Difficult patch on my new plot

[RedRuth]

I’ve just taken on a second plot which was in reasonable condition except for a section at the front of about 2 metres by 5 metres, it had a good crop of nettles on it so I strimmed, sprayed (glyphosate) and put under black plastic. However, I realised there was a layer of carpet and scrap bits of metal that the nettles were growing though, I got all this off eventually and underneath was what the previous tenant must have cleared from the rest of the plot – plenty of good compost but also much woodier stuff. It’s under plastic still while I get the rest of the plot in order but I can’t decide what to do with it this year. Thoughts I’ve had are
1. Seed it with Phacelia, my favourite green manure, in the hope that it will improve the soil structure and keep that up for a couple of years while the tough stuff composts.
2. Plant a crop that will cope with the mixed bag soil - that would be something perennial I think, currant bushes, globe artichokes any other suggestions?
3. Remove all the difficult to compost material. Easier said than done!
4. Leave it under plastic and wait.

Any suggestions welcome!

[Thelma Sanders]

I'd take off the plastic to let some air get to it, if you want to keep it covered for weed control then I'd use cardboard, which will improve the soil as it rots (or the porous weed control fabric, if you must!)

Plant some pumpkins and courgettes through and forget about it for a year or 2.

[RedRuth]

I'd take off the plastic to let some air get to it, if you want to keep it covered for weed control then I'd use cardboard, which will improve the soil as it rots (or the porous weed control fabric, if you must!)

Plant some pumpkins and courgettes through and forget about it for a year or 2.

I'm not a big fan of black plastic but I had alot of nettles/docks/thistles/evening primrose to deal with. But yeah, cardboard is probably a better option. I usually grow Pumpkins so they could go there. Thanks for the advice.

[purplekat]

Just pretend you wanted a hugelkulture bed, some people take a lot of effort creating those Allotment Garden: Trench Hugelkultur and hot bed.

If you had a lot of nettles growing, there's obviously plenty of nitrogen there, so you shouldn't have to worry about the woody material nitrogen robbing the soil. I agree with using cardboard as weed suppressant, as I've found even the permeable plastic weed suppressant seems to cap the soil underneath. You should be able to plant almost anything on top (apart from carrots/parsnips that need the fine deep soil), you may just need to add a top layer of finer soil/compost/manure, depending how close to the surface the woody material is.
Personally, I would start plants off in modules and plant out when bigger, rather than trying to start seed off there, but you could have the phacelia in the mean time.

[RedRuth]

Just pretend you wanted a hugelkulture bed, some people take a lot of effort creating those Allotment Garden: Trench Hugelkultur and hot bed.

If you had a lot of nettles growing, there's obviously plenty of nitrogen there, so you shouldn't have to worry about the woody material nitrogen robbing the soil. I agree with using cardboard as weed suppressant, as I've found even the permeable plastic weed suppressant seems to cap the soil underneath. You should be able to plant almost anything on top (apart from carrots/parsnips that need the fine deep soil), you may just need to add a top layer of finer soil/compost/manure, depending how close to the surface the woody material is.
Personally, I would start plants off in modules and plant out when bigger, rather than trying to start seed off there, but you could have the phacelia in the mean time.

Thanks, excellent advice and I've started some Pumpkins and Gherkins to in there later in the year.

[flynch]

I'd either grow some type of pumpkin and leave the wood to breakdown or spread a lot of edible mushroom spores on it and they'd break it down.

[fishpond]

Jerusalem Artichokes for Winter.