Hi all.

[Mubgrub]

Hello everyone.  I've just got back from choosing my very first allotment plot. ;D Its a lovely little site, overgrown, yes, but I was expecting much worse and it has a water supply right at the end and a lovely nextdoor neighbour. Yay!  Just thought I'd say hi as this seems like a lovely freindly community and I'm a complete novice so I need all the help I can get, speaking of which, can anybody tell me what couch grass is? ???

[Mubgrub]

[gavin]

Congratulations and welcome!

Couch grass?  One of the "joys" you will discover - extraordinarily invasive grass, which extends itself by sending out roots like spears.  They'll pierce anything!

And they have the delightfully friendly habit of wanting to welcome you, day by day, week by week, month by month.  Every little bit of root left in the soil, will pop up and say "Here I am!  How nice for me, to see you again!"  (Note - the appreciation is rarely mutual!).

Sorry - I'm warbling.  This gives you an idea of what it looks like - http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/couchgrass.htm.  There are worse weeds - but it can be a real pain in the first couple of years, until it's under control.

All best - Gavin

[Wicker]

Hi Mubgrub and welcome.  You're right I have found this to be a very friendly site, people with lots of experience, people with a good sense of humour, and people who understand when things go wrong!!

Megan

[Mrs Ava]

Congrats Mubgrub, on your new allotment, and finding us!  ;) hehehe.

Couch grass, watch out, as Gavin says, sharp spears like knitting needles.  Has drawn blood on me many a time and I have heard tales of it spearing right through spuds in the ground!  Couch grass would be heavenly for me though, we have mares tail up one end of our plot, and it is like furry christmas trees, and the roots to that start somewhere in Queensland!!  :o  ;D

[tig]

hi mubgrub & welcome to a4a see u in the chat room

[carrot-cruncher]

Welcome

Couch grass?....hmmmm, let me see.   It's that invasive stuff which is intent on taking over the world, starting in everybody's allotment.   I'm currently in a life or death struggle with the stuff on my plot but have won several, recent battles with my greatest of allies, Roundup!!!!

[Multiveg]

Think horse/marestail is better than couch grass - marestail makes a very good foliar feed. Couch grass root things are also useful - think as a defence against mildews....

[Ceri]

Multiveg - feel free to come and help yourself to my mare's tail - you could make years and years of feed!  I dig and hoe and hoe and dig my mare's tail - it only seems to encourage it - black plastic for a year - just keeps it snug ready for the light!  I can only assume that my lottie is a gnome-managed Christmas tree plantation!

[Mrs Ava]

LOL Ceri, I agree about the chrissy tree plantation!  The chap with the next plot has masses and masses of mares tail growing, no veggies on this plot this year, so he rotovated it all in at the weekend, creating thousands and thousands of cuttings!  I did wonder if he was planning to harvest them as eco friendly washing up brushes, or gnome christmas trees!  ;D

[Mubgrub]

Thanks everyone (ooh I feel so at home!). ;D ;D

[Moggle]

Hi Mubgrub and welcome. You'll find everyone here so friendly and welcoming and full of help. I wouldn't have been growing things so well if it wasn't for the wonderful folks here. :D

So, what are the main things you are planning on growing?

[Mubgrub]

Potatoes and Brassica to start with and perhaps some soft fruit and rhubarb, but I think Its going to be a while before I can harvest anything!