I'm in need of some encouragement!

[EmmaLou]

Been to the allotment today. Weeds are nearly as high as when I took it on last summer! I'm starting to get behind on getting things done. It is very off putting when I walk past all these lovely weed free plots only to get to mine and see how much weeding still needs doing. Nettles, couch grass and thistles! One good thing is the weeds have pretty much stayed away on the beds I have dug, apart from the odd thistle. Can't say the same for the beds the OH dug! I wish I'd done them all myself now! Oh well at least he tried. I still have 2 large beds to dig and 2 small. The 2 small can be left as don't need them at the mo, but the 2 larger ones need doing desperately as I have stuff in the greenhouse waiting to go in. I also really need to find something suitable to edge the beds and cover the paths. Doesn't seem to be enough time!

I JUST WANT TO GET SOME STUFF GROWING! FED UP WITH WEEDING!!!!!!

I guess I'm not the only one that feels like this!

[EmmaLou]

[Palustris]

You'll get there in the end, and at least part of your plot has stayed free, that is a beginning. All journeys start with a single step!

[busy_lizzie]

Don't lose heart Emmalou,  We do all feel like that at one stage, just roll up your sleeves and get cracking with the weeding, and you'll be surprised how much you can get through.  Once you start putting things in it will make all the difference to how you are feeling. busy_lizzie

[Jesse]

EmmaLou, I was in exactly the same situation as you this time last year, the weeds grow so fast as the weather warms up you can almost hear them growing! But don't dispair, I had a good crop last year even although I had to hunt amongst the weeds for some of the things. Just do what you can and try not to worry too much.

[jlottie]

Hi Emmanlou

don't give up theres plenty of time to get things done and larger weeds are easier to spot and dig out.  I've just laid the last of my garden fabric paths with layers of newspaper underneath, so at least I don't have to worry about weeding paths anymore. this has taken me nearly 3 years to finally get sorted.  We had a downpour here last night and I won't get down the the lottie till next weekend when I am expecting to be weeding for ages.

[moonbells]

encouragement  ;D ;D

Seriously, it's taken me five years (as of today!) to get on top of my plot. And it wasn't that bad to begin with (apart from in the orchard area, which was waist high with grass, weeds, and for some weird reason, love-in-a-mist which I now hate cos it's taken me till now to get rid of it!)

I've found that the only way to keep it bearable in summer is to spend every hour possible there from January to April, and try to start May with no visible weeds. Cos two weeks later it'll be full of them. And I always have to go away thanks to work at the start of May...  best of luck, and may your best friend be your hoe :)

moonbells

[caroline7758]

I feel the same, but comfort myself by believing that all the other lottie-holders are retired and have much more time than me to keep their plots looking so good. It may not be true, but it helps!

[amanda21]

I'm faced with more and more weeds - mostly dandelions on each visit too!  I also know what you mean about bed edgings and paths - I'm seriously considering just digging the whole thing over as I can't seem to get around to covering the paths and then the weeds from them encrouch into the beds!   :(  I've got something seeding all over the bottom half of the plot - in all the beds and paths!

BUT I will not be beaten - and anyway I like scruffy sorts of allotments rather than Kew Gardens!!   ;)  And if the worse comes to the worse and I get no crops I can at least eat the dandelions!!   :)

[katynewbie]

;D

Oh EmmaLou, how well do I know that feling!! Most of the people on my site are retired and are there from 8am every day (spit) so their plots are PERFECT!!

Mine isn't. Work and "real life" get in the way! I really do try to be disciplined and do one bed at a time, but that can get very tedious. I have a kind of scattergun approach which works for me. Every dandelion I see gets hoiked out quick before it seeds, I have got a trench at the edge of my plot so the couch does not creep onto next door and every time I spot a thistle it gets done.

As I do the beds at the moment I am planting something as soon as I have a bit of weed free space, it feels like I am growing something, even though the bed is not "finished"

Don't give up!! It can be done, and next year will not be as bad, I promise!!

;)

[rosebud]

Emmalou, do cheer up , a daunting site i know faced with weed gardens, BUT,
slow and steady wins the race girl, stick some spuds in girl go for it they can grow along side weeds while you are slowly clearing it all.   Here you are Emmalou.

    Encouragement ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[loulou]

snap iv not been down for a couple of weeks due to cars braking down the house if full of plants ready to go in it takes a lot of time to move all the plants out of the house in the morning and it seems to take twice as long at night to bring them in (I'm sure there multiplying )weekends well fixing cars so we can go to work then it rains and rains then the kids are off school for a day coz of the voting  and to top it all of i got a second plot what was i thinking  ??? if only the lotto did a prize of time we would all be ok but my motevation is my kids and the though of fresh veg yum yum its hard work but very worth it little and often or in my case as and when at the moment nights getting lighter spend more time there hears hoping for good weather

[weedbusta]

this is a manic time for anyone with an allotment, weed free or not. if you cleared ground last year you'll find it easier to clear this year, most will only be surface weeds. i think people with perfect plots work on them from midnight till just before i walk in the gate, then they sit down with a cuppa!! it's not as bad as it seems once you get started. clear a bit and plant it up, clear a bit and plant it up, you'll see results before long. good luck.

[Svea]

can you just trhow some cardboard or carpet over the weed beds? this way, you wont have to deal with them straight away. then concentrate on the areas where you really want the weeds out. and teach other half how to dig weed properly! ;)

[mc55]

Hi Emma Lou, I'm in a similar situation - if I stand in the middle of the plot and look to the top I can kid myself that its a beautiful well worked plot - but its a different story when I turn round - its just an overgrown field.

I'm planning to grow lots of squashes and pumpkins on the bottom part of the lottie as I've heard that they are such rampant growers, they 'smother' the weeds. 

Take heart from what you've already done - once you've got something in and growing the thrill will return. Bark makes for a quick, cheap and easy path covering - at our lottie, we get chippings delivered and you can help yourself for free - they smell fantastic (have some 'pine' type trees in them) - try your local council, the parks quite often give away or sell chips very cheaply.

Good luck - let us all know how you get on.

[Robert_Brenchley]

i've been on my plot seven years, and there are still parts which are just jungle. Can you black plastic some of it? Or get a grass hook and whack it down? Doing that alone once a month will kill many weeds.

[Wicker]

Oh, Emmalou, don't know of a lottie holder who hasn't felt exactly the same way!  In fact, I've been  feeling  that way at some point every year for over twenty years even tho things are much more organised now.  There are days when you can work and work and at the end it doesn't look much - but then things start to grow (and hide the weeds ;)) and it all does look better.......
As you may have guessed I am one of those retired people but please don't be too hard on us - we have served our "apprenticeship" when we fitted it all in with jobs/kids/life in general and maybe learned a few shortcuts along the way and our lotties kept us sane. Don't envy us - look forward to being one of us and still lottying!! ;D

[EmmaLou]

:-*Thank you guys! I knew you would all cheer me up! Feeling much better about it all now!

I managed to get the lawn mower to the allotment the other day - that sorted out my paths for a few more days!

I've had some carpet down since last year. Had a look under it - the weeds are doing their hardest to grow, but they are looking pale and weak so should be a doddle to get out.

The bed I need to dig has a pile of stuff (rubble, old plastic and carpet that the weeds grew through etc) that I need to somehow move. I didn't notice it all until I had cut down all the weeds! I guess that is my task for this week.

[daisymay]

Hi Emma

Ours is the same. Turn our back for a few days and it is totally covered in weeds!! they grow so fast. We have bindweed, couch, creeping buttercup and they are just the ones I know the names of, all over the place! I could barely find my onions today under all the weeds and I only weeded them completely 2 weeks ago.

Just do it a bit at a time, then get it planted up with some quick crops for morale boosting!! Maybe get some plastic sheeting, ala Wardy, and grow stuff through it? I am doing this for our outdoor tomatoes.

Also, some marigold seeds are supposed to be really good at seeing off bind weed etc... Sarah Raven sells them on her website:

http://www.thecuttinggarden.com/html/DataCard.asp?cat=2&type=halfhardy&Product=343&prevnext=no

am going to give this a try!

[EmmaLou]

I never realised they could do that! As luck would have it, I already have trays of these growing! Guess I know where I will be planting them all! ;D

[rosebud]

Hi Emmalou, i hope you are feeling more positive now,you sound a little more cheered, keep up the good work girl . ;D ;D ;D ;D