First pictures of my lottie, it's a bit of a mess. I took this on Saturday
Another view
a quick strim and you'll be on top of things in no time ........ that's what i said to myself when I took mine on !! :P
Good luck with yours Iain. Keep the pictures coming.
;D
It's nothing like as bad as mine was. You can see soil!
Mine was covered in nettles, whicken grass & mares tail when I got it three/four weeks ago. It is taking some doing but I now have four small beds in and have planted 2 courgettes, 2 Pumpkins, a few rows of potatoes, welsh onions and swede.
I have also dug out a bath and a lot of carpet!
I am assured by my daughter who wanted the allotment that it will be worth it in the end!
Good luck with yours Iain.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on June 06, 2007, 07:42:57
It's nothing like as bad as mine was. You can see soil!
I cleared a little bit when I first got it, that's why you can see soil.
I can say that it was like picture 1 all over. I have had the allotment just over a month.
I like what you've done with the place!
Mine looked like that, and I unearthed a shed and a roof truss.
It will look better in no time, just you see.
Good luck! ;D
Keep going Iain - it's so worth it when you've got that first bed dug!
I would do as MrsKP and strim, then cover with black plastic/weed suppressant to put you on a (fairly) equal footing with the weeds. Good luck mate, looks like you need it!! ;D ;D ;D
As said above Iain strim, cover and dig yourself a patch at a time and the earth looks great on the bit you've dug already, it will soon come together, little and often. ;D ;D ;D
Iain, keep going love, you will get there,remember it took a while to get like that so take your time,I find if I make a mental grid and tackle each piece as a project it doesn't seem so bad, you will have to keep back tracking to maintain the bits you have done,but as long as you are moving forward you are doing just fine. WE have all been there!!
I tend to do most things in life the same way, and I usually do the worst first.
Come on here when you need a lift,you will always find it.
XXXX Jeannine
I am going to go tonight @ some point, take some of the black plastic and let the weeds to dry so I can strim.
Keep going mate... yours looks just like mine did 2 years back!
Now looks like this ;D
https://pellonallotment.blogspot.com
Just a tip though, I would plan where your beds are gonna be, compost heap, shed etc. Then concentrate on the areas your gonna be growing in, and just strim over the `not so important` areas.
Look forward to seeing your progress.... ;)
bloody hell!!! If my plot had looked like that when I took it on, I would have probably fainted on the spot!! I can't believe that the sites let them get that way!! Here is you leave a patch for a week or two, you get dirty looks already!
My plots had only grass, some surface weeds (and the bind weed came later).
I can't believe how brave some of you are to tackle plots that look like that! Although I guess once you cut down the long bits, it already looks manageable. I have been thinking of asking if anyone on my lot has a strimmer (what in Oz we call a whipper snipper? because it has a wire that whips around inside to trim the weeds??) because i have just a lot of unsightly bits around the edges that I would love to just cut off, without worrying about digging them out, I have actually been around with a pair of secateurs and snipped some off but that looks a bit amateurish ;)
best of luck!!!
Good luck Iain. We have recently taken on a 2nd plot and it is in a terrible state - all the perrenials, brambles - everything! It is up to waist height at some places, but I will not despair. We are tackling it one bit at a time! I sometimes am thankful for the 'under control' plot though to kept me sane! hehe
I found out last night my plot had been left for about 2 yrs.
I was talking to the sectary and he was saying that we now don't have any plots left, and he has started a waiting list
You got in just in time then ;D
Your plot looks just like ours did about a month ago, after all that rain (i think it was called May ::) ) but we'd already put paths in to separate our beds out so got on our hands & knees and literally pulled all the weeds out by hand :o
Once you begin to make some progress you'll be more motivated to carry on, it's lovely seeing your accomplishments at the end of a day's work. Keep it up and you'll be where you want to be in no time - and keep those pix coming, we love to see the results of all your hard work ;) ;D
We are lucky as our allotment association have a communal strimmer, which you book in advance, @ the mo i am waiting for the weed and long grass to dry off so i can use the strimmer more effectively, then cover.
In which time give me chance to plan things and hopefully get a shed.
I am also going to draw a plan of my allotment :)
Do it before the grass goes to seed Liain otherwise you will be at forever, Good luck with the plot and happy diggin
Antipodes, we call our strimmer a weed wacker.
Hi all, I am off to my plot lateronce it's cooled down a bit.
I hope to get the strimmer on the plot, then cover with black plastic cu later :)
On our allotment if someone takes on a weedy plot it is rent free for the first year. Hope you had a good deal.
Iain - yours makes me fear for mine - half is covered with nipple-high nettles (I'm 6'1"). But the brush cutter will be in action tomorrow, along with black plastic and digging. I've managed to get a few beds planted up since April (islands of tranquility in a rough and evergrowing sea of bindweed, brambles, nettles and annuals from hell), but this weekend I'm planning to tame the wilderness. Wish me luck.
I have been down to my plot, i didn't mange to get the strimmer but I am getting it tommorrow evening. I hope to have more pics soon for you soon.
While we are talking pictures let's have some of your plots
Leo good luck m8, I have been down today with my partner, I have finally planted some runner beans.
I got the shears out and it's looking better and the plot looks bigger.
I hope to have more pics soon
I have been down to my allotment, I have been using the strimmer and I have got it as low I have put down the plastic.
If you want to follow my progress go to my blog
http://iainsplot.blogspot.com/
Hi Iain, Looks like you have a task on your hands, one step at at time, and it will also keep you fit. Good Luck and enjoy.
My allotment measures 10m X 25m, but I dont know what that is in feet or hom many poles.
Can anyone help ?
Iain I don't wish to rub salt into the wound - but my friend and I have just taken over a double allotment and we expected it to look like yours but it was fab! Apparently an Italian guy had it, and he disappeared, but left behind herbs, fruit trees, bushes and the most fantastic soft soil. We did have one hairy moment when we found a shoe as we were digging and thought the missing Italian might be attached to it :o - he wasn't, and it was pointed out to us by a dedicated lottie that it wouldn't have been all bad if he was in there because it would do the soil good! Oh Yuck! Wish you luck and it would be great if you kept posting photos so we could see your progress. :)
Jan
Hi Jan the good thing about the plot is the soil is really good there my runner beans seem to be doing well.
If you want to see my progress take a look @ my blog http://iainsplot.blogspot.com/