What to do next ...

[ChrisH]

I have put weedkiller on part of the allotment to see if eradicates the bindweed, which will hopefully give me a fighting chance next year to plant it all.

So my question is, after the weedkiller would it be best to rotivate it or mulch it (and slowly dig) ?

If the mulch option would fresh manure or weed surpress sheeting be best to use or perhaps both?

Thanks
Chris

[ChrisH]

[supersprout]

What sort of weedkiller was it Chris?

[ChrisH]

sorry, it was Roundup (green and yellow spray).

[supersprout]

If it was me, I'd use the lazy sprout method ::)
... mulch with whatever you have, lay down the black plastic, mark your paths with string so you don't tread on beds, and plant through it. If you need a bed for e.g. seeds, peel back the plastic and weed/hoe to get a tilth, don't rotavate or dig ;D

[ChrisH]

Thanks Supersprout, it sounds like a plan.

just need to order the muck :) and buy the black plastic.

The ground has not been worked for a couple of years and is rather hard, will it still be ok ?

Chris

[supersprout]

Hi Chris, good question - it's a bit of a leap of faith! I've learned to lay in wait for a good spell of rain, then run down to the plot, throw on the mulch, and lay the black plastic there and then whilst the soil is nice and damp. If you don't tread on the growing areas, the moist organic stuff will get carried down into the soil by the worms over the year, and they will help aerate it. And any crops you plant through will work their roots through it, and if you grow root crops you'll have to dig them up to harvest. But it doesn't feel at all like hard work when you're harvesting ;D

[Pigface51]

...if it helps, Tesco's (if they have a small gardedning section, or maybe look online) are selling plastic weed control sheets (1.5 m x 10m) for about £2.44...

...now that can't be too bad can it?

[ChrisH]

thanks

I will have a look at the weekend. I think 15 packs should do  ;D