ANOTHER new allotment holder..

[tilly]

Hello to everyone, I have an allotment that I aquired in November, and have just stumbled on this site. Ive been looking at the posts and you all seem helpful and can give good advice.

Never had an allotment but used to help on my dads when I was only 10. Im 38 now and somehow I seem to have forgotten everything..(funny that.) I came by the allotment, which is in a small village, not council owned, whilst taking the kids on a country walk. The allotment is a quater mile from the outskirts of the village, and is about 90% used. I wanted something for me and my 6 year old to do together. He wants his own patch to grow in..!

The site has not been used for some time and it has been strimmed over by the committee. The top 15 foot was overgrown with brambles, grass and small bushes.. These have all been cleared and I have turned over the soil. I have found that the soil is full of roots, masses of quarter inch thick stuff. These break when the soil is lifted into many new pieces. I am worried that these will regrow. I have also noticed that within 3 weeks of lifting the soil that masses of little green shoots have appeared. Can these be killed off with a flame, or is chemical spray better. Im really not too bothered about spraying the soil only to kill off the weeds before planting..

Also, is it better to turn over the soil with a fork or spade ?? Does it matter.

Oh, the weekly shop now includes lots of radox bath soak...

[Jesse]

Hi Tilly and welcome to A4a.  I'm sure you'll get lots of good advice about controlling your weeds, I'm still new to controlling weeds myself. It's lovely that you're involving your son at the allotment, I have two children, aged 3.5 and 5.5 and they love coming to the allotment with me. Today my 3.5 year old spent a good hour carrying her beach bucket around collecting earthworms and then insisted on bringing them home, they are now living in the compost heap in our back garden, including the clever one that escaped out of the bucket and into the boot of my car! To answer one of your questions, I don't think it really matters if you use a spade or fork to dig over, I prefer a fork as it's lighter and it seems to break up the soil better but use what you feel comfortable with and what works for you. 

PS. get yourself a hoe, I used mine today (first time I've used a hoe) on the tiny new weeds that are starting to grow and it was a breeze, chopped them off at just under ground level, it was easy, quick and no bending down to pull/dig them out. My idea is that if you keep hoeing regularly when they're little then they'll never get any bigger and not cause a nuisance, that's the theory anyway.

[Mothy]

Hi Tilly,

I am also a new plot holder, and am just getting started. Good luck with your new project, you will get lots of advice on here!!
I can't wait til my little girl is old enough to join me.

[slyfox-mal]

welcome from another newbie good luck

[tilly]

Thanks everyone. Im looking to grow peas, strawberrys, tomatoes, beans, spuds etc. Nothing to difficult.

My lad wants to grow big pumpkins for halloween, bless him.

Looks looke I need to buy a hoe as well.

[windygale]

Hi Tilly,nice to hear you have an allotment,there are many way to tackle your problems,DO NOT USE A ROTAVATOR
Dig your ground with a fork and pick up and remove as many pieces of root as possible,(you should use a spade really - but a spade would only chop up the roots into smaller pieces and give you a bigger problem in the long run)
Burn the plot with a flame gun them deal with the roots - digging up /cover plot with black plastic or spray with a killer,
looking at your pic - i think this is the way i would deal with your plot this year - but try asking your council or committee members if they would do the sparying for you, - HEALTH & SAFTY - them cover your ground with black plastic and grow through the plastic (like a grow bag) for two or three years
hope this helps
windy