Topic: Hi - just got my allotment, some advice please :)

[Dana]

Hi my name is Dawn, I got my allotment yesterday.  It hasn't been worked for 2 years -

<a href="http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/munkyok1/?action=view&current=DSCF0789.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm187/munkyok1/DSCF0789.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">[/url]

We are going to hire a petrol strimmer. We were wondering where we put all the grass and weeds that have been strimmed. We are planning on used black plastic to suppress the weeds  ;D when we get to that stage.  Would old carpet do the same job?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

[Bjerreby]

Heya Dana, and welcome to the forum.

If you can get a whole pile of green waste (I mean at least a cubic metre) I'd make a hot compost heap. The green waste makes it heat up to 60 degrees C, which (I am told) destoys the seeds' viability. Clover is great for making a hot compost heap.

The heap will need turning a few times to get air in, and will re-heat each time. After 6 to 8 weeks you will have half a cubic metre of lovely compost to spread about.

Good luck with it.

[OllieC]

Hi & welcome... the photo doesn't work here... we're a nosey bunch & do like to see what people are up against!

re: carpets - Most people wouldn't use it these days (it's not even allowed on many sites). It breaks down with the rain & light and it could potentially leach nasties. It also becomes weaker & falls apart, leaving bits of cr@p all over the place. Leave it there for a few years and it's even harder to pull up than weeds. It's also gets heavy and becomes pretty foul to move around. IMHO, better to take old carpet to the tip & use aforementioned black plastic.

Don't do too much at once, have fun & get some salad growing now - you can be eating it in a month!

[BrianK]

Hiya.  It sounds like you have a plan.

Old carpet might work but some allotment sites won't allow it. Check first. Whatever carpet you use will have to be totally light resistant. Rugs for example still let light through. Some old carpets have harmful chemicals in the foam/rubber. Not nice.  In general I would stay away from carpet if you can help it.

I got my allotment about a month ago. Mine was hardly useable like yours lol. I strimmed it, then covered one half length wise with silage plastic.  The other half I have started to dig, yuck bindweed and couch grass, nettles and ground elder. Horrible. I also laid out my plot the way I wanted it. It's 10 rods so about 40 metres.  I laid out 2 metres then 6m then 2m then 6 all the way down. The 2metre strips I will use for permenent beds of soft fruit. The other 6m strips will be the rotating 4 crops. I also have started a few raised beds for rhubarb, herbs asparagus etc.

So far I have managed to plant some beans, some carrots some broccili squashes and tomatos.  Theres a lot of ready grown stuff ripe for transplanting availble from boot sales this time of year so you might as well get some in.

My blog so far is here..

http://www.meltonconstablevillage.info/forum/blog.php?u=2

[Dana]

Many thanks for your replies :), won't be using carpet. I know now what to do with the grass and weeds.   I cannot wait to get on the plot,looking forward to the welcome pack.  We get a 30% discount on hiring the strimmer, so that helps. We get the plot rent free till April, so another bonus.    Brian you have done really well, the plot looks great.  What a lovely bunch of people you are, no doubt I will be spend time in here when I am not on the lottie  ;D

[kt.]

Welcome to the site Dana.  Advice would be similar to what has already been said.  Happy digging 8) 8)

[PlymouthMaid]

Hello and congratulations on your plot. I am pretty new here and have only had my plot for 10 months. It is hard work but rewarding and addictive.

[Digeroo]

Thanks for the advice about the carpet, have been using a bit of old underlay will remove it.

[ChrisBro]

Hello and welcome to the forum, I agree with above and definately start growing something now even if its only lettuce, you need to see some return all be it only small for all your effort.

Best of luck

Chris.

PS. If its any comfort my new lottie is like a jungle as well lol sure I seen an elephants trunk the other day sticking up from the weeds  :o

[Tee Gee]

This link might help you, particularly if you follow the links on it!

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Allotments/Introduction.htm

[manicscousers]

Hiya, dana, welcome to the site  ;D
on the line at the top of the page is the 'wiki' lots of good advice for new people on there  ;D

[Dana]

Hi again, many thanks for all the advice and welcomes  :).  I was talking to a customer yesterday and mentioned the allotment.  He owns a carpet shop, he said he could let us have the black plastic that the carpet rolls are packaged in.  Do you think it will be suitable to suppress the weeds?.  We are thinking of anchoring it down with pegs made from wire coat hangers.

[macmac]

Welcome Dana, I think anything that blocks out the light and smothers the weeds without breaking down into some sort of nasty  would be good .we inherited carpet which did the job but was a b**** to shift and no doubt left a residue.Take it steady and remember...You can;t eat an elephant in one sitting...little bites :)

[cornykev]

Hi Dana and welcome to the madhouse, carpet short term only, I'd use it now but discard before the winter sets in. Cover with thick cardboard if you have any this will break down into the soil over time.      ;D ;D ;D

[shirlton]

Hi Dana. You will love it on here, My advice would be to dig a bit and plant it then it wont get too tedious and the sight of something growing will spur you on. Whereabouts in the country are you?

[Dana]

 :) Many thanks again, that's great I can gets lots of cardboard from work  ;D. I am in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Going to the allotment in about 10 minutes, there are lots of tools and things :o goodness know what, in the undergrowth.  :o.  I will let you know what we find.  Thank you for the welcomes  :)

[cornykev]

Dana, if you find any bones in the undergrowth, ring the police and they will kindly come round and dig your plot over for you.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[chriscross1966]

If you have a decently active freecycle scheme near you then one thing you can do is use bulk builders bags (they're a cubic metre nominal) half-filled with topsoil and/manure (all from freecycle) and put them on the bits that are plastic-covered that you won't get round to for a few months and get stuff growing in them. I've done that this year (and I'll probably still ahve some next year) and it's allowed me to get in a load of popcorn, tomatos beans and potatos that otherwise I wouldn't have had room for.If you can get plants of the fast-growing squashes Festival, Bon-Bon, Red Kuri, or Uchiri Kuri then you could try them by putting a pile of manure/soil under the mulch plastic, cutting a hole through it and planting the squash through (I've done that too, as I started it a while ago there's also butternuts, Hunter, and a pumpkin in there too....

chrisc

[daileg]

hi welcome to the site full of freindly good advice  ;D

mmm was thinking of what you said if you dont intend to compost it could burn it if allowed some sites do some dont if it was me .
i would have a good scrounge and rumidge through the plot havin a look at whats allready growing first if nothing worth savin
(1) glysomate the lot after a couple of weeks this will dye off including any seeding weeds
(2) strim it down collect into a pile then burn the lot
(3) re poisen whats left leave a fortnight strim again then burn whats left

whole process takes a month leaves you with a bare plot safe to grow on after 6 weeks as glysomate is not systemic poison thus breaks down in the soil structure ( not to everybody choice ) butt worksfor me

(4)  in the begining as long as you dont use on regular intervals would do no damage to your allotment plot and then can go all organic if you like as this process takes several years to get right 6 years if your lucky
(5) now you can begin to draw out where you want everything in your first year .
(6) Raised beds 6-8" high around where you intend to grow is a good way of making pathways and allows the whole dig process become less daunting if you look at it at a bit at a time
(7) have a cup of tea from flask  lol
(8) go from there take your time its not a race and most imortantantly

its up to you how you want it to look there is no right or wrong way about how you approach your own plot seek advice when needed and trust your instincts good luck

and most of all ENJOY IT you will never look back  ;D

[Dana]

 :) Morning you lovely peops. Thanks again for all the advice. It's like carpetland in there, it's not even rolled out. We were picking it up and it was just falling apart, must remember a pegs for our noses  :( the smell.  Found 2 good spades, and 4 forks with no prongs on.  5 plastic chairs.  There was raised beds there at some point.  The soil looks very good, very dark and rich in colour. There is 2 lots of bindweed, found no bones though  ;D. Looking forward to Saturday and Sunday.  We pick up the petrol strimmer Friday, some kind soul put loads of builders bags on our door.