Allotments 4 All

I have just taken over an allotment plot 200 x metres
its never been dug, due to being a horse field.
what is the best all round weed killer?


            silverback.   :-\

The best weedkiller is a spade, a hoe and eyes like like a hawk !     ;D

I have battled with a spade and a fork for five years now, on a small plot that had not been cultivated for about 10 years.
The plot was covered in couch grass, which is getting less each year, but I still harvested one or two potatoes with a piece of couch grass growing right through them.
This year I intend to use weed killer (glyphos) around the edge of the plot, in an attempt to stop the grass from creeping back in.

I am a fork and a hoe man too, my plot was derelict for 10 years as well. After 5 years it is still heavy with weeds, but I get it into shape for a couple of months each year !!!

Derekthefox :D

juniper, it's a war out there !  get heavy wif da glyphos, if only just this once. And take videos of the weeds surrendering !    {:¬)#

I took over a plot that had`nt been dug for 12 yrs, it was cover by couch grass. I only used the spade as I dont like to spray, onlyy now after about 5 yrs is the pest coming under control as there is very little left. My Grandfather used to say " It takes 7 yrs to get rid and one year to come back. Kept the hoe nice and sharp.

Yes powerspade, your grandfather was right, as a result, our committee is now starting to be a bit more aggressive with plotholders who are neglecting their plots ... ie giving notice of eviction unless the plots are maintained. Once the plots have been allowed to get overgrown, they are an enormous burden to restore, which normally falls on the next tenant ...

Derekthefox :D

What has worked for me best was smothering the weeds/ couch grass.,
You can do that  in 2 ways: Cover plot with plastic for 6 months, the weeds/couch is than soft and easy ( :D) to dig out or..
Cover side with thick layer of news paper and on top 10 cm of straw.
No light should go to the plants.  Leave for 6 months. After that the paper is rotted down and it is easy to dig over.
Before doing so put plastic or straw on each side in a trench, cover all the weeds/ couch runners.

hi silverback,
I was told that my plot hadn`t been fully used for at least thirteen years.

I used the slash and burn method to clear it as mentioned in other threads then dug and weeded. No chemicals used but I allowed myself six months just to clear the plot with little planting or harvesting until my first spring.

You are fortunate that the soil has had horses on it, I`m constantly trying to build up my soil after those years of neglect.

Best of luck, Col

mine was pretty much in the same condition, the first thing that I did was to put zincs around the edges to stop things growing back into the parts I'd dug.  I then covered about three qurters with b;ack polythene and concentrated on the other patch for the first year, I'm now into my second year and the polythene has killed off practically all the weeds,
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just a thought - could someone plough it for you? that would give yo a start, you could just go ver it then and remove the nasty weeds while they are exposed, at the same time you doint need to worry about annuals which will just get ploughed in as a green manure...?

I took over a plot that hadn't been cultivated for at least twenty years, to judge by the growth rings in the Damson saplings all over it... one third was neck deep in brambles (I'm 6' tall). Don't really go in for Poisoning but Amcide as used by the forestry commission worked really well, my friend took over the next plot and we got them both into shape but his second baby took him out of circulation and one half of that plot has gone to ruin.
;D