Topic: how many times?

[daveandtara]

we got our allotment last month (30ft x 60ft) and it was densly covered in six foot high weeds, mainly thistles.
determined to be organic, we pulled up loads by hand and cleared half the plot, and over the last couple of weeks planted a few carrots, beetroots etc.
today was our 1st visit for four days and we were keen to see the effects of the recent rain.
what we found was a brand new blanket of six inch high thistles!
does anyone know how many times will we have to clear the same area before they go away?
D&T xx

[Merry Tiller]

Depends on how determined you are to be organic

[Mrs Ava]

Problem with thistles, if you leave a tiny bit of root behind, up they come, but at least they come up good and strong and tall so you can see what you are dealing with, not like bindweed  >:( which slides across the ground around your plants so you can't bl**dy well see it until it is at the top of your brussel sprout plants and flowering it's little heart out!  GGGRRR.  Sorry, I digress,  keep getting them out before they flower and set seed.  Unfortunately, everytime you turn the ground you will unearth seeds which will start again, but over time, this will become less and less...well... thats the theory, so long as your neighbours all keep their weeds seed free......... ::) :-\ ;D

[Mrs Ava]

No, it isn't as bad as it seems.  This is your little bit of paradise, weeds and all!  Everyone gets them, even in your garden, so I really try hard not to let them get me down and just deal with them as I go along.  Thanks to the annual weeds I have a wonderfully full compost heap!  Little and as often as you can, but not so much is becomes a chore, that is the way.  Some people use chemicals to knock the weeds back, I don't purely through ignorance of what is what, but others on my site have done.  And sometimes, just sometimes, those weeds turn out to be beauties!  I have had masses of different poppies and foxgloves arrive on the plot all of there own accord!

[daveandtara]

mmmm, one of my favourite flowers, poppies ;D
i think it's just the shock of seeing all that green then realising that none of it is edible :'(
still, we did find one, teeny, tiny infant chilli pepper (once we'd located the plant in all those thistles  ;D
we've covered what we (re)cleared today with cardboard (the other gardeners laughed and offered to give us some weedkiller)
ho hum, we've got till spring to figure it out...
D&T xx

[Svea]

i find only having taken on my plot in february, that every time o turn the soil, or draw a seed drill, i unearth new ones. but, it does seem to get less and less. i havent weeded now for about a month and i can still see lots of bare earth - so am not overrun. though, time to get that red clover stuff out before the pods pop and catapult more seed about the place :o

good luck with the thistles, just keep at it :)

[daveandtara]

svea,
i'm very new at this so check with someone else but isn't red clover a fantastic growing manure?
i heard that if you let it grow over winter and then dig it in it does all manner of good things to the soil just before spring planting.
we've been trying (and failing) to get seeds for it and you're trying to get rid!!
huh! typical ::)
good luck with it all anyway,
and thanks ;D
Tara xx

[Svea]

nah, it's not the real stuff. it's some plant pretending to be red clover. it's awful for seeds, so i am told. i havent done any weeding for a month so really hope it's not too late for that one¬! :o

[Dominique]

Tara
The organic gardening catalogue has red clover seeds, I've just ordered some
D

[redimp]

That's where I get mine.

PS - have a similar thistle problem but in the beds I am digging now I seem to be griniding it down by getting out roots where I can and hoeing any heads that pop out.  I am determined that I will beat the thistles.

I am also a 'wait and see what it looks like' sort of guy if it is a non threatening place and I have allowed loads of red poppies (which I love along with welsh yellow ones) to set seed.

[cheddarpaul]

hey there - I agree with EJ - keep on top of the weeds but dont let it become a chore - just hoe the blighters regularly and eventually the sea of green you get after every rain storm will lessen

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've been strimming the weeds at the back of my church, and have had exactly the same problem with the thistles there. Just keep at them, they can't take it forever.