Help...

[FenBuff]

Hi all I went up the allotment today to start digging for planting seeds etc...
But it was mostly over grown again .. Any one got any ideas to keep on top of things? I hate weeds luke

[Pies]

Cover any area your not planting with cardboard ,newspaper any mulch or black plastic, and weed the rest and weed regularly that way it wont become a mess again

[Bill HH]

Look in to "no digging" by not disturbing the soil you dont turn up all those weed seeds to germinate in the sun (if any) As pies said cover areas with things to block out the light and above all keep on top of it an few minures a day is all that is needed.

[rustylady]

What sort of weeds is it overgrown with, and when did you last dig?

[Two_Sheds]

any ideas to keep on top of things? I hate weeds

Think of them as green manures*, and you might not hate them so much

You only need to pull them out when they're in flower (so as not to let them go to seed). If you allow them to grow quite big, they will shade out other weeds, there will be fewer weeds overall, and they're easier to pull out just as they come into flower.

If you disturb the soil (by turning it over) you will just expose more weed seeds to the light so they can germinate.


* when I pull weeds up, I leave them on the soil surface to rot down naturally. They improve the soil really quickly because they rot down much faster than in a compost heap. You just might need to adjust your view of "tidy" if you've been used to liking a bare brown soil

[FenBuff]

I dug them out a week ago I have a very big allotment 45 sticks long . And I don't know what to do first .. I have done a few patches dug them up .. But to much work for one lol

[Two_Sheds]

I don't know what to do first

Pull out the flowering ones first, the other weeds can wait.

I only pull out weeds if I have a crop to put in: bare soil doesn't stay bare for long. I start crops off in cell trays at home, then take them up the allotment when they're big enough & tough enough to withstand a few slug bites

[WendyC]

I dug them out a week ago I have a very big allotment 45 sticks long . And I don't know what to do first .. I have done a few patches dug them up .. But to much work for one lol

If you don't need such a big plot, why don't you ask to share you plot with someone. Is there a waiting list for your site?

[FenBuff]

No it's private rodbart trust one...

[WendyC]

Sorry that means nothing to me or google.

[rustylady]

Don't get depressed. Hoe off the weeds and start planting stuff. Potatoes can go in soon, also onion sets, shallots, broad beans and peas.

Once you see stuff growing it will seem so much better.

[RedThorn]

Squashes spread nicely and give good ground cover. Potatoes, plus you gladly dig over to get the tatties later. If it feels too big plant perennials like rhubarb strawberries etc