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Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: netty on September 05, 2008, 17:53:50

Title: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: netty on September 05, 2008, 17:53:50
Hi all I have had an uphill battle since taking over my lottie in the spring. I have managed to get about a third of it reasonable and have had a few crops from it ..but..the problem is no matter how much I weed after leaving it for a week or so (due to our appalling weather) I return to find the weeds seem to be twice as many and twice as high.Its getting me down a bit and I am just wondering now will they die back in winter or grow just as vigorously as they have been doing? many thanks for any advice. ???
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: Flighty on September 05, 2008, 18:07:50
Netty everything that you want to know about weeds can probably be found here
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/weeds.htm
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: saddad on September 05, 2008, 18:39:13
Yes most of them do as they are annuals, esp. the very fast growing ones. At least you know the plot is fertile, if it won't grow weeds it won't grow owt ! Try covering ares with black plastic or cardboard to exclude the light on areas you have cleared...  :)
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: lewic on September 05, 2008, 21:26:59
Weeds dieing back in winter? Oh please make it true!!
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: Kingfisher on September 06, 2008, 11:19:18
Hi all I have had an uphill battle since taking over my lottie in the spring. I have managed to get about a third of it reasonable and have had a few crops from it ..but..the problem is no matter how much I weed after leaving it for a week or so (due to our appalling weather) I return to find the weeds seem to be twice as many and twice as high.Its getting me down a bit and I am just wondering now will they die back in winter or grow just as vigorously as they have been doing? many thanks for any advice. ???

Hi Netty, I have exactley the same problem, just can not get them down, I have dug some of the beds several times but it seems a losing battle, in the spring I sowed a full bed of onion seeds all different, the weeds took hold and I did not get a single onion out of that bed, so I know what your going through, just hope that next yr will be better.
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: loopyloulou on September 06, 2008, 11:52:35
i hope so!!!
im in the same poisition, took it on end of feb and cleared close to half since, and then wasnt able to go down due to the rain (have 2 small kids) and the plot is just a mess, im trying, but you wouldnt know it! lol! am hoping itll all die back in the winter when a lot of digging gets done and then hopefullyt itll make it easier come spring when everything (bar crops) starts growing, ive got the dreaded couch grass and dock plants to clear so tis all good fun! am hoping for at least 1 dry day this week for me to rescue the remains of my potatoes beans and onions and to check the new (old) shed hasnt been blown down, i doubt were going to get any pumpkins or butternut squash off the plot and doubt the courgettes will do much more (was never overrun but we still didnt eat them all, the kids arent so keen n the oh is fussier than they...) oh and carrots, not likely, siiigh, will keep trying!
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: redimp on September 06, 2008, 12:39:12
Most weeds will die back over the winter - even the perrenials - nettles, thistles etc.  Couch will die back but not completely - there will still be green grass.  Most annuals will fail to grow but there are some exceptions e.g. groundsel will grow, flower and set seed all year round.  You will find that weeds will become easier to manage the longer you have the allotment and the more you cultivate it - they will not go away completely but it should only be the first year or so where they are completely unmanageable - I lost loads to the weeds in my first year - most stuff now competes with them (4 year in)
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: netty on September 06, 2008, 21:06:24
its good to know that some of you are having the same problem. I know its going to take time and a lot of hard work to get the plot sorted and I really dont mind that.The weather certainly hasnt helped either so hopefully we will have a dry Autumn and we can get down to showing those b****y weeds whose boss! ;D
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: KathrynH on September 07, 2008, 13:10:33
The weeds may look as if they die back in winter but really they just try to fool you. As soon as a bit of spring sunshine shows they poke their heads out with a vengance! Every year I dig as deep as I can to try to get out the bindweed roots that plague my plot and every year it's back. Still beats going to the gym for a bit of exercise!
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: flowergirl on September 07, 2008, 19:31:24
I cover where possible with some black cotton type material.  It was a bit of an experiment, but where i havent covered it has been a nightmare.  Decided to cover the lot next year...although there some sort of vine weed that growns beneath the black stuff  :'(.

FG
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: antipodes on September 08, 2008, 13:00:30
The "vine weed" that grows beneath black stuff is bindweed. However I find that when it grows underneath it weakens it and you can pull more out (but it will always come back).
Yes annuals die off, even bindweed. Trick is to get them in early spring by hoeing but if you leave it two weeks as sometimes I have to through other commitments, they will overrun.

Onions traditionally don't like weeds much (although TeeGee experimented this year by leaving them in a weedy patch and they did still quite well). But I found that some things don't really care, like spuds (although because you earth up etc I find they are less bothered with weeds than other things) or beans or courgettes.
I started to get couch grass on the plot this year!!! dunno where it came from!! SO I have been digging out a lot of that too.
Maybe next year I will get more on top of the weeds by mulching early and vigorous hoeing??
Title: Re: Do weeds die back through the winter?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on September 10, 2008, 20:39:45
Onions don't cope with weeds while the plant's growing, but once they get to the bulbing up stage it doesn't matter so much. I've always found that spuds swamp most weeds.
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