Gone off the boil- help!

[singleseeder]

Cover with plastic or cardboard and only roll back/expose as much as you can dig in a day. This keeps the weeds from growing/seeding, aswell as keeping the soil moist/unfrozen before it is dug.

Looking at the weeds growing can be demotivating; but cover it up and you only have to think about the strip you have uncovered. The bit you are not dealing with, is not getting any worse; in fact it could be improving if your friendly worms are munching away at the decaying weeds.

[bethduckie]

Weeds, sadly. I have been collecting cardboard to mulch with, but need to remove the weeds first

Glutton- middle... chelly! Anywhere close?

As for the stilettos, well I have some really tasteful plastic ones, so they wipe clean a treat! They sink into the clay something chronic though... *pout* Actually I have fat person's wide-calf wellies with bright pink flowers, which are probably no more tasteful than stilettoes hehe but they make me feel cheery!

I think it's because last year (new plot) I had to do EVERYTHING... it was SO badly overgrown, I literally had to be there every day it wasn't raining (and some days it was) throughout October and November to deal with it. This year it isn't so bad so I haven't bothered. At all. But I'm looking forward to growing again, and indeed there are some things there still growing for the winter. So I'm going later to dig for a bit and to pull some parsnips for my tea.

[rustylady]

Do you have a friend to go with you Beth? I sometimes take a couple of the grandchildren for company. I went over yesterday with 2 year old grandson to dig a leek and cut some kale, and did a bit of weeding while I was there (not a lot, but it helps). I think it's just about getting the motivation to go there. Once I'm there I'll happily spend a couple of hours pottering. Do you really need to dig?

[lottie dolly]

No panic,hoe the weeds down and leave them on the soil,i did this all summer,it acts as a mulch,and in the winter should put something back in the ground, as others have said, cover it up,my lottie is to big to cover all of it,apart from the wind blowing the covering away lol,make the weeds work for you,along with what ever else you wish to use,poo,cardboard ext,

[singleseeder]

Just thought of another tip if the weeds have suddenly shot up.

I use a cheap kitchen knife to chop off their heads! Well a bit more than just their heads really.

Ignoring small weeds that don't have any flowers yet, I grab each weed by the scruff of it's neck in my left hand and make a diagonal cut into the soil, cutting the plant twixt top and root with the knife in my right.

The remaining roots of annual weeds won't survive once beheaded, and the flowers/seedheads have been removed. More pernicious weeds have been weakened and deflowered until you can think about them again; I presume if you beheaded them regularly they might eventually give up the ghost.

This gives really quick results visually and I don't lift great lumps of wet clay soil on the roots as I would when weeding normally. No hope of hoeing this weather on my soil.

The small weeds remaining, can then be turned under when digging; or covered as previously discussed.

I also take the knife to the weeds around onions, leeks etc so the soil isn't disturbed too much.

[singleseeder]

OOPS - Not sure how this has posted a second time Sorry

[donnakebab]

I always go to my lotty with a plan but end up doing something different or chatting to other plotters. I like to have a variety of things to do. Aiming to spend more than an hour just digging is too boring so I break it up with other things like a bit of gentle weeding, turning the compost, general tidying and gathering stuff for a little fire. Then there is always time for a cuppa while you sit down and enjoy the view. However, if you just can't muster the energy to haul yourself down there then plan what you're going to grow, sort your rotation out and map out your plot. You can put cardboard over weeds you just need to chop the tops off and weight the card down. It will help to weaken them or kill them off then you can dig them up at your leisure, a bit at a time. good luck!

[Polly Fouracre]

I was going to say the same as Thelma S. Get some seed catalogues, you'll soon be itching to get going.

[taff]

I know how you feel, I've been doing the same thing with the tunnel, which is worse really, because at least i know I'll be dry if i go there...
I'm planning on a big hit day next week, making a list of things to do, what to take with me, what not to etc, it helps me to gee myself up....or as someone said, reading books on vegetables or allotments helps too

[bethduckie]

well thanks to all the comments I DID get a big enough kick up the booty to get there with the lad this afternoon. Not for long mind, and I really ache now.

We dug some parsnips and some leeks (yumyum, soup today, roasted veg tomorrow...) and turned over/ removed some sod *giggle* from a patch I never got around to sorting last year.

Knackered now hehe.

[lottie dolly]

[QUOTE=bethduckie;910298]well thanks to all the comments I DID get a big enough kick up the booty to get there with the lad this afternoon. Not for long mind, and I really ache now.

We dug some parsnips and some leeks (yumyum, soup today, roasted veg tomorrow...) and turned over/ removed some sod *giggle* from a patch I never got around to sorting last year.

Knackered now hehe.[/QUO

well done,now you can smile as you eat your snips with pride,and reflect on how much nicer they are than the shops,

[SlugLobber]

Food. All the motivation one needs.