Allotments 4 All

 ???

we have taken on an allotment which is completely overgrown - I wanted to have it because of the apple tree in the middle because I love apples, apple crumble, apple tart, apple juice - I think you get the picture.

I have started today to clear out the rubbish - two hours later and 5 bin bags full it looks like I haven't done anything :(

But anyways it is totally overgrown and I just don't know how and where to start.

HELP.

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Hi,
I had the same challenge some years ago.
If you're prepared to be patient, cover the lot with black polythene & dig it over in late summer. You'll be surprised at how clean the ground has become, and the soil will be a beautiful texture.
If you can't wait then digging it with the top spit upside down will help in identifying the nasties you have(bindweed/twitch/horetail etc.)
A spray with glyphosate at the sign of growth will help, then hit it again for the growth you missed.
You'll get there with effort!! Good luck!

Welcome Tiggles!!
It can be a bit daunting, but looks like you will end up with a great plot!!

Try doing a search for individual problems. Other more experienced people will give you some advice, I am sure, but here's what I would do:

Go round as you are and clear up as much c**p as you can.
Hire, beg, buy, borrow a brushcutter or strimmer and take out all the tall weeds (careful you dont cut down any fruit bushes)
Dig a small patch and PLANT SOMETHING!!!

Just watching something grow helps you to feel that there IS a point to it all!!

Most of all, remember that it does not have to all be done today!! Take your time and enjoy it!!

DON'T PANIC


you have plenty of room and plenty of time to try out a range of ideas. Here is a contribution for you to try on one area.
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/mag/Articles/Cardboard_Revolution.html

And plant plenty of spuds in the bit you cultivate this year, they will get off to a strong start, so are one of the best crops for helping you to clear new rough ground.

Hi Tiggles

As has already been said don't panic and don't rush.
Clear a small area and plant, then enjoy every bit of growth.
Cover what  you can't manage this year.

Use 'roundup' if your principles will allow, you can away be organic next year.

Also remember for some plants you can plant through your covering.
Last year faced with your situation I planted Courgettes, Outdoor Cuc's and Squashes through the covering, all provided an encouraging crop.

Good luck and enjoy

Hi Tiggles,  :D

A mature apple tree AND two sheds you lucky thing ;D.

You`ll be fine. If the shed frames are safe you might be able to
clad one in plastic sheet to make a potting shed for this season.
That means you can grow tomatos under cover and get seedlings going for the parts of the plot you are able to clear this year maybe doing as some people suggest, covering the other parts in plastic or cardboard.

If it was later in the year I`d suggest clearing away any dangerous items, glass, metal, plastic etc then burning the couch grass and weeds away. I think its all too wet for now.

Do I spot brambles in your pictures? you might want to decide where you`d like them to grow and get them pruned and trained to a support for a crop this year, ummm blackberry and apple ... very nice

Be reassured, it does get easier after the plot has been cleared and cleared again.

Best of luck, Col

Yes, there are brambles - I love them too! Love any fruit and veg really - hence wanting an allotment!

The plastic cover sounds great and the no dig method too. Shall I use the anti weed plastic sheets that you use for drive ways or will a bin bag suffice?

The sheds are great although the one is or rather was a greenhouse - I hope to restore it.

to get the shed to use quickly I thought I buy some building cover - the one you use for flatroofs and staple it on. but we will see.

Good idea though to grow something quickly.

One question (there will be loads don't worry): I can vaguely remember that my grandmother had put a lot of grass, soil etc in a heap and grew her rhubarb in it? I love rhubarb to bits so one of my must have things to have!!

Hi and welcome to A4A. :D It looks like you will have a very nice allotment when you have finished. Everything looks worse at this time of year.

I would cut back all the brambles and dead wood and have a bonfire where your first bed is going to be. I definitely agree about using a strimmer and cutting down all that long dead grass will make it look so much better.I have covered similar areas in large pieces of cardboard as this dries out the soil and makes it much easier to dig.
This is a good article http://www.rhs.org.uk/learning/publications/pubs/garden1005/allotments.asp
if you don't mind using roundup.
Good luck!

;)Get your family down with some shovels do not panic  spuds will clean evey thing up if you do not want to use chemicals digging is the answer ruhbarb will grow any where but it will be next year before you crop it .Good luck get stuck in now before more weeds start growing .

It's nothing like as bad as mine was when I started. Just take a small piece to dig, and cover the rest. Work over it steadily, and you'll soon have a nice plot.

That's very familiar  ;D  (Some parts still look like it!!)  Get strimming, then get the black fabric down, and plant some stuff asap.   Overground stuff will give you a good crop but, as has been said,  potatoes will help clear the ground even if you do lose most of them to the nasties. 
Good luck with it - and take some work in progress pictures to cheer yourself up, and keep us up to date  :)

Like others my plot was also like that when I first got it last April and I still managed to get a reasonable harvest

Just tell yourself you only have to do this once. The second year on is much easier and you will find the workload significantly diminished.

Good luck

Your plot looks great Tiggles! Mine was like that when I started  :)

I attacked it with a petrol strimmer first of all so my bit of advice (if you want to do it that way) would be not to use the strimmer 'wire' but use one with an optional metal blade instead. I got through LOADS of packets of the strimmer wire at first and it's not cheap  ::) With the blade attached I managed to cut right down to the soil and it made it easier to clear/dig over

Steel toe-capped boots are, of course, highly recommended if you take this route  and wear eye-protectors as well. There's usually all sorts of things lurking under the weeds.

Good luck with your plot. AND GET READY FOR IT TO TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE FROM NOW ON  ;D MWUAHAAAHAAAAAAA  ;D

Trixie X

Glow, you're plot looks fantastic now!!
Unbelievable!

This weekend we will be driving backwards and forwards to the tip with all the rubbish that we will collect - I have a whole dining suite down there :)

Then the following weekend I have reserved a strimmer - have to check whether it has  a wire or a blade!!! Good tip that!

Hubby will be doing the strimming - think he will have to wear his hiking boots!

Will keep you posted with my successes and mishaps!!


By the way - did people also think that you were crazy when you started out with an allotment? It seems that everyone thinks that we've gone nuts!

Hi,
We got our plot last Feb, not as big as yours, and no where nearly as free range. Take all the advice above, especially the parts about taking your time. Rome wasn't built... etc.

Split the plot up into smaller sections, clear 1 section, grow stuff, this year. Then as winter, and the close of the growing season approaches, clear another section. Then next year you will have 2 sections to grow on. Be realistic about the sizes of the sections. How much can you clear, in time to plant out this year?

Finally, to keep your enthusiasm going, choose a section to clear first that gets a lot of sun, increasing the likelyhood of getting a good crop.

Lots of Luck, (and warm baths, to sooth any aching muscles).

Baz-Kaz

Hi Tiggles,

People either understand the allotment thing or they don`t.

That`s why we like it here.

Enjoy, Col

;D

Yes Tiggles...everyone thought that me having an allotment was sure fire evidence of me being the local eccentric!!

When I turn up at work this year with lots of home grown goodies they may laugh, but I bet they eat it all!!!!!

;)

Quote from: tigglestiggles on January 31, 2006, 14:41:51
By the way - did people also think that you were crazy when you started out with an allotment? It seems that everyone thinks that we've gone nuts!

Yep they think we've gone nuts BUT we get lots of exercise, have met many new friends (equally nuts) eat better, save money and get on as a family (a common interest)!

Someone mentioned burning rubbish on areas to make them easier to clear, this is a good tip and (within the bounds of safety) make your fires wider rather than higher to clear as much ground as possible. I would also throw some silver wrapped potatoes etc in the fire as well might as well use the heat for cooking!

Have a big bonfire, but check your allowed them first. Looks like your sites quite close to some houses. Then i'd get at it with a hook, then scrape it with a spade, burn all the remaining rubbish, then dig it. Looks like the apple tree could do with pruning - but i think its a bit late to be doing that now.

I agree with keef, that's what next door are doing and it's going much better than mine did (rather scattergun approach :))

One idea of mine that did work is planting rye grass on an area that had been rotavated - the hope was to keep down the couch and bindweed without spending a fortune on black plastic, and it really worked. So if you manage to rough dig an area but haven't time to clear it properly and get out the nasty weeds, sowing rye grass or something similar can buy you some time.

Glow - what have you used to edge your beds please?  Looks like tubing of some sorts.

Quote from: amanda21 on January 31, 2006, 18:33:11
Glow - what have you used to edge your beds please?  Looks like tubing of some sorts.

It's ehhh tubing
Its a very hard, heavy plastic/ceramic-like recycled material comes on the inside of shrink wrap bag roles (and some carpets I think). We go thru about 4 a week at work. I ask the people on the shop floor to save them for me. My beds are temporarily made of wood and I am gradually replacing them with these. Trouble is I have 15 beds (10 - 16 req'd for each one) so will have to be patient.
They look good (in my opinion) wont rot and are free.

Bit late with this reply, so not much to add! Only that our plot was like that in may when we got it, with loads of rubbish and glass. I suspect the other plot holders had used it as a dumping ground. We were offered plots in better condition but loved the location of this one. Anyways, take it steady and you will get there, it will be well worth it.  :)