Have just got an allotment, which is very overgrown with nettles, grass, etc.
Due to long term illness I am limited physically, although my hubbie will do what he can - he is not a keen gardener.
We have a petrol strimmer and a Mantis tiller.
Although I would like to grow organically in the long term, I have been advised to use Roundup to clear the plot initially, then hire a rotavator after 2 weeks. Do you agree, and do I strim first before spraying - some of the weeds are waist high.
I would also like to grow some veggies this year - any ideas, once I have cleared a small area?
Thanks,
Sue
If using roundup dont strim first as its taken in by the leaves so the more the better. I am fortunate in that my plot was ploughed before i took it and had been regularly ploughed for the past 3 years to keep weeds down.
Other ideas are to clear a small patch and smother the rest.
Hi sue, welcome :)
Sounds like a plan, but you might leave a good month after your final Roundup application to rotavate, otherwise the poison won't have reached and killed pernicious roots and you'll just spread them around the plot. You may need two applications of roundup, one a month after the other, for tough weeds which will resprout. If the weeds etc. are tall before you spray the first time, cut the plants down to about 6" high, let them sprout for one or two weeks to give plenty of leaf surface to absorb the poison, then spray.
In the meantime you can be clearing and planting your little bit :)
Take a look at the wiki on this site (third button from the right) as there are good suggestions for clearing a plot - there are plenty of options, you could try a few - mulching, digging, smothering etc.
It's not too late to use black plastic and spuds planted through to clear some of the plot!
I don't dig at all, except to harvest - but it will depend on your soil whether you want to or not.
Good luck and happy gardening :)
I agree with others about needing a lot of top growth for applying Roundup.
But for the little bit you want to try and cultivate this year, you may find it helpful to firstly just cut the top growth off, then pour plenty buckets of water onto the soil and cover it up with a sheet of thick black polythene. Come back a couple of days later and it will be much easier to get the weeds out of the clods of earth.