rotovating? strimming?

[STHLMgreen]

What's the difference between rotovating and strimming?

Because one of them was done to our allotment! Our neighbor (who is very kind) offered to go over the one bed we had dug with a machine (sorry, don't even know the swedish name). He also went over two other 'beds' we hadn't weeded/dug up! The machine digs up the earth and mixes everything.

So, this means we're finding the tiniest pieces of roots and I think we may have made a real mess of it!  

I'm guessing we should just slowly but surely dig through it all by hand and remove all the roots we find.

[STHLMgreen]

[tim]

Rotovating. Strimming is with a whizzing nylon cord for taking off top growth.

Depends what roots they are. Many may die in the heat. You'll collect some. If they are kept cut, they may not become a nuisance.

Otherwise, follow the guidelines posted by those who've done it.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Put black plastic over it, and the chopped-up roots will die quicker than the long masses which preceded them. That's the only thing to be said for the things.

[bennettsleg]

Put black plastic over it, and the chopped-up roots will die quicker than the long masses which preceded them. That's the only thing to be said for the things.

black plastic is certainly something worth investing in.  I found that the coarse-weave weed suppressing fabric still allows some (some) growth underneath.