabric, won't this mean I can no longer mulch, or will have to lift the whole fabric to do so?


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[Noosner]

Worth working out what they're eating if you have a rat problem (apologies if I've read you wrong) as I find they normally congregate around a food source.

Another reason for rats is if your plot is near a river. Mine is, and I have to be careful not to put things like eggshells on the compost heap as they seem to be rat-magnets.

Re covering the soil/winter planting, I am trying this for the first time this year, gradually getting a mix of things on the go as crops finish. A couple of beds have got cardboard covered in manure. I'll also do cardboard covered in plain soil (worked well earlier this year). Two beds have got field beans in as a green manure, growing almost too splendidly, as I planted them a bit early. Another two beds have got overwintering onions and garlic, another brassicas. I'm also going to do a bed with forage peas, though I suspect they'll get eaten by visiting rabbits. Another bed is going to get my leaf mould. It will be v interesting to see what works.

[Kristen]

If I put down a weed suppressant fabric, won't this mean I can no longer mulch, or will have to lift the whole fabric to do so?

I have "pieces" of woven weed suppressing membrane for each crop - so that the X-slits, for the plants, are appropriate spacing. So they come up at the end of the crop, and get moved to the next patch in line with my crop rotation so, for me, no problem with adding manure etc. and then covering again for the crop (I leave the soil uncovered for the winter, or sow a green manure; very little weed growth over winter so I prefer the weather to get at the soil, but I think (hope??!!) that the black membrane helps heat the soil in Spring, so I put it down before the weeds start into growth and stop then plus hopefully warm the soil earlier too.)

[robmarston]

Thanks Kirsten, that makes sense to me.


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