winter management of Allotments

[gardenpassion]

Hi All,
Not been on here for a while, but working twice as hard now so time is short these days.
Can I ask advice? A neighbour has dug over his plot, laid some manure and then covered everything with thick weed membrane, the kind that doesn't let rain in. He has struggled with time and weeds all year so thinks this is the answer. To be honest, it seems very sensible and my question is, is there any reason why this isn't a good idea? If not, I wonder why more allotmenteers are not doing this.?
Many thanks

[Aberdeenplotter]

To me, keeping the rain out over the winter months isn't a good thing. It can be very dry over the summer months and the more moisture that can be collected in the soil over the winter the better so a membrane that allows moisture through is more suitable. I won't be preparing my plot for the winter for a while yet as weeds are still germinating. I'll tackle that late October/early November

[Alison]

Covering to stop light can be a good thing as it deters weeds but stopping water is in my opinion a bad idea, gives slugs somewhere to hide out too.

[sparrow100]

For me manure under a snug cover = slug nursery.

It might depend on what soil you have. My plot is heavy clay and floods on the lower bit for much of winter/early spring. I don't think covering it would do any good.

[gardenpassion]

ok, thanks, so would cardboard covered with manure be a good idea then? Thinking it would keep out the light and help stop soil leeching but providing some nutrients. I keep guinea pigs on chopped up straw so wondering if it might be good for the soil to pop some of their used bedding under the cardboard. what do you think? I have just tried green manure but none germinated so need plan B!!

[Alison]

ok, thanks, so would cardboard covered with manure be a good idea then? Thinking it would keep out the light and help stop soil leeching but providing some nutrients. I keep guinea pigs on chopped up straw so wondering if it might be good for the soil to pop some of their used bedding under the cardboard. what do you think? I have just tried green manure but none germinated so need plan B!!

I think that sounds a good plan

[gardenpassion]

Thanks Alison

[Vince G]

GP, I always do what your neighbour has done. I covered the first bed over at the weekend in fact. It's not the thickest of sheets so may well let some moisture through, but not much, and apart from the occasional weird looking mushroom, we've not had very much to clear off on uncovering it in spring, and have had no growing consequences. We are lucky in that we are light on slugs at our lottie.

[Kristen]

I'm never sure about covering a plot over winter. How much do the weeds actually grow? I would let the "winter" at the soil (I'm on clay, frost helps, dunno about sandy/light soil though) and then cover in early spring when weeds start to grow. Even if they have a bit of growth on them, when covered, they will then die. I think covering with a "solid" sheet / tarpaulin for a month or so in Spring would be fine (preventing rain penetrating the soil) as it will be holding plenty by then, and the cover will warm the soil. But I would not plant-through a solid type of sheeting.

I experimented this year using woven weed suppressing membrane (e.g. Mypex / Zybal) using it on about 2/3rd of my crops (didn't start the experiment early enough!) and I think it is definitely the answer for me. Pretty much Zero time spent weeding, and much less time spent watering.

Downsides:

Have to make X-slits for plants. If you have good soil and can plant through the membrane (fiddly) that's fine, I plant first and then put the membrane on top, so the X-slits have to line up exactly (in practice I didn't have any problem, but it takes care)

Have to label and "keep" the pieces of membrane from one year to the next - I grow the same number of, e.g. Sweetcorn, each year, so I think this will work OK for me. I cut each "crop section" of membrane a bit larger than needed, to allow for some extra plants in future years if needed (if not that bit is just folded up).

Having said that, people I know who cover their whole plot in membrane have X-slits at various spacings, and plant through whichever X's are suitable for the crop, and they say that works fine.

Not cheap. Personally I am happy to spend some money on reducing maintenance in the garden as a whole, not just my veg patch.

Possibly increases slug population. Can't say I have noticed that being a problem (and this year has been dreadful for slugs in my garden, definitely no more in the veg patch than normal / the rest of the garden).

May increase the temperature of the soil. No doubt a Good Thing in Spring, might be less so in mid Summer - although I figure that if the crop has good leaf coverage by then, Brassicas for example, then less sun/heat will be hitting the membrane.

Might not be suitable for all crops. I'm not sure about Parsnips, as I think lifting them will be a problem - although could cut the tops off and roll back the membrane (bit by bit over winter) to reveals the next few plants to be lifted. Ditto leeks, although I think because leeks are skinnier it will be possible to lift the membrane off the whole bed at the start of harvest [I'll let you know in a month's time when we start harvesting them!]. Some crops that are very close-planted (Garlic) are a bit of a fiddle - holes very close together, so quite a lot of opportunity for weeds to find a way to the light ... but then they are very fiddly to weed, normally, too so its still a gain IMO.

Needs to be woven membrane though, not a tarpaulin / "the kind that doesn't let rain in".

I am sure that Cardboard would do, and I do use that in places in the garden, but I think that pernicious weeds will lift that and the individual pieces of card will "allow" that movement, whereas the membrane will just lift but remain as one piece, so I think it will work better - but I haven't tried cardboard extensively enough to know.

[marcofez]

I'm going to try with weed suppressing membrane just like kristen , starting with my winter onions and garlic. I've tried with cardboard (membrane will give more as well) but found that this rots quickly and you have it flying about on windy days! Anything for less weeding and more productive days instead.

[Fleurisa]

We aren't allowed to cover our allotment plots with any plastic sheeting. This is to try and reduce rats, as they like somewhere dry to live over winter

[Alison]

We aren't allowed to cover our allotment plots with any plastic sheeting. This is to try and reduce rats, as they like somewhere dry to live over winter

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.

[gardenpassion]

All great advice, many thanks, I guess there are pros and cons to all interventions in the allotment and we have to decide on what works for us and lifestyles etc, its great to learn from others though, and see what might/might not work. I am suffering some indecision now though!!

[Two_Sheds]

I wonder why more allotmenteers are not doing this.?

... because their plots are full of crops? *puzzled face*

kale: red, green, curly, black
cabbage: savoy etc
chard: silver, ruby, rainbow
parsnips
leeks
spring onions
winter lettuce
green manures

and in Nov, broad beans & Jap onions

[gardenpassion]

... because their plots are full of crops? *puzzled face*

kale: red, green, curly, black
cabbage: savoy etc
chard: silver, ruby, rainbow
parsnips
leeks
spring onions
winter lettuce
green manures

and in Nov, broad beans & Jap onions

Yes ~Two Sheds, I was suggesting that there must be a reason why more allotmenteers' are not covering their plots. I am growing the crops you mentioned too but also have lots of unused areas of my allotment. I have tried to grow green manure, but the resident rabbit seems to like it more than I anticipated so it is not thriving. I think it might be good to cover unused bits with woven weed fabric. I can't help but feel your comment was not very encouraging. I don't profess to be anything other than a novice gardener. I haven't used the site for ages due to work etc and have just got back on here but feel rather foolish for my post following your comment.