Newbie needing allotment advice

[Goose]

Hello,

I took over a full size plot in November last year that hadn't had anything done to it for about 3 years. There are already 7 6x4 plastic raised beds in place and a shed which had a few tools in.

I have so far managed to get about 10lbs of onions, runner beans, a few courgettes and have sprouting broccoli and normal broccoli in. I also have a red currant bush, 2 black currant bushes and a gooseberry bush (all these have been great this year and I have picked a lot of fruit from them). The problem is trying to keep on top of the weeds though, once my onions were out, the bed has been completely taken over with weeds, the sprouting broccoli bed is full of weeds and borage and the runner bean bed is starting with weeds even though I heavily mulched it!

The 3 remaining beds are also covered with weeds, 2 of them full of bindweed and one full of grass and as fast as I try to dig a bed over, it sprouts weeds again! I have been down today and completely covered the onion beds with cardboard covered by a thick layer of wood chip (free at our allotment) in the hope that I can at least slow the progress down.

Has anyone any ideas about the bindweed? I dug over about a 3rd of the bed recently pulling all the roots out as I went but they are still coming through? I also have a large area, approximately 10 X 12 in the centre that is knee high with weeds!

I have a debilitating, chronic illness which doesn't allow me to spend hours and hours at the plot so looking for any advice as to how to tackle the problem weeds.

[Bill Door]

Hi Goose, sorry to hear about your health problems and good for you for making the effort.

You have done well with the harvest and I know what you mean about weeds.

For the bind weed I would push some bamboo canes in the ground near them and let them grow up the canes. When they get about three or four foot high make up a solution of weak weed killer. If the instructions suggest one sachet to one liter then mix one sachet to two or even three liters. I would suggest only mixing up a quarter of a sachet. Then get a brush and "paint" the bind weed with the weed killer solution. Leave it for two weeks and then do the same again. If after two weeks the bindweed is still alive then repeat. I have read that doing it this way the roots get a dose of weedkiller and can /will die off.

Next I would really sharpen the edge of a hoe and spend 10 minutes on each visit hoeing all the other weeds. Don't do too much on each visit but clear a bit and then hoe it again at the next visit. Most weeds will give up after getting cut off three times. Hoeing also helps keep the soil loose and stops dormant seeds that reach the air germinating. It also produces a fine tilth for the next sowing/planting.

Good luck

Bill

[muddled]

Hi there Goose, welcome to the vine!

I don't use chemical weedkillers on my plot (no poisons near me dinner) so I put the canes in and when the bindweed spirals up I yank the cane out and the weed comes with it.
Its an ongoing job though...not a cure.

I think you've done the right thing with the cardboard and woodchip.
And the weeds coming through thick mulch should be super easy to pull...just leave them on the surface on a dry day to shrivel and die.

Congratulations on getting your plot and well done on your amazing harvest!

[Baldy]

I have a constant struggle staying on top of the weeds on my plot - time considerations and working away a great deal have made it tricky at times. More and more of my crops are now grown through weed suppressant. My overwintering onions will be the next thing I trial this way. I use cardboard + mulch on some areas but for the onions I've got black woven plastic membrane and used a portable burner and a cake-shaper to burn round holes through at the correct spacings. This has worked very well for my strawberry beds this year.
Little and often on the weeding front - regular hoeing as has been mentioned. Good luck and try not to get dispirited.

[Goose]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply and for the great advice.

I will pop along to the allotment tomorrow morning and put some canes in and see if I can encourage the bindweed to grow up that. I think until I can 'volunteer' the workers at home to help out it will be slow going! 

All the other plots are looking so much better than mine that I am almost embarrassed at the sight of mine! 

[CaraFlower]

My method has been to dig as many roots out as possible and then cover. The bits I can't dig yet I cover until I can deal with it which stops the weeds getting worse and seeding anywhere (although I find it easier digging couch roots out if there is some growth to yank up). The areas I can't cover I periodically strim to avoid seeding and to weaken the weeds.

If I see any bindweed, couch or anything else troublesome popping up where I've already dug, I dig and remove as soon as possible. Where I can't do this, like the bramble border, I just pull as much stem out as possible.

Weed suppressant doesn't look the prettiest but I am using it in between my permanent plants, which stops me needing to re-weed it, and I plan to woodchip over. I'm also planting things that need certain spacing (sweetcorn) through it and intend to reuse the same sheet next year for them.

[treepixie]

I have ME/CFS and the only way I can manage our plot is by planting as much as we can through weed fabric, the amount of weeding it saves is incredible, if my partner does all the heavy work, I can then manage to keep,on top of the areas that do need weeding, like radishes or anything to small to plant through sheeting. We even plant potatoes through sheeting to save on the earthing up.

[Jay-ell]

Hi Goose and welcome to the vine.

My mother has bad knees which means she cant bend or do heavy stuff but she says she finds weeding very therapeutic.

She'll sit on a chair in between beds with a bucket, hoe and long handled hand fork and just sits there dibbling away one bed at a time.

[Goose]

It sounds like the way forward is weed sheeting, I will have a look around and see what I can find as putting that down will save me a lot of time and energy.

I think I might just cover the large area in the middle that is overgrown and see what I can do with it in spring time, I am just conscious that too much digging with uncover all the seeds sitting dormant?

I do really enjoy going to the allotment so would like to get on top of it and not feel so disheartened every time I go and see even more weeds!

[muddled]

Be aware though, that bindweed will run under weed membrane (and indeed any other mulch) and couch grass will push up through it. Both of these two are much under to control with sheet membrane than without.

The cardboard and woodchips option (especially being free) might be a better starting point for this year. Over winter, when they aren't growing faster than you can manage, you can methodically and thoroughly clear one bed....cover with weed membrane...then start the next.

Speaking as another gardener with a chronic pain condition, I have found this way to be more forgiving if flare ups and ill health set me back for a couple of weeks.

[Goose]

Thank you Muddled, I will try and get hold of more cardboard so I can cover the bindweed covered beds for no and at least hope to slow the progress down.

I did an hour at the allotment yesterday and have seemingly 'overdone' it so am paying for it today (possibly even the rest of the week/month)

We have lots of rain here today so I am hoping it will be enough to dampen down the cardboard I payed yesterday so that the lovely worms can get working on it and I can get some lovely soil in the spring.

Treepixie, I too have CFS & fibro so will definitely be taking your advice on board. My little allotment is my little bit of 'normal'

[treepixie]

Hi goose, I find I can manage a little each day, also dividing the allotment up into small areas has helped as you can tackle a small area at a time, I am determined not to let the ME win, as you say it's our little bit of normal.

[southlondonone]

All the other plots are looking so much better than mine that I am almost embarrassed at the sight of mine! 

Hi there, new to the site. Have been looking at joining a forum as am a total newbie myself but saw your comment above and wanted to reassure you not to worry what others think. Not because you should have a "I dont care" attitude but because other plot holders will be happy that you are now clearing a plot that has become overgrown.

I took over a half plot about 5 weeks ago. I work long hours through the week and with two young kids my weekends are pretty busy. I go up to the allotment about 3/4 times a week once I get the kids to bed and work until light dissapears. I dont see many people at the allotment because of the hours I go but those that I have seen are really receptive to the fact I am trying to clear it all.

To give you an idea my plot was completely covered in grass and weeds all about 4ft tall. I have cleared 50% of it but run out of room in the very big composter the previous owner left me. It is really hard work and I have no reward at the moment because I took it on far too late. But that has plus sides because it means I can work on clearing it this year and building it up ready for next year with a good base to work on.

Without stealing your thread I was purely trying to say that whilst it might look unsightly to you others will most definitely appreciate that a plot is now being tendered to which will reduce the weeds growing.

With the bindweed I have the same issue, I have dug to about 1 to 2ft and been pulling the roots but I know itll come back. Really you need to let it grow a bit to coat it in weedkiller. But my aim at the moment is to create a blank canvas so it is pulled out wherever I can.

Good luck fellow newbie!