Can I just say GRRRRRRRRRRRR!
In my veggie plot at home I've not been able to grow a single lettuce or bean as they keep getting eaten. I've now resorted to organic slug pellets in an attempt to get some beans.
At the allotment the lettuce is okay so far (fingers crossed) but the red and green cabbage that a fellow allotmenteer gave us and the spinach we put in have all disappeared. As for the weeds - the things are taking over! We're only digging as we need and we're digging it really well but it's turning over the soil, getting some weeds out and getting out the bits of metal, glass and stones etc.
But already there are more weeds there and I can me pulling out new seedlings as I won't realise they aren't weeds. I did mark the rows but they've blown away so I'm not even sure what it supposed to be where!! ;D ::)
So my question is what do you do about weeds? I figured we'd keep pulling them out but other allotments there just leave the weeds to grow. They have whole rows of things that you can barely see for weeds - can't see the sense in that myself but they look oddly at my husband when he was weeding last week.
Take as many out as you can... it gets easier over the years even if some drift in from untidy neighbours... one years seeding (of weeds) is meant to create seven years more weeding..
:-X
never let anything seed, rip the flower head off and dig the weed up when you can, as saddad says, if they seed, there's a lot more work ahead of you
I go around pulling the seed heads off docks and dandelions like a mad thing ;D
Many people poo poo the idea of sowing seeds in straight lines but your situation is one of the reasons for doing so, ease of cultivation. Always, when sowing seeds, push a decent stick in at each end of the row and run a string line between the sticks. This at least gives you a good indication of where your seedlings ought to be growing. The space between rows should be hoed on a weekly basis while weeds are still small to keep basic control. Recognizing your seedlings will come with experience but for now try to get someone to identify them for you.
If I had the answer for the slugs and snails I would be rich. Very very rich.