Newbie here...

[fosteri]

Hi, My closest friend and I have just acquired our 1st lottie in Weymouth, Dorset.

It is quite a small plot, as the much larger plot we had the option of having was at a great risk of being waterlogged. Our plot is in a better position, good sun, closer water access, better soil etc. We are 1st in line for the adjacent plot as well so that we'll eventually have a bigger area to work with.

Here's a piccie - what do you think??

Louisa xx

P.S what a fantastic site this is, I've already spent many hours here!!! 8)

[fosteri]

[Kerry]

hi,
i'll leave the expert advice to others ;). but welcome, it is very friendly here.
i wonder whether your plot includes the wall? nice+sunny-possiblities there?
plenty of inspiration for all that digging ahead when you look at others pictures here.

[Moggle]

Welcome fosteri  :D

Your plot looks good, although you have some digging ahead of you.

Here is my main posting with before and 'in progress' photos from when I got my lottie at the end of October:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,5642.0.html

What are you planning on growing?

[fosteri]

Hi Moggle,

We're planning to grow mainly veg, possibly some fruits as well. I know my friend is also interested in growing cut flowers. I guess we'll have to see how much room we've got!!

Louisa xx

[Mrs Ava]

Looks great Louisa, but looks like you have lots of graft ahead of you, but it will all be worth it!  As for room, you never have enough!  ;D

Welcome.

[windygale]

Hi Louisa,nice to see you on this site,good pic of your plot, build a compost bin with your pallets,take your time and enjoy your self, there's people on this site who can help you - just ask,for free seeds to how to build -somebody can help you
catch you later
windy  :)

[NattyEm]

Awe closest friend *blush*

Hi! I'm the friend, and I agree this site is fab!  Can't wait to make a start on the lottie now  :)

Em

[GardnerJ]

welcome to you both!
heres hoping you have many happy days on your allotment i know i do!
Jemma x

[frannie]

hi louisa!
my lottie is also in weymouth - are you on a fairly deserted site too?  can be a bit lonely, and you dont get the people offering advice that i was hoping for - thank god i found this site!! looks like you have a lot of digging to do too - good luck!

[fosteri]

Ahhhh another weymouthian!! :D :D :D

Where abouts is your plot?? We've got ours on the Westham crossroads, right up the top near the cemetry wall.

Hopefully we'll be starting to dig soon, at the moment I've got 2 poorly kids - 1 with chickenpox! Fingers crossed that we can get there on the weekend when hubby's home!!

Louisa xx

[frannie]

Being so close to the cemetry must be good for the soil! :) we're up behind the swimming pool at barclay road. looks like a wilderness, with a little row of looked after lotties right along the back...... all we've done so far is battle with the (i think!) couch grass.
hope the chickenpox doesnt spread too far
happy digging!

[NattyEm]

hooray we made a start!

Theres a few pics here

Its lovely to get going, and we saw three other people while we were there  :)

How do you tell the difference between grass of the common garden variety, and couch, assuming couch shouldn't go on the compost heap?

[Mrs Ava]

Good stuff, and a great idea keeping a diary of events.  Looks like it is going to keep you busy but the rewards will be soooooooo worth it!  Keep with them pics and telling us to go see!

[ina]

How do you tell the difference between grass of the common garden variety, and couch, assuming couch shouldn't go on the compost heap?

Hi Nat,
Welcome on this forum. Nice picture of you lottie and I just love that wall.

About the difference between regular grass and couch. Couch doesn't look anything like grass so that's easy but what does it look like? Well here in Holland we call couch 'sevenleaf', when the leaf is mature it usually has seven lobes, 3 on each side of the center and 1 on the end.

I looked it up a long time ago as I did not know the English name for this pesky weed and didn't know what they were talking about here. All I can hope now is that I really put the right plant with the name couch grass. I'll find out soon here if I'm wrong, that's for sure.

Good luck with your allotment.

[gavin]

Difference between couch and other grasses - does this help?

- it's from the HDRA weed site http://www.hdra.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=23.

Couch has these very strong, tough, sharp-pointed rhizomes (the roots are actually just the little hairy bits at the rhizome joints!) - strong enough to grow through potatoes, lively enough to grow 2m a year :(

Follow a rhizome, and you'll find the couch putting up new plants all along the bed!

If you've got them, you've got couch - join the happy owners' club (huh!)

All best - Gavin

[ina]

Oh oh, all this time I thought this was couch grass, looks like it's not hahaha. I'm so glad you asked what it looks like, otherwise I would keep calling it couch grass.

What then is the common English name for this horrible weed? It's proper name is aegopodium podagraria.

[sandersj89]

Oh oh, all this time I thought this was couch grass, looks like it's not hahaha. I'm so glad you asked what it looks like, otherwise I would keep calling it couch grass.

What then is the common English name for this horrible weed? It's proper name is aegopodium podagraria.

Ground Elder, it was introduced to Northern Europe by the Romans and grown as a food stuff for the armies. Cook as you would spinach.

Horrible weed though.

Jerry

[ina]

Thanks Sander. I can't believe all that stuff I read on this forum about couch and all this time I thought they were talking about this ground elder.

Everybody here always complains about it but I never read anything about it here, not much problem overthere then?

[Palustris]

Not much of a problem here? Heavens, it is probably the most talked about weed in Britain. The only good thing to say about it, is that it is susceptible to Round Up. Does not kill it of, but it weakens it enough for other plants to at least survive near it.
How many tons of roots would you like?

[Mrs Ava]

Watch those couch grass roots, can be like grabbing a handful of knitting needles!  I have suffered many spikings from them and now have to wear gloves!

Ina, ground elder was the bain of my dads life, and still drives my mum potty.  Some bright spark, 36+ years ago decided to plant some in her front garden as an ornamental...still they dig it up, sack fulls on a monthly basis!Rotten horrible stuff!