Topic: How do I kill grass for organic allotment

[Cazza]

 ???
Hello,

Sorry for being thick - completely new to this - just need to prepare my allotment for next yr - want to grow organically - how do I kill the grass etc before I start ???

Cheers,
cal

[Roy Bham UK]

The hard and quickest way is to dig it up, the slow and long winded way is to cover it up ;D

[suzylou]

I'm about 6 weeks into getting rid of it via. the digging route.  It's hard work but do "little and often" and it's surprising how quickly you move along the plot.  I have more land prepared than my neighbour who is meant to be a year ahead of me ;)  Mind you, she has runner beans, so I guess she wins :P

The best bit of advice I had was dig a bit and then plant something...you'll never get rid of all the grass roots and it will come back, but if you have a crop (a) you feel happy because you are already growing something and (b) it helps crowd out the grass.

Good luck :)

[Crash]

I'm also doing the dig a bit plant a bit thing.... But I've only had my lottie for 8 days... I got my onion sets in today!

[Cazza]

Cheers folks - reckon I'll go for digging - keeps you fit !!!

[keef]

You could get some chickens ?

[Cazza]

If I use Roundup ( not very organic I know !!! ), which a lot of people at allotment recommended even though they grow organically  - will this make soil dodgy for next year ???
( will plant stuff around March ).

Also, is there any sort of tool instead you can use to clear area which won't cost mega bucks ???
and what do people reccomend to do for best results re : grass and weeds not returning
madly ?????

Cheers :)

[Mubgrub]

You could hire a strimmer or brush cutter for the day, better still find someone on the site who has one and butter them up with beer/compliments etc ;D

Then, once you've strimmed it, cover everything to keep the grass weeds down while you dig a bit at a time.  I was pretty skint when I took on my plot last year and didn't cover after I'd strimmed and just started digging.  By the time I'd dug about half the plot it was autumn and the weeds went mental, I had to strim it again and re dig the bit I'd done first! :o

Good luck ;D