Allotments 4 All

Just got my first allotment and have 3 questions - all of which i am sure you have seen before ???.

1) I am tired of digging already! Not really but I will be at it until this time next year at this rate. The allotment has not been used for a while and is mostly long grass, with a few thistles and lots of mares tail, a bit like rough pasture. I am going for ‘no dig’ beds (1.2m wide) but have to get the beds going first.

Initial plan was to dig (not to deep) out the grass then rotavate, but the heavy clay soil means that I am effectively just taking the top 2- 2 ins of soil off with the grass into the compost heap. Can I just not try and get the grass out and rotovate it all in and look for the perennial weeds and dig/hoe them out later. I  know this will spread the mares tail, but the place is infested already and I will just re-infect when I put the composted topsoil/grass back on.

2) Second question â€" any commets on the no-dig beds (http://www.crocus.co.uk/alanshowto/nodigbed/)?

3) Any suggestions for a good book on organic allotments.

Thanks

Mat the veg

Hi Mat,

Can't help on 1 & 2 - you need Wardy, she's famous here for her no-dig method - but for 3 I'd definitely recommend the Allotment Handbook by Caroline Foley - an excellent book with lots of practical advice for organic allotmenteers.

Cheers,
Rob ;)

Books - Bob Flowerdew books are good but get them from the library, see if you like them, and then you could buy one.  Joy Larkomm book on growing your own veg is good.  
Alan's article gives you the low down and it's quite clear.  You will need plenty of organic matter for no dig beds so get some manure ordered  :)  Also you'll need to get good composting going.  Small manure piles heat up faster than big ones and they need to be enclosed to keep the heat in so sides and lid required.  The dalek ones from Blackwall's heat up quickly in summer.
Your weedy sods contain the best bits of nutrients so compost them, or stack them grass side down to rot in a corner somewhere, or lay them flat in your next raised bed.  you can then pick out the couch grass rhizomes etc as you go. When I made my raised beds (3 at the mo) I laid cardboard over the upside down turfs (thick stuff from the electric shop) and then piled the soil in but do get as many weeds out as you can at this stage which makes life much easier later on. You don't have to rush this.  If you cover up your weedy plot with sheet mulch things won't get any weedier and it will give you breathing space while you prepare a bed or two to get you going.  Don't bother trying to do the whole lot at once as it's just too much and you'll get fed up.  

Thanks for the info to date :). What about using a rotovator as a boost to geting started? At the moment it just looks like a scrappy field.

M.

Don't see it as a scrappy field but more a blank canvas  ;D  If you're impetuous then rotovate but if not don't as you'll just multiply the problem a zillion times  ;D

Hi Mat the veg!

Having taken on my allotment not long ago, I know how you feel! It is very daunting realising how much hard work it is to clear it (and it will probably be harder than you anticipate!).

My bit of advice is not to rotivate. Not too long after I got my plot, I noticed that the plot opposite had also been taken on by someone. Whilst I spent hours pulling out every bit of couch grass, nettle and thistle, my new neighbour came along with a rotivator and had the whole of his plot looking lovely in no time at all (how jealous was I!). I am so glad I did it my way though...my neighbours plot is now just as overgrown as when they started and I have a plot with a couple of lovely clear beds which I am already able to grow stuff in! Yipee!

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Nobody has commented on the obvious!
Mares tails!!!!

My plot was covered in them. I foolishly rotivated and 4 yrs later I still struggle with them!

I try to garden organically, but this year I found a spray the actually works - 'root-out'.

I applied it in a strong mix, by spay when the mares tails are green and growing. It kills them, though it may need to be used again.

Work got round my allotments that I had found something that worked and now everyone keeps asking me what I used.

This winter it time to dig out the couch grass and bind weed.

Hazel   Good point about the mares tail and what happens when you chop it up  :(  Good tip though for those thinking of rotovating

If I see bind weed I blob a bit of glyphos on it (I mix it with a drop of fairy liquid to make it thick) and apply it with my gloved finger  :)  I got it in my hedge row so daren't spray and it seems to have worked but forever vigilant and all that  :)