Digging New Beds

[GreaterMarrow]

Hi all.

I made a start on digging over my new (very grassy) allotment this weekend. I've been told that no crops have been grown on the plot for at least 8 months (previous tenant just kept chickens).

Although on the surface it is mainly grass with just a few weeds dotted about, underneath there are masses of roots. Some are quite dark, thick and twiggy and others are spindly and light in colour (look almost like very fine egg noodles!). The spindly ones seem to bind the soil together in big chunks, which isn't ideal...don't want to chop them up in case I end up spreading weeds.

Will I need to remove all of these roots from the soil? If so, what is the best way to do it? I have absolutely no idea what they are

Thanks.

[Bigmallly]

Hi GM, without a pic I would guess the egg noodle roots are bindweed but I could be wrong, painfully the only way to remove them is on your hands and knees unless of course you go down the weedkiller root. I'm not sure what effect it would have on future crops though.

[Greenleaves]

I agree with BM, very difficult to eradicate but constant removal significantly reduces its growth.

[Martin H]

Bindweed roots are brittle and don't hold the soil together. I'm betting on couch grass. Any pics?

If I'm right, then the bad news is that the couch re-grows even from a tiny piece of root. The good news is that the roots don't go very deep and you can dig it all out over a season or so if you put the spadework (or forkwork) in.

[adam1888]

you're not alone, i did similar this weekend, i dug over what is going to be the potato bed and like you had all manner of weeds to lift. i got a lot out but was never going to get them all out first time. will just need to keep at them. to be fair the soil felt good fairly soft two spades down. got the spuds chitting so looking forward to getting my first thing in the ground.

[Lumpy]

We have alot of chickweed that has roots like you described. That definately holds the soil in clumps but I don't think (howeber I could be terribly wrong) that it will re-grow from just a bit of left in root.
My plan is to get out as much as possible and then annihilate each one as it re-appears. I have a funny feeling it is going to be like painting the Forth Bridge e.g always and forever.

[MarkHackwell]

I have exactly the same and its a never ending job on my plots. One plot was vacant for quite a while soo theres loads of couch grass roots but I am doing it slowly and my other plot which I have now had nearly 10 years still gets the old piece. The way you describe them it sounds as if it's couch grass and theres no other way than to dig them out I'm afraid. Even covering the plot doesn't kill the roots only the tops

[sparrow100]

On the plus side you can drown the roots in a bin/bucket and they make great compost tea for your plants. I find it's a very rewarding way of killing couch. If you do go down that route, get a bin/bucket with a lid or be prepared to annoy your neighbours. It stinks.

[KevinM67]

In my experience, frosty/icy conditions are perfect for digging on my clay soil - the weeds (especially couch grass) come out so much easier.

[rustylady]

Use a fork, not a spade. That way you lift the roots instead of chopping them up

[Martin H]

For digging couch-infested ground, I actually use a combination of spade and fork.
It's hard to put into words, but...

I work my way across the width of the plot, throwing the lump of soil forward with my fork, bashing with the back of the fork if necessary to loosen it, pulling the roots out.
But first I cut the line I'm going to dig, by plunging a spade down vertically to its full depth. This cuts the couch roots, making it easy to separate each forkfull.

I found if I just dug with a fork without cutting first, it was hard work because the matted roots got all tangled up in the tines of the fork.

Hmm, reading that back I'm not sure it's clear ... let me know if you need me to draw a picture!

[GreaterMarrow]

I found if I just dug with a fork without cutting first, it was hard work because the matted roots got all tangled up in the tines of the fork.

I had exactly this problem so I will try the cutting method when I next get down to the plot....and I will try to take a few photos to see if someone can identify which weeds I'm dealing with.

I naively thought that because you can't see many weeds on the surface then it'd be plain sailing LOL

Now I've got my plot I hate having a full time job :-( I just want to get going on it and a few hours at weekends just isn't enough!!

[Nicola.P]

I thought the same. Mine had freshly dug beds which had piles of dirt in the middle, when I levelled them I found that yes they were freahly dug but with weeds and all dug in with it. So I am having to re-dig and go on a root hunt. I am bagging them up and removing them from the site.

[Kristen]

I am bagging them up and removing them from the site.

You could drown them, in a bucket / cauldron!! of water for a few weeks, they'd then be safe to go on the compost heap

[alldigging]

Every clump of weeds removed from a site lowers the soil level. Might only be a tiny bit per weed but it will soon mount up.
Compost the lot. Learn to deal with the nastier weeds too.