Topic: New allotment and turves

[CornishLass]

Hello everyone!

Newbie here :)

I got my brand spanking new allotment about a month ago and it was previously meadow that has been ploughed by the farmer and turned into allotments, which is great.

However, when I go to try and dig over the plot there are loads of turves underneath that have been ploughed into the soil iykwim.

I suppose my question is, do I need to dig over this plot and get rid of all the turves or or will they get broken down in the soil with worms/frost etc and be easier to deal with in the spring?

Thank you

CL

[picman]

You won't recognise it come April.... Leave the sods, ( You don't want any strong weeds showing )  frost rain and wind will do the work, just top it now with some well rotted manure (except the carrot bed). Then prepare the beds just before planting next year, Happy planning...

[cornykev]

Welcome, as Pic says the frosts will do the work, by the way where abouts are you.       ;)    ;D ;D ;D

[PurpleHeather]

Most allotment holders who have had a 'new plot' will tell you that it takes years to knock it into shape.

Plenty of manure is ideal for the whole lot. Then the first year, grow what likes it most. Spuds of course. Courgettes and marrows perhaps a few beans for example

After that you can start planning properly. Lots will grow on new land. Just get into the swing and enjoy it. 

Get on top of perennial weeds like docks the plough has chopped up. dig them out as soon as you see them, the roots can be deep.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Leave the turves - most of it will rot, and whatever survives will be weakened. Be ready for perennial weeds and a massive flush of weed seedlings next spring.

[CornishLass]

Thanks all.  I will leave til the spring.  Thanks for the advice.  btw, I am in Cornwall  :)

CL

[Robert_Brenchley]

Whereabouts? I used to live at Foxhole, near St. Austell, and my mother still lives at Lower Sticker.

[CornishLass]

We are in Looe.  My husband works in St Austell.  Small world  :)

[Digeroo]

I started a new allotment on farm land two years ago and it has been quite a lot of work but I also have had some great crops.  At least you will not have any things like brambles and nettles to deal with.  If it has been meadow it will hopefully also be manured to some extent already.  Mine grew brassicas very well the first year!!

Most of mine had had a pig on it but there was a stripe down the side which was still meadow.  I simply dug that in and planted broad beans on top and then pounced on any weeds asap.  It is easy with big plants but I dug through the carrot bed very thoroughly to remove any remaining roots.

Walking about on cold wet soil does not do it any favours, so keep this to a minimum just enough to spread out some biomatter.   Come March things will be ready for your attention and most of the weeds will have rotted down.  (Its a bit warmer in Cornwall so perhaps if you are lucky you can start in Feb.)

Do you need to lime the soil?

I have put in loads of bio material.  Compost, manure (do test first), recycled compost, straw, and leaves.  I find it odd that biomatter improves both drainage and water retention, basically opposite effects at the same time.

My first year I did not have enough time to dig it all over so lots of crops got grown in 'pots'.  I simply dug a hole mixed in some manure or compost plus blood fish and bone fertilzer and planted something on top.   Now at the end of my second year I finally have most of it dug over and even double dug quite a lot. 

The other problem with farm plots is that the next field may contain weeds and the seeds blow in so weed control is a permanent issue.  Dandelions for example are not a problem for livestock but are a pain in large quantities on the allotment.   I do a lot of mulching.  Courgettes and Squashes are brilliant at weed control not much grows underneath them.

It is nice to hear that another farmer is breeding allotments.

I hope you enjoy your plot as much as I do mine.

[gp.girl]

Lovely to hear about new allotments rather than land grabbing. Shame to plow up a meadow though. Hope it was just grazing land.


Good luck and lovely veggies  :)

[pigeonseed]

Yes it is a wonderful thought, isn't it? New allotments. I imagine it must be a nice location as well. Not wedged between a road and the gas works or anything like that!

I expect that although weeds blowing across will be an issue, that happens on allotment sites anyway, with poorly tended plots - of which there are usually several, to go by what people say on this forum!

Enjoy it!

(PS I have a friend who lives in Looe and it's a very beautiful place - lucky you!)

[Vinlander]

It may be too early for a new plot but eventually you might come to like dandelions. The leaves make a lovely bitter salad (or an ordinary salad if you put a pot over them), and the roots can make good coffee.

I've heard people say bitterly that it only takes one plant to fill a parish.

On the other hand that means it isn't worth going mad on eradication - it simply can't work.

No biennial weed should be able to break your heart - you've had over a year to spot it and remove it!

The same goes for feral vegetables like Land Cress, Salsify, Purslane - and if they weren't there a real weed might find it easier to grow.

For me real weeds are either rambling perennials like the bindweed(s) and ground elder or incredibly rapid annuals like bittercress or shepherds purse that can grow, flower and seed so quickly and at such a small size that it is so easy to overlook them.

Cheers.