Weeds on new plot!!! (Newbie)

[Bramble Lover]

Hello to all!!

Have been reading these threads avidly for about six weeks which is about the length of time me and a friend have aquired our own bit of wilderness.

The plot was totally overgrown with grasses, dandelions and various other things of which I havnt a clue what they are!!

I think we've done pretty well in the time we have had it.

(Ive never done any gardening in my life by the way!!)

We have managed to get some main crop potatoes in, some beetroot, some rhubarb, onions and some girly plants for a bit of colour.

Have got about a third dug over and just trying to get weed roots up as we go but Ive come to one part where there are just loads and loads of long white things amongst all the soil. (Soil is quite clay)

Taking ages to dig this part over as such a long process to get all the long white bits out.

I was hoping one of you experts could tell me what this is and the best way to deal with it?

The best bit we feel is our compost heap!! lolol We both work in a restaurant so are getting all the veg peelings, egg shells , coffee filters, tea bags etc to quickly build up our compost heap which seems to quickly be breaking down.

When we have dug it all over , should we be covering bits that we wont get to use this year? Im hoping to get hubby to split the plot into various beds but that depends on if I can persuade him

[sewer rat]

Hi Bramble Lover and welcome to the 'Vine - you'll have to watch though - it's a wee bit addictive !
Congrats on getting your plot and on getting some veg in already. As for the weeds with the long white roots - two culprits spring to mind straight away - if its a grass then it's probably couch grass, if it has small shiny leaves at the moment then it's probably bindweed. Either way, if you miss the smallest bit of these white roots, they will return anew.
If you could take a photo and post it, I'm sure we can tell for certain and advise you on the best way forward.
If there is a large area infested with this weed, you may want to consider covering it with black plastic (I would also suggest old carpet but that's a fairly controversial subject on the 'Vine) as this will help to weaken the weed for when you are ready to deal with it.
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress

[Bramble Lover]

Thanks Rat!!

Yes I have seen the controversy concerning carpet on allotments on here and have lots in the back part of my shed awaiting my decision on weather I should use it or not

The white bits have no leaves on it so Im guessing it could be couch grass. I shall look it up on internet and see.

Why would just one area of patch have this and not the rest?

[Alice]

Hello Bramble Lover and welcome to the Vine. In answer to your question, yes, any bits you are not going to plant cover over to keep the weeds out. What you use is up to you. I'm a fairly middle of the road person. I try not to use weedkillers, bug sprays, slug pellets etc and go for more natural means, but when needs must then I do use them. Having said that I would never use carpet to cover ground I was going to grow food in. They're full of chemicals of the worst kind, the sale of certain carpets for use on floors has even been banned so you don't know what you're getting. Not everybody on the Vine agrees with this viewpoint so you have to make up your own mind. Just have a think about it. Good luck with your allotment and many happy gardening days to you and your friend.

[Peter]

Thanks Rat!!

Yes I have seen the controversy concerning carpet on allotments on here and have lots in the back part of my shed awaiting my decision on weather I should use it or not

Provided it is NOT foam-backed, use it, a great smotherer that needs less wieghting down, just do not leave it down longer than six months, move it around or roll it up then.

Foam-backed leave for the dustmen.

[Bramble Lover]

So in theory, if we mange to get all our plot dug up by autumn.....we can stick carpet on till spring so we dont come back and have to do all the hard work we are encountering now?

Thanks for the welcome from you all

[Peter]

Aaaarr welll, you see, don't get too much germinating over the winter, and you want to let the frost get in to help break up the rough digging.

The carpet use is best during the growing season, either if you have no crops, or discrete crops that are difficult to weed over.

Examples.
Strips of carpet as mulch between your raspberry rows.
Areas of carpet, with strategic holes, to plant your squash plants through.


Sorry came over all bucolic there.

PS the move around is cos the bloody weeds will still try and grow on or through, and if you move it the carpet does not get roots going through it and does not stick and start to merge with the topsoil.

[Lesley Jay]

Hi Bramble Lover welcome to the grapevine. I wouldn't cover the ground over the winter. Not only will the frost break the ground down but the birds can eat all the slug eggs. If the ground hasn't been cultivated for a while there will probably be plenty for the birds to eat. Before you decide whether to use carpet or not check it out on google.

[Peter]

Google a waste of time

Lesley, have you forgotten all the research I did on this and not one factual item to be found?

I would strongly advise you to check this out. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27836/print/

You will be amazed.

[JennieAtkinson]

Hi Bramble Lover and welcome to the Vine! I would agree with RAT - its addictive

I dug over quite alot of ground last Spring and covered it with ground cover fabric. I fond it reasonably priced as I was able to buy the end of a roll. I covered this with newspaper then grass cuttings, then in the Autumn I lifted the whole lot and let the frost do its job. It turned out quite nice for planting this spring, very little in the way of weeds and it was quite crumbly in texture. I reused the ground cover matting on a piece of rockery, and the newspaper and grass cuttings (or what was left of them) went into the compost bin. So all in all it didn't cost me too much and I benefited this Spring from some nicely turned soil.

Hope this helps.

[Lesley Jay]

Peter - I never forget anything! I am still reading different articles about chemicals and carpets and I think it is best if people use google for information and then make their own minds up on the issue of using carpets to cover allotments.