Topic: Will we regret getting it rotavated?

[KateG]

Our plot is chest high in brambles and various other weeds, some of which I've been told are perenial (I have no idea on anything at the moment!)

I share the allotment with my Mum, who is the brains behind the operation but isn't able to dig. So the digging is down to me. We've got 10 poles.

The ground (from what we can make out) has huge furrows all over it, left over from the last occupant. There are no beds to speak of (it looks like it was ploughed and left).

We are getting the weeds cut down, by tractor and then we plan to rake up the cuttings and destroy them. Then my mum wants the farmer to rotavate it for us (this would cost £40 in total and allow us to set out the plot, covering the beds with carpet until we are ready to use them).

Of course, we're aware that this will create thousands of bits of root, all ready to set in to weeds again. But as we're setting half of the plot to grass for at least year (which we'll cut with a petrol mower regularly) we thought that we'd still manage to keep on top of the weeds as they come up. I don't work and plan on being there every day if I need to. I suppose we just want to get it all laid out so that we feel we're acheiving something.

But are we really daft to do this? Would I be better to spend the winter digging the entire plot, laying out the beds as I go and perhaps even setting grass seed in the areas that we want grass in?

What would you do?

[donlottie]

Hi Kate, I too have not had my plot long (2 weeks actually) but had loads of advice all pointing to not going near the plot with a rotavator. I too had the idea of getting it churned up quickly but have since thought twice about it. Each little peice of root will develop into a weed as you already know. I was advised to cover the ground with black plastic to kill the weeds. I first strimmed the lot with an industrial strimmer. Then I have bought blue tarpualins from B & Q at a price of £3 for a 4m x 5m sheet. I have covered 20mtrs of a 50m plot. I have left a little area to dig and set as my first bed but the back of the plot 15m is left as was - 6ft nettles. Work a little at a time , I am amazed how an hour here and an hour there has transformed the plot. Perservere with the digging.

[cambourne7]

HI

If you get the farmers advice when he sees the plot there knowledge would be invaluable as they will know the local soil, weeds and conditions.

But what i would do is get him to cut it down one day and scrape all the cuttings into a pile and burn them ( you will not know what the weeds are so best be safe). You can even use a blow torch on some of the larger weeds left in the ground.

I would then get the farmer back a week or two later to rotivatate, in the mean time i would dig out all the big roots you can see. As its been raining these should be easy to dig out.

I would also see if the farmer can rotivate in some manure and add some sand if your on clay while your on it.

As he rotivates you might want to rake off any weed roots that get churned up ( the farmer may have a machine to do this ).

If the ground is very heavy and has lots of stones get him to go over it with tides as well which will burry all the big stones and make sure that the ground is left as level as possible m(my mistake was not to rake it level and now i have some issues with levels).

I would also suggest that you go with covering the ground when its been done, this will surpress the weeds that are left (you might want to spray after a week or so and this will die off after 10 days). And just leave uncovered the bits you want to deal with.

I would also see if you can source some straw from the farmer ( I payed last year £1 a bale but you will pay more this year because of the weather ). And use these to establish paths as you work on beds.

What you might want to consider is to use the 'Lasagna' method on the beds planting some now with cabbages, over wintering onions, garlic, soft fruits and leaving the rest of your lasagna beds covered in black plastic to cook over winter rather then covering the whole thing. And this non dig method might also help kill off the weeds left my rotivating.

You might want to look at a previous post and a helpful link on lasagna gardening.

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,20584.0.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1999-04-01/Lasagna-Gardening.aspx

Best of luck.

Cambourne7

[OllieC]

We've got 10 poles.

Surely if you have 10 poles working for you, you'll get it dug over in no time?!?!?  ;D

I think if you try to dig half a plot by hand at this time of year, you'll see very liittle results within the first 7 months & end up completely demoralised. Like most things gardening, rotivators have their place & I would suggest this is one of them.

[KateG]

Thank you both for your responses.

Cambourne, I love the idea of that method, suits my style down to the ground lol

Donlottie - you are right about an hour being enough to make progress. It is a good feeling to walk away knowing you've moved on.

[growmore]

Have it rotovated ,,That way you will get it all levelled so you can see where your going .. Sure weeds will pop up but they would if you dug it too..
They will be easy to pull out ,or hoe if they are tiny ..
You say your going to be on there a lot so that wont be a problem..
There is an old saying "Best weedkiller there is, is the gardeners shadow" ;)
Whatever you set this year Jap onions, etc.  Leave your self plenty of space between them so you can get in easy with the hoe ... Cheers Jim.

[cambourne7]

good to know i have helped.

I am adding more beds to my plot and am using the lasagna method on them as well :-)

[KateG]

 ::)@ollie. you'd think the poles would have it sorted by now, wouldn't you ;)

Hopefully with a bit of a clearing, with the land flattened out and a bit of hard graft, we'll have the plot underway this time next week. I cant' wait now.

Thanks for your input, sensible advice as ever.

[plot76]

Have it rotovated, my plot was in a right state last year, nearly one third was brambles, and the rest couch grass, which had grown through carpets and weed fabric. you can see how we got on at

http://www.plot76.info/


before plowing


after plowing

And yes the weeds come through, but they are easier to manage, as you can see one year one



Just go for it

[KateG]

Wow! your allotments are fab. Plot 76 - Tell me more about your paths - what have you put down?

And I love the idea of the tunnels, can I ask how big, how much and if they are a permenant fixture?

[plot76]

Thanks for the kind comments KateG, I have had the plot a year, you can see the full story at www.plot76.info

The paths are woodchip from the local council tree surgeon in Gosport, and he delivers them free, I just call him up when I need some more and he dumps a huge load next to the plot for me, the tunnels are 3.5m x 2m (as are all the beds) and £50 off eBay, they are semi permanent, I have sunk them down a bit to offer a smaller target to the wind, and they are quiet well secured, I could move them, but probably wont.

[Sparkly]

Great job on Plot76!!!!!! I have just taken a look through your diary. So sorry to see the damage done by local yobs. I think I would have been waiting here overnight with a shotgun if that happened to our plot!

[plot76]

I did get my own back, I rigged up trip wires between the beds during the winter, I think a few pairs of designer pumps and jeans may have got muddy.

The plan is to fence across the end to stop it being used as a short cut (got my white currants stamps on as well)

[posie]

Wow all that in 1 year, I'm seriously impressed. Just hope I can do half as good a job on mine. Not sure I'll manage the neat bordered beds but its certainly something to aspire too.  Given me hope now you have!  ;D