Covering empty ground until spring...

[Amandaod]

I got my allotment a couple of months back and I haven't even used half of plot, but it seems like all I do is spend hours weeding the areas which have nothing in them so looking to cover them up until spring...

What is the best way to do this? Just black plastic covering? Or cardboard/newspaper? If I use cardboard does it need to be covered by a mulch or can I just put them down and wet them and add in the manure when it gets delivered to our plots in Feb? I don't have any mulch but could probably get a hold of manure locally just now..

I asked someone on the allotments who said just to leave the ground but for a start it will be covered in weeds and secondly I'd be worried the Scottish weather turns the soil to almost concrete for the next season...

Advice welcome! I can't stop posting questions!!

[roitelet]

I would put on a layer of manure or compost and cover it with cardboard weighted down with something and let the worms work for you over winter. Failing that just cover it with cardboard.

[Bal]

I'm going to try and plant green manure crops. I have been looking at this website
The finest range of Green Manure Seeds for all soil types.

[Bigmallly]

Covering with manure does not guarantee you won't get any weeds. I would go down the cardboard route. Cover the bed, soak the cardboard & weight it down with bricks, logs, whatever you can lay your hands on. You could put a mulch of manure on top of you can get it but don't assume it will be weed free.

[Amandaod]

Thank you!! I'm going to try and get a hold of some cardboard in that case. I'm assuming it would be better than newspaper, but can I use this if I struggle to find enough cardboard?

[Bigmallly]

Yes you can also use wet newspaper............it looks a bit of a dog but still stops the weeds coming through.

[Jay-ell]

Amanda

If you can get to a big box shop you should be able to get loads of cardboard packing boxes. Make sure to take off any tape/staples before putting it down.

Bal, have a look here for green manure mixes Green Manure - Moles Seeds

[Bill Door]

Hi Amandaod.

One thing you don't say is what "weeds" you have. Some, like Docks, brambles and bindweed, need to be taken out as quickly as possible. Other weeds can be left and either covered (cardboard or plastic sheet) to rot down or roughly dug into the ground. I feel that the act of weeding takes a certain amount of goodness from the garden. I would suggest taking out the seed heads and binning them and then I would rough dig the surface, don't try to weed except for Docks etc. If you have had the rain we have had that should not be too onerous. Any ground you can't dig then just cover until next year.

Once the ground has been turned for about two weeks I would walk over it and kick the lumps about a bit and at the same time sow some green manures (not mustard seed) and walk over it again the scuff the seeds into the soil. I then forget about it until February/March and cut down the green manures and then after two weeks dig the ground over again. It should not be too onerous.

I would add that the most useful tool you can get is a long handled hoe that feels comfortable to use and does not require you to bend over when using it. If you can hoe for 10 to 20 minutes every time you go to the allotment (even on clear soil) and this will get rid of the weed problem.

Good luck and enjoy your gardening.

Bill

[Elfeda]

do not mulch with menure on the weedy patch. that only help the weed roots get good feed and become woody. though it might make the digging easier all the nutrients from menure go waste. save it to use during planting time.


cover with plastic or cardboard or with weeds to be composted. I got all of them worked better than to menure and compost on weedy patch.

[berbie]

I swear by the hoe. Cover if you must but hoe as much as you can as often as you can. Weed seeds will germinate when they can so hoe of as many as possible as soon as possible.

[Sarico]

Sow some green manure. If something grow on the soil you will have less weeds.

[Karin G]

I would use Green Manure as it will add nitrogen to your soil. You just chop the tops off in the spring and dig in the roots.

[ESBkevin]

Quick and cheap is cardboard. weigh it down with mulch if you can get some. Tree surgeons have lots of chipped trees and it's going to do no harm at all. If there are stables nearby ask for the old straw bales. Then let it sit till spring and you may find you can plant through it without further tillage. If you chose to dig it over that's fine too, the whole lot will add to loom and fertility. Maybe a selection of both, some dug (potatoes) some planted through (strawberries or brassicas).

[sparrow100]

In terms of cardboard, if you can't get to a storage place, bike shops give away the boxes that the bicycles come in, and they are a really decent size.