Author Topic: At least its got a shed...... (Read 2850 times)

Piglottie · « **on:** May 22, 2005, 16:05:34 »

Hi all

Great day for gardening here in Yorkshire - sun is shining! Went to look at my lottie today and as the title says, at least its got a shed (albeit needing some work! just grateful to have any sort of structure).

(have tried to post pics but am waiting to sort out photo option with Dan - have subscribed but not allowed to yet).

As you can see from the photo, lottie is really overgrown with crouch grass, dandelion, dock leaves, mare's tail (was sooo hoping not to have this one!). Have decided not to get the council to rotavate and will do a bit at a time (thanks to everyone for previous advice!). But any ideas on how to get on top of the jungle greatly appreciated.

Water supply is nearby, and all the lotties being used have great compost bins and additional ones for leaves which the council bring down by the barrel load in the autumn ;D Great bonus! The guys on the lottie seem real nice, and even offered to help with getting pallets etc to build compost heap.

No-one on the site was using raised beds and although the soil on our lottie looks like clay, they other lotties soil is looking great - really dark colour and light. The guys I chatted to said the soil is great and must admit, crops were looking good. So do you think raised beds are worth it?

Any advice as well for a beginner beginning in late May much appreciated - and does anyone know of a potato variety that could be planted now or is it too late?

Sorry for long post - many questions to all you lottie gurus out there! ;)

Justy · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2005, 18:03:43 »

congratualations!! ;D Now the hard work really starts.

With ref to raised beds - mine aren't raised as such but are bordered with planks off pallets nailed to corner posts (also off pallets). The soil in these is slightly higher than the surrounding paths but mainly because they have had compost, poo etc added. For me personally they are absolutely the best way to go. All the weeds outside the beds just get a good strim and they find it harder/impossible to get onto the beds due to the barrier. The beds are easy to fork over (as no treading), weed, and enrich.

It is a personal thing though. There is one other person on our site who uses beds - all the others just do long rows and they look great and almost certainly produce more crops.

Which ever way you decide to go - good luck!

Justine

ps. with ref to keeping on top of weeds - cover em up if you can - if not just keep strimming them down until you get round to cultivating that bit.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2005, 19:27:00 »

If I were you I should work on part of the plot for the moment, and black plastic the rest. Dig it in six inches round the edge so the weed roots can't run in under it, and leave it till the winter. All but the very worst will be dead by that time.

waggi · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2005, 20:14:59 »

congrats on the lottie ;D
yes it has a shed that is more than i have :'(
dont no how you feel about round up but it is worth a go and put black plastic down and leave it :D
just rember that it is fun and that you dont need to get it all done in one go rember that roam was not built in a day
(my wife was not in charge) :o ;) ;D
good luck

Piglottie · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2005, 20:29:12 »

Waggi - lol :D re your wife not being in charge of Rome - hubbie says the same about me! But know I have to be realistic with the lottie so am constantly chanting to myself "must not overdo it, must just do little bits, must be realistic!". Not sure how much its helped but at least I have reined in the desire to purchase every type of seed known to man when the Organic Gardening Catalogue arrived ;D

Robert - thanks for the tip. Think that's the way I'll go - strim the weeds down, and covered the bits of the lottie that I'm not working on.

??? Really naive, beginner question coming up! Is it best to just pull the weeds up by hand or is there a better way (no chemicals allowed!)?

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #5 on:** May 22, 2005, 20:53:19 »

Depends on the weeds; you'll have to do that regularly for at least a season to kill some of the perennials. It's also time consuming. For a first going over, use the strimmer and black plastic, then when it comes to weeding your veg, use whatever method fits.

cheddarpaul · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2005, 13:52:24 »

At last... someone who asks silly questions like me... thanks piglottie!!!

I have covered about 1/3 of my new lottie with heavy tarpaulin weighted down with big stones. The rest of the lottie is given over to runner beans (with and without sticks), carrots, cabbage, salad onions, lettuce and tomorrow will put in some swedes and sweetcorn. I think that will just about do it..lol

I hope you have as much fun on your lottie as I do piglottie

waggi · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2005, 14:03:19 »

i am introuble with the wife as off the last post i wrote
sorry dear wife :-*

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2005, 22:00:13 »

I hope you dug out the turf round the edge of the tarp and buried it. If you don't, the roots will run happily underneath it, and a couple of weeks after you lift it, they'll be sprouting right across the area you're trying to clear. I had that experience when I lifted one a previous plotholder left on my plot. Infuriating; there was me thingking that that was going to be a nice clean patch and it was as bad as anywhere else!

Piglottie · « **Reply #9 on:** May 24, 2005, 10:01:02 »

Managed to finally get the picture up of the jungle..... :o

Justy · « **Reply #10 on:** May 24, 2005, 11:17:09 »

It looks just like mine did when I took over (except mine didn't have a shed!) It is really daunting eh?

Definately recommend strimming whole thing as short as you can get it then mark out your first bed and dig that area - get as many roots out as you can. Plant whatever you fancy - at least that way you can see something growing! Cover as much of the remaining area as possible and carry on adding beds when you get chance. I just added my 5th bed (only after 18 months.... :-[)

Svea · « **Reply #11 on:** May 24, 2005, 11:22:21 »

^what justy said :)

although, i confess i was super lucky when i got my plot as it was immaculate. so i can't really say much :-X

Piglottie · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2005, 11:36:51 »

Thanks all! Its not all bad news though cos I've found a gooseberry bush amongst the jungle undergrowth! :)

wardy · « **Reply #13 on:** May 24, 2005, 17:23:23 »

My lotty is still most weeds but I was looking at it the other day and it looked like a meadow with lovely buttercups and daisies in the grass :) It was very overgrown but we strimmed and then mowed it a few times. I have put much of it under black sheet mulch which is doing a great job of suppressing the weeds as I checked the other day.

redimp · « **Reply #14 on:** May 24, 2005, 18:07:49 »

If you mow it once a year you will end up with a lovely meadow ;) Good luck with the lottie - it is great fun, sometimes frustrating - i.e. at the moment I have a yard full of pots I'd really like to get in the ground so that I can use the space to sow some more, I have still got loads of couch grass, thistles, dandelions etc and am now getting more annual weeds. The weeds grow round my onions and garlic faster than I can hoe them. I am a teacher so do not have much time except in the holidays, some crops fail (spectacuarly in the case of my first ever peas) etc...

However, despite all that it is still great fun.

waggi · « **Reply #15 on:** May 24, 2005, 20:13:04 »

i have lost my peas and sweetcorn this year already as of crud info from peeps on site
but next ones on way
not to bad i hope

ellkebe · « **Reply #16 on:** May 24, 2005, 21:08:19 »

Piglottie your allotment looks much like mine. I'm going the black plastic route! It has the benefit of giving you a legitimate reason for only having to tackle a small part of the plot this season!

Useful comments about digging in the edge of the plastic Robert. I didn't think of that :( so we will have to go back over bank holiday weekend and sort it. OH will be soooo pleased!!

clairenpaul · « **Reply #17 on:** May 27, 2005, 09:57:44 »

That what we'll be doing too - can't wait to tell Paul when he gets in from work ;D. Especially as I am off digging duties due to a dodgy back. Still at least the weathers going to be nice ... hopefully

Multiveg · « **Reply #18 on:** May 27, 2005, 15:41:06 »

Congratulations on getting a plot. There will be hard work (though can be made easier using various techniques, some described earlier) and won't turn into the perfect plot in a month!

You could go for first earlies, if you can get hold of them (some garden centres might not have sold out of them).

Blanch the dandelions and then you can have em in a salad!

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Author Topic: At least its got a shed...... (Read 2850 times)