winter digging

[roadkill]

Just a quick question , i have started to dig my plot ready for winter .As you can see with my blog it was very overgrown at the minute it looks like a field of grass... i started to dig with the fork taking out every last bit of grass and roots i came across .. but this is taking to long ..... will i get away with just turning the ground over and letting the frost and winter do the rest ?

the plot does suffer with couch grass , brambles and bind weed ... if i spot any roots whilst turning over i will remove them

[Nicos]

If it's as bad with weeds as you say, then you'll end up doing a thorough digging/weeding anyway. Might as well do the job just the once!
At least you don't have docks and horsetail aswell Could be worse!

[nick the grief]

HI RK,

I'm with Nicos on this one. Get it done now & it will save loads of time later. I've just started to dig my plot & it's the bit that was the last to be cleared this year. & it's so much easier to do it now - trouble is, I've just been told the other plot I fancied is mine so someone else is going to benefit on this bit

[Mrs Dobby]

If it was only annual weeds then you should be ok just turning it over, but if you have couch grass, brambles and bind weed, then you'd be better off double digging it thoroughly and removing every last trace of anything that you can! Once thats done cover the ground with weed control fabric, plastic or old carpets to prevent anything growing where you've cleared!

Even then you will probably find some returning next year and be dealing with it for a while to come yet, sorry to sound so pessimisstic, but we're 3/4 the way through clearing our plot of bramble, nettle, russian vine, bind weed, couch grass, dandelion, dock, horseradish and mares tails! Its been hard work, and even after removing the top growth and burning it we've taken out about another 25 barrow loads of weed roots, but worth it for the sense of satisfaction and the hope that next year what comes back will be far less than the 8' of weeds we faced 8 weeks ago! What does come back next year will be dealt with immediately, brushed with glysophate and covered with a rubber glove, in the hopes that this will kill or at least weaken the root system!

I know it must feel like a right bind having to do it all, but taking shortcuts could mean having to do it all again next year and besides, what else is there to do until the weather improves come springtime? The best way we've found to tackle it is little but often, even if you only get a couple of feet done in a day and covered over it will soon start to look like you are winning the battle!

Keep your chin up and Good luck with the clearing!

[dexterdoglancashire]

My OH and I took off all the surface grass and a bit besides due to mmmm number of years the back garden being used as well, Dexters loo to put not too fine a point on it!
I then dug it all over using my wicked four pronged fork thing with a foot handle on it to turn it all over, then divided it into plots - it was well worth the effort taking out all the grass and weeds as I went along.
Even now, after the summers harvest, Ive spread on pony poo and sown a green manure - still no weeds showing up - well worth the slog, especially at this time of year - honest, you'll be really grateful come the spring! DDL