Allotments 4 All

Hello, i would think now is a good time to weed what with this hot dry weather. I'm pulling up all the big bits and onto the compost heap. All the smaller roots i'm hoping are going to die where they are, due to lack of water. Am i right?

Yes & no  ;D I think it's a good time to weed -assuming you can get a fork in, certainly a good time to hoe. As to whether chopping their tops off will kill them, it'll depend on what they are. In theory anything will die if you chop it's head off enough times -if only the bindweed had read the theory.

Jeremy

One of the lottiers on the opposite edge of the site to me asked me if I had any bindweed as they had a problem.  I said no and that I had enough to deal with with the couch and the ground elder.  Spoke too soon - it seems that I have quite a big problem with bind weed in my allium bed.  Keep having to unwrap the stuff from around my onions. >:(

Phew, i've been putting my theory into practice its bloody hard work when its hot. Kept getting images in my head of slavery and chain gangs. My problem weed is Coltsfoot, really deep roots and smaller fibrous roots at the bottom of the stem. I'm off for a Beer. Cheers.

my weeding theory is keep chopping the green bits off and eventually the roots will give up and surrender! Along the way I get the roots out as they appear when digging.  Seems to work reasonably well and there are definately less weeds on the beds than there were last year and in surrounding uncultivated bits.

That's just about what I do Justy.  Do not have to the time to get all my roots out so restrict it to when the bed is intially dug.  Those I miss (loads  >:() show their faces and get their heads chopped off (when I find the time to to some hoeing)

I read somewhere that if you chuck the the little bl.....s into a handy bucket of water, and wait for it to turn into 'tea' you can then turn them into something useful!  Actually feed the good guys! ;D

I got talking to one of the old chaps on the lottie today about weeds. He's on one side of me and doesn't seem to get as badly hit as I do. When I asked him about it he told me his secret. Out of his shed came this wheeled push along blade device thingy which basically runs the blade about 1in under the top layer of the soil to cut the blighters up. I was most impressed and asked him what it was called. He didnt know but explained to me that he's had it since he took up his lottie over 30 years ago.

I WANT ONE OF THOSE!!!!

Anyone any idea what they are called? It's just a big steel wheel, push along handlebars and 2 thin blades which run behind the wheel and just slightly under the soil....

Quote from: flowerlady on June 09, 2005, 19:10:39
I read somewhere that if you chuck the the little bl.....s into a handy bucket of water, and wait for it to turn into 'tea' you can then turn them into something useful!  Actually feed the good guys! ;D

I know Gavin soaks his (I read it on his very useful site) but I do not know if he uses the resulting stinking morass for anything.