frogwoman
No amount of cajolery...
The leaves are gone from that thing now but it needs pulling out.
Just got an allotment and have no idea how things work
- Thread starter frogwoman
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Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
I found a garden gnome
Is he gnomeless?
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Fork and spade job
frogwoman
No amount of cajolery...
He was buried in what used to be the pond
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
He was buried in what used to be the pond
A, a mob hit.
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
I cleared a bit more crap like dead grass and brambles today with the scythe and met a few other allotters. However I've realised that the ground is very 'lumpy' and I'm not sure what's underneath it
although...
an anonymous tip off to old bill about buried stolen goods might get them to dig it for you...
Smallish lumps is probably ants.I cleared a bit more crap like dead grass and brambles today with the scythe and met a few other allotters. However I've realised that the ground is very 'lumpy' and I'm not sure what's underneath it
Wolveryeti
Detty Pig
Get some good hoes for ground clearing (I recommend a mattock hoe and an azada).
Work out what you can realistically clear this year. Get some stuff in the ground (seeds direct can work if you can tolerate some losses and are on hand to water regularly - otherwise modules at home, then plant out)
Strim everything else and cover with weedproof membrane. Next spring all that vegetation will have rotted away and you should have clear-ish viable soil to plant into.
Ask neighbours what grows well/badly and what protection crops need. All allotments are different!
Work out what you can realistically clear this year. Get some stuff in the ground (seeds direct can work if you can tolerate some losses and are on hand to water regularly - otherwise modules at home, then plant out)
Strim everything else and cover with weedproof membrane. Next spring all that vegetation will have rotted away and you should have clear-ish viable soil to plant into.
Ask neighbours what grows well/badly and what protection crops need. All allotments are different!
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
That reminds me of when I was helping a mate to dig over a large patch in his garden, we had to laugh, when this old guy walked past and in a broad Somerset accent he shouts over the fence, 'you don't want to be buggering about like that, get yourselves a rotovator'.
May Kasahara
take me to the feeling
Nothing useful to add, but reading this thread and all the excellent advice/lols has made me very happy. I'd love to have an allotment one day (although having the time to sort my garden out would be a good start 
).
Looking forward to seeing pics of all your flowering/fruiting plants in the years to come frogwoman
).Looking forward to seeing pics of all your flowering/fruiting plants in the years to come frogwoman
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
I'm a great fan of using rotovators however all those overgrown grasses and weeds would just clog up the spines tbh. Scythe/strim the overgrowth first, clear it and ideally cover with cardboard or something and then next year rotovate is a better idea. Its a big plot , very overgrown its going to take some time ie months tbh to do it all , best start in dividing it up and doing small areas at a time.
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
I think so, yes. If it chops up bindweed roots each root part will grow into another plant.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Yeah bindweed is something you need to be carefully with, pull it up and get as much root as possible in one bit.
yes. I wouldn't consider this if there is bindweed, couch or any other rhizomatous weeds. Looks fantastic but problems ahead.
Personally, my very first act would be to set up a composting area. Ebverything which is cut, pulled, raked or dug out, has to be dealt with...and the best way to do this is to have a space set aside for at least 2 compost heaps. Mine has 3 bays with removeable slats to separate each pile, but for years, I made do with 4 pallets, wired together, with a tarp on top to maintain moisture (a dry heap takes forever to decompose). Then decide what you would like from the space. I have always grown a lot of fruit. Permanent crops are good for the soil, require less effort and are generally excellent value for money. A couple of rows of raspberries (autumn and summer cropping), some currants (and redcurrants and gooseberries can be grown as cordons so occupy a small space), a couple of apples (which can also be trained as cordons or espaliers), a strawberry bed and a cultivated vine or two and you will be able to keep yourself in preserves, juices and cordials, as well as bottling or freezing. Fruit is costly to buy, and is versatile to grow and harvest. (and blossom is a joy) An asparagus bed is also another permacrop which will pay for itself once established.
This time of year is all about prep and planning so take your time and don't worry about sowing seeds right now.
The pics of your plot look very promising, frogwoman - open and sunny, not too overgrown and entirely within your capabilities. I am also certain there will be other people around who are only too keen to offer help and advice. Mostly, have fun. I have had my current allotments for over 20 years and absolutely could not be without them. Good for my mental and physical health and adds a modicum of loveliness to the world.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Potatoes are easy enough. You might benefit from growing in containers or bags so you can get at them easily.
Squashes are good for long term storage winter crops.
Squashes are good for long term storage winter crops.
Bindweed, couch grass and mares tail. If you have them, don't use a rotavator.
frogwoman
No amount of cajolery...
Looks like it does have a bit of bindweed but not very. A shit load of brambles tho
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
Spuds are a piece of cake . I’ve grown celeriac but never ended up with any bigger than a fist tbh .
mr steev
magic thought wizard
I've not got time to read the thread, so sorry if I'm repeating what others have said...
Build 2 compost heaps and get a couple of water butts set up.
Use a fork to turn the ground and remove any bindweed or couch grass. I'd avoid using a rotavator unless you're sure the ground is free of those. Getting your hands dirty is also a great way to get to know your soil.
Cover everything you have dug over with old carpet or cardboard.
Get an azada hoe.
Plan what you want to grow and work out crop rotation.
When you do start planting, cover or net everything apart from spuds... it might not look great, but at least you might get a crop
Build 2 compost heaps and get a couple of water butts set up.
Use a fork to turn the ground and remove any bindweed or couch grass. I'd avoid using a rotavator unless you're sure the ground is free of those. Getting your hands dirty is also a great way to get to know your soil.
Cover everything you have dug over with old carpet or cardboard.
Get an azada hoe.
Plan what you want to grow and work out crop rotation.
When you do start planting, cover or net everything apart from spuds... it might not look great, but at least you might get a crop
Bindweed can be quite zonal - only the bottom quarter of my allotment has it and I wouldn't rotavate that part. Couch grass can be dug out, along with all the pointy white roots. I still get it invading on the edges of the plot but otherwise it's dealt with. When it's been dug out, rotavating won't spread it. I tend to get the odd bit poking up, which can be pulled up easily.
Mares tail is the worst of all. Unkillable, doesn't compost, spreads by magic, and grows frighteningly quickly. The guy who took the plot next to mine rotavated a patch of it when he took the plot on and 4 years later it's worse than ever. It's the hornet of the perennial weed world.
Mares tail is the worst of all. Unkillable, doesn't compost, spreads by magic, and grows frighteningly quickly. The guy who took the plot next to mine rotavated a patch of it when he took the plot on and 4 years later it's worse than ever. It's the hornet of the perennial weed world.
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