New allotment essentials

[shaolin101]

Hi All,

haven't been on here for a long, long time!

After 2 years waiting i managed to get an allotment in SE London - quite rare to get any land that hasn't been built on!

It is a nice size and needs some work which is ok.

Wondered what essentials are there that i need to do whilst the ground is wet and soft.

Also - it has a large bramble type bush growing everywhere right in the middle - looks well established! Guessing the roots go quite deep. Will it be essential to keep digging to get every part of that out - never sure if I happen to break the root low down in a couple of places if it will come back to haunt me!

Thanks for any tips!
Liam

[shaolin101]

[davee52uk]

I wouldn't worry too much about the bramble bush. Now is a good time to remove it. These often cover a large area but go back to single plant. It's a bit of a job cutting back the long stem (WEAR THICK GARDENING GLOVES!!!) but then you should see what roots need removing. These need to be dug out as far as possible although bits will grow back for a year or two.

I have a complete allotment which was mostly brambles but now is O.K. Also you may find some older features hidden by the brambles; in my case lines of fruit canes.