Topic: Which plot

[swampyseifer]

Thanks for all the comments...

it turns out that we didnt use the rotovator!  We first went round and cut all the tall grass down, we also used a rake to pull off the worst of the bind weed.  We then stringed off the borders so we knew how much space we were dealing with.  We then mentally broke it down into thirds and put somee tarpulin over the middle third and started working on the first third.  Finally we used a spade to skim off the top level from the first third...well we got most of it done.  By then we had been there for around 4 hours (mostly spent our time chatting to all the friendly people!!)

Pic of it after the first day

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii137/swampyseifer/allotment/20120406_184714.jpg

[swampyseifer]

Sorry to doube post but here is a pic of after digging over the whole first third....god do I ache though!

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii137/swampyseifer/allotment/20120408_143628.jpg

[Digeroo]

Well done.  Sorry to hear about the bindweed.  I find it almost impossible to get rid off.
I think you make a wise decision not to rotavate, you would simply have chopped up the bindweed into tiny bits each of which will start a new plant.  I am not convinced that covering with plastic kills bindweed. 

[goodlife]

Code: [Select]

I am not convinced that covering with plastic kills bindweed. 

I know it don't.. ::) Unless I happen to have extra monstrous alien species growing over here.. ::)

[saddad]

You've made a good start...  :)

[lincsyokel2]

Well done.  Sorry to hear about the bindweed.  I find it almost impossible to get rid off.
I think you make a wise decision not to rotavate, you would simply have chopped up the bindweed into tiny bits each of which will start a new plant.  I am not convinced that covering with plastic kills bindweed. 

Ive found it kills everything apart from taps and nettles, and couch root. You might have to leave it on  two winters, but it definitely works.

[strawberry1]

I had a virgin plot, grass and the usual weeds including couch and bindweed on clay. 10 x 100. I covered it all with costco weed fabric and hacked away with an azada plus a hand azada on hands and knees removing weeds as I wnt (back breaking as clay was like rock) and I covered as I finished. That was in august 2010 and by september I managed to get broccoli and onions in. The fabric was geat. We don`t use manure and have no weeds now and 16 beds plus utility area and lots of fruit. All the fabric is being re-used

We started compost straight away and use that as well as comfrey and produce fabulous crops, enough for almost the whole year for two of us. Rotation is key

Good luck with the plot, it looks nice

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've successfully killed bindweed with black plastic, but you do have to give it a couple of years if it's well established.

[Alex133]

You can tame bindweed by digging up as much as you can then keep pulling out everytime it reappears.

[swampyseifer]

Thanks for all the comments.  We have covered the middle part (as you can see in the pic) but I think we only ever looked at that as a short term way to keep the weeds under control and to weaken them a bit before we got round to that section.

Had some heavy rain and strong winds over the last few days so I'm hoping that when we go back to the plot at the weekend, a lot of the ground will have broken up a bit, or at least be ready to get in there with a fork and break it up.

Also the fun job of pulling all the visible weeds roots out!

Still, should have one of those burning bins and a composter by then, so at least we can start storing the stuff up to be burnt/mulched down instead of bagging it and throwing it away like we did with the remains of the first third!