I have taken advice from this site on my new veg patch and have had it covered for the last month(ish) in black plastic. I know I should have done it sooner but I am naive to allotment gardening, and I did not have the forsite to ask the question sooner.
I pulled the plastic back today and there is lots of pale grass shoots. I am hoping to start sowing soon, so could I turn over the soil to bury the grass, or do I have to pull all of it our by hand? I am worried that walking over the plot will compact the soil and make it difficult for the seeds to grow.
The idea of being self-sufficient for veg seems to be getting more complicated by the day. I have looked at so many pics posted on this site with envy and cannot imagine my mud patch growing vegetables. Any advice would be appreciated.
Yes you can turn it in, and bash it with a fork, then break it down with a cultivator and a rake to make a tilth... then cover it up again until you want to use it....
;D
Hi Dandylion,
We had the same problem on the patch we started with and did exactly what saddad suggested. It worked brilliantly and you'd be suprised how quickly your patch of mud will turn into a veggie garden you'll be really proud of. There's nothing more exciting than seeing your first germinating seeds, except eating the fruits of your labour, of course ;D
Good luck.
Hi, dandylion, thought these might give you hope ;D(http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/3245/plotpicturesfromdisc035se4.th.jpg) (http://img74.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plotpicturesfromdisc035se4.jpg)(http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5375/plotpicturesfromdisc038ph0.th.jpg) (http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plotpicturesfromdisc038ph0.jpg)
(http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7937/plotpicturesfromdisc025oj0.th.jpg) (http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plotpicturesfromdisc025oj0.jpg)
[IMG]
taken last year
don't get disheartened, just take it a bit at a time :)double click for bigger piccies (http://img231.imageshack.us/my.php?image=plotpicturesfromdisc025mc1.jpg)
A wee bit more encouragement. I'll bet there are few folks on this site who at some time or another had not felt like you do,I for one certainly did , don't lose heart, you will be surprised how quickly that mud puddle witll turn into a real garden with a bit of love and hard work. I have gardened for years now but I found this site only recently and have already learned a great deal more.I shall look forward to seeing you pictures at the end of the season.By the way, the first time I grew onion sets I planted them 6 inches deep like daffodil bulbs.!! Hang in there, XX Jeannine
I've only just got mine, and it's covered in couch grass and rubbish.
I am going to clear the rubbish, then spray it with glyphosate.
In a few weeks I should be able to dig it in then start planting!
When I took over my 2 plots They had been neglected for 20 years, I was up to my eyes in couch grass, nettles, brambles and every other nightmare weed that you could think of but with patience and some hard work I`ve brought the plot back into full. I am more or less self suffient in veg. My advice to you is to take your time, remember its a hobby
Roundup etc may only be effective when the grass is growing well??
Don't despair, it can be done - here's some more pics to inspire (I hope!). Not advanced as the manics but I got my plot an Feb 1st and heres' what I'v done so far...
"Before"
(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i297/sally_cinnamon_photos/Allotment/13Firstdayswork3rdFeb072.jpg)
"Now"
(http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i297/sally_cinnamon_photos/Allotment/2718thFeb07.jpg)
Still loads to do, but it's getting there!
;)
One thing to watch out for when you're turning over the grass is any long thick roots (2-4mm thick). These could mean you have couch grass, in which case you need to remove them all or it will just grow back. I have couch grass on my plot and it has meant progress is slow because I want to be organic, so I'm being a lot more diligent with my digging and weeding trying to remove every single piece of root by hand!
I've had my plot about 5yrs now, and I still haven't finished clearing it all, I'd say about half cleared, but using 3/4 of it. Like other people have said, take your time and enjoy it. If you start thinking you have to get it all cleared in one go you might end up giving up.
Good luck
SP
Do as saddad says and you can't go far wrong, look at what sally and the scousers have achieved, dig it over bit by bit don't do too much in one day. Don't forget the pictures that you envy, most, if not all started out like you, never give up hope however dawnting it seems, :'( you don't have to dig it all now, not all the plants go in now so dig over when you need it and the potatoes are not fussy about a few weeds or grass. ;D ;D ;D
Thank you for much to everyone who has responded to my post :) I definitely feel less negative knowing that everyone has to start somewhere.
Another member has kindly emailed me their very easy to understand plans of their plot, and I am now looking at putting in beds. I am surprised how much you can grow in an area the size of mine. I have loads of soil that looks really good, it was from the hole created when the fosse septique was put in 7 years ago. If I fork over the area, and put a 10cm layer on top would this work in getting rid of the grass? I am sure it is not couch grass as the roots are quite short.
I moved to Brittany last year, one of the reasons was to be able to have the time and space to grow my own food. Meat is quite expensive here, and my family love vegetables. Another reason, I now appreciate, is that we have lots of family and friends visiting and I would prefer not to have to ask them for money for their food. They paid the airfare, and this may not be their ideal holiday destination. It would be lovely if we could offer them food from our patch, and not have the costs of buying it.
Thanks again for all your suppost and positive comments, it really has made me feel a lot better.
:D :D :D
Good luck with your plot dandylion. We have also got a new plot. You can take a nosey at our progress http://allotmentpioneers.blogspot.com/ On our plot the main area has been covered with plastic for a year but it was (and still is) a major bind weed nightmare! We are literally going through it nearly grain by grain at the moment. We will get there!
You have to keep your spirits up when you are slogging away at heavy unpromising work, and the only way I know is to dig out a small neat area, plant something in it to start growing straight away, then work on extending that area, planting up as you go. I started with garlic on my first plot - a very encouraging plant because its neat green shoots come up quite quickly - and shallots are equally encouraging.
You are lucky that you don't have couch grass, so can turn your weeds upside down, but watch out for big roots such as dandelion/dock/convulvulus/anything perennial as they will just grow again, as I am sure you know already.
When my daughter saw my first digging (about the size of a baby's grave) at my second allotment, a neglected grassy field full of all the worst weeds, she fell about laughing. Seven months later she was much more impressed, and plans to do some of the same methods on her plot in Germany, which is very overgrown. (Supress weeds with thick layers of newspaper and cardboard while she digs out small beds).
Dandylion - I sympathise. Took mine on last Feb at the same time as moving house... The plot hadn't been turned in 20 years and has been a major nightmare. I rotavated (a bit naively) :P before I had dug anything up, spreading the mess everywhere! I salvaged 3 plots (2.5m x 1.5m) but can fit another four on. In Jan decided to Roundup the lot, and cover in black plastic, it's worked well and think I'll be able to sort another plot each weekend. Looking forward for a change being able to concentrate on the vegs and not on the weeds of a change!
My major problem though is mare's tail... not a bad weed, but unsightly and just so determined that it drives you mad. ::)
If anyone has any idea on this, other than following every sprout to the 6ft deep roots please let me know!
Lucky, Mares Tail has been found in shallow cast mines, thats how deep the roots can go. My answer to it was to crush the tip of it and paint on weed killer. Pain in the but doing every one that grew but i won
Man, the disappointment begins now. :( It drives me mad!
I've got to say that the weeds are getting me down so much I'm rotavating in the next week or two. I just cant keep up and its depressing so I'm having to throw in the towel!
I wouldn't dig in couch grass because you need to remove all the roots, even the smallest piece of root will regrow and spread.
when I first got mine I went against all advice and rotovated the lot, couch grass and all. Then I left it covered in black tarpaulin for a year. I did use about a fifth of the plot and had to hand dig all the weeds out. This gave me a little bit of my plot to encourage me to grow stuff without the discouragement of having to dig over the whole plot. Just before xmas I removed the tarpaulin and when digging over the plot the couch grass is much easier to take out as the roots have dried up completely.
Well, we inherited a grass field (well, patch) that all needed turning over. Tried diggin, but far too much to do with the grass acting as a tough membrame on top. We got a rotavator hired for the weekend which worked out very well. There's a chance some of it will come back, but we can sort that out as and when. Otherwise we'd have got nowhere.
Here's us before:
(http://lh3.google.co.uk/image/21goodlife/RebZXq8qglI/AAAAAAAAAeA/WU_gcNPrbbE/s288/DSC00152.JPG)
And during:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6oU92Ww1xM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2KB6Mg6jG4
Tim