Topic: Advice on new allotment

[princescruffster]

Hoping to acquire my first allotment within the next couple of weeks.( :D) Plan to hire a rotovator.  Should I hire the rotovator now, then cover with black plastic or similar till spring, or should I cover now and rotovate in spring.  Not sure which is the best way round.

Any advice much appreciated.

[Smileyk]

We were told not to rotivate ours and it's a good job we didn't as it hadn't been dug for about 4 years and was full of rocks, metal bars and goodness knows what else.

It's been backbreaking digging it by hand but dh has done a few strips at a time and then we've planted that and he's dug the next bit.  We've had it a month or so now and it's still not entirely dug over!  Think we might be able to rotivate it soon though.   We were too impatient to cover in plastic and have just been weeding it as we go along.

Okay  have to say that this is the ROYAL we - dh has done nearly all the work, I've just planted!  ;D

[Barnowl]

This question comes up quite regularly and opinions are somewhat divided to say the least!  If you put rotovating or rotorvating into the search page(the button's above) you'll see quite a few threads like this one...


http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,32014.msg318993.html#msg318993

[caroline7758]

You haven't said what state the plot's in, which may make a difference to your decision. If it's not got many weeds, rotavating now would be quicker and would mean you could get some winter veg in. But if it's covered in weeds, you do risk making the problem worse by rotavating, or so I've heard!

[Lauren G]

Hiya. We got our allotment a few weeks ago and we planted out first crop just this morning. ;D. However most of the allotment is still full of weeds. We hired a petrol strimmer and have reduce the weeds to about 2inches high but now plan to dig by hand to get rid of the rest. Most people on our lottie sight say NOT to use a rotivator as your just mowing the weeds back into the soil. Our plan is to take our time ie plant a few crops for now and slowly get rid of the weeds until eventually we end up with a decent allotment. Good Luck wot ever you decide to do ;D

[Fork]

Its totally pointless  rotovating a garden full of weeds.All you do is chop up the roots into lots of little roots that will grow again later(on some weeds but not all).

Dig all your weeds out or use weedkiller if you are that way inclined.

I leave my rotovating until next spring now after I have "winter dug"and the worms and elements have done their best.

You will never be short of weeds.The secret is to keep using the hoe and digging them out.The more you do this the weaker the weeds will become and the easier it will be to keep your garden tidy.

[saddad]

Welcome aboard... I'm a non rotovator myself but ...
 ;D

[isbister]

Follow Lauren G's advice...it's exactly what we did and it works. Rotovating is fine just to turn the soil when it's already weed free, but if your plot has perennial weeds such as couch you may live to regret rotovating now.

[timiano]

but if your plot has perennial weeds such as couch you may live to regret rotovating now.

...Like we are!

To be honest, we needed to do it, because time didn't allow us to dig. But, this year we'll be digging having more time and better prepared! So out of neccessity, yes, but otherwise, no. That is unless you are fully weed free already.

Tim

[oggiesnr]

We've had ours (a double) for two weeks.  We've cut all of it back with a scythe to about four inches,  made first compost heap (we have a no bonfires rule) and dumped a lot in green waste.  We have sheared back an 8x8 yards plot which is due to be stripped this weekend.  We have perrenials and brambles.  Rotovating is a no-no  so I'm using an azada.  You'd also be surprised how quickly you can cut back with a good pair of shears.

Before you think I've spent hours there, I get up about six and do an hour or so before I start my other work, great time to work and little and often seems to work for me.

All the best

Steve

[Melbourne12]

Follow Lauren G's advice...it's exactly what we did and it works. Rotovating is fine just to turn the soil when it's already weed free, but if your plot has perennial weeds such as couch you may live to regret rotovating now.

I'd go along with this, too.

When we got our plot, the council rotavated half of it for us (the other half had raised beds).  Of course the bindweed came back in profusion on the rotavated bit, BUT it did prepare the ground quickly so that things could be planted.

We recently got another fragment of lottie, much overgrown.  I blasted it with Roundup, then we dug the roots out when the weeds had died.  That worked a treat.  But now that it's free of the worst weeds, I'll have no compunction about rotavating it in the autumn and/or the spring.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Don't waste it on green waste; compost the lot. you'll be amazed how it shrinks once it starts rotting.

[stig]

im a believer in the backbreaking by hand school.
dig over roughly now cover and let nature do the work for you