New Lottie Pictures and a Question

[Lavenderblue]

Here are a few rather poor pictures of our lottie for those that are interested. It feels like a mahoosive site at the moment - about 18m x 16m but we started trying to clear a bit of it. Our site goes from where I am standing, to the chain link fence to the left of my shadow, along the big bramble bushes (try and spot the purple string there) and then down again.

We (I say we, my Mr did this bit) hacking down the long grassy stuff with a sickle and i forked the chopped bits of into piles. I had a poke about in the soil and it seems like it is a heavyish loam (hurray) - I couldn't see any clay. We have covered what we have cleared with some old underlay and we think we are going to take inspiration from Seasprout and use straw to make paths over the site. We also discovered some old strawberry plants which might be worth saving and a very overgrown bush (last picture, sorry photos are not better). Now we are not sure what this bush is, someone has suggested that it could be a rather unkempt goosberry bush. Now my question for you wonderful experts is - what do you think it is and is it worth saving? Also any additional advice about clearing, digging etc will be most gratefully received.







mystery bush

[Hazel at the Hill]

Nice site, LB - lots of potential! Hard work to start, I know, but bit by bit and all that!

I'm no expert, but the bush looks more like my current bushes than my evil grey stemmed, thorny gooseberries, but I may easily be wrong!

[Glasshousevirgin]

OMG hope you are both fit people and in for the long run. That' s quite a site people.
I know when I first saw my site it was daunting and I gave a third of it away at first viewing. Next I had a local farmer plough it over which was worth £30 I paid but I still spent a lot of time piling up the biggest clods of clay loam to break up in the weather for most of my first season. As soon as you can get in a fair load of organic matter and let the weather and worms go to work on it.
My first season I started in May and still got a fair crop of tomatoes, peppers, dwarf beans and herbs from it. I also planted a few varieties of sunflowers.
I wish luck and look forward to more developments / pics
cheers

[Snadger]

Nice one lavenderblue.

A blank canvas for you to turn into a Van Gogh!

[veg4681]

Jesus, my greatest admiration for you for taking on such a massive and back breaking lottie clearing project but I'm sure it'll be all worth it when they're filled with veggies growing.

I've also been given permission to grow veggies on a friend's farm field but I'm only going for 20 feet by 6 feet worth of bed space (can't take no more). Compared to your site, mine isn't that wild (just that the grass did grow up to 6 inches high) and I'm ashamed with myself for the moaning and groaning at the prospect of digging and clearing the grass/weeds roots from the soil. As Greenhousevirgin has pointed out, it may be worth getting a digger/ploughing machinery.

Re the last picture, I'm not sure but I don't think it's a gooseberry as I don't see much thorns. Looks more like a fruit tree (plum, apple or pear) with the buds. Anyway good luck on your lottie venture and keep your progress posted.

[Lavenderblue]

Do you know, i am changing my mind about hiring some sort of clearing device. I was dead against it, wanting to get to know the soil but if you hard-core allotmenteers are a bit then i may have to reconsider. Glad you like it though. I can see sweet peas climbing up the fence, sunflowers dotted about and lovely fresh peas and sweetcorn, ripening in the sun. *is a dreamer*

[kentvegplot]

Wow, that's quite a size! My only suggestion would be- take it steady. Clear a bit, plant a bit. That way you will have some growing things to encourage you as you tackle the next bit.

Good luck

[HeyWayne]

Wow!

I got off really lightly by comparison.

Laudiable as it is to do it all by hand, I think I read somewhere that having an allotment should be enjoyable and not seen as a chore. On that basis, I'd get in some hired help looking at what you have to tackle, just to get you started at least.

Good luck with it - be interested to see how it progresses.

[piskieinboots]

gawd *impressed

[moggssue]

Phew, you have a job on your hands there! Bit by bit, slowly slowly as I keep reading on here! Good luck with it, and don't forget to post more pics as you go along so we can see what's happening! Mostly though, enjoy! Oh, and sorry I can't help with your bush, don't have a clue about fruit (yet!!)

[Seahorse]

How exciting!

I took on a really messy plot a few months ago and had (have!) mixed feelings about hiring a mechanical clearer. I'm very much a newbie, so don't take anything I say as gospel but my decision was affected by what's actually growing - I have tons of couch grass, which would mulitply if I had it rotavated. Of course you can do that and then hoe very regularly and it should be fine but I've decided to clear the top growth as best I can, then mulch with cardboard and manure. That should hopefully kill of the majority of the bad stuff and I'll have a better plot for 2009. I'm told it's possible to plant spuds, squashes etc through the mulch, so I'll be doing that this year. My lottie is big too (about 80m x 6m) but it's amazing how quickly things start to look better

[Nicos]

Phew- that looks like quite a project, but it's potential is fantastic.
I think I'd aim at doing a good job of clearing part of it and just cutting/burning the rest for now.
It will be hard work, but just think....IT'S YOURS!!!!!!

[bramble]

Hi Lavenderblue, keep a diary and take plenty of before and after pics and you will be surprised and pleased when you look back on them. Split your plot into sections and do one at a time and then plant up. That way you won't get disheartened. Good luck, i just know you will do it just because you are so enthuseastic.

[Jardiniere]

Looks like my bit of land ...just add trees and brambles...will be watching your progress with interest

[veg4681]

Split your plot into sections and do one at a time and then plant up. That way you won't get disheartened.

Excellent idea and advice! You can easily get a small section up and running and soon be growing with veggies as digging, clearing, soil preparation, making beds will be minimal effort compared to doing up the entire plot.