Advice or links for over-grown allotments please...

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Advice or links for over-grown allotments please...
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Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 1:13 pm Post subject:

Fotunately I inherited a small, worked plot that need no clearing. However having seen others take on far more I'd recomend the glycophosphate route, it may take a couple of applications, in the spring I think when stuff starts growing. Anybody confirm this?

Clear what you can now so you've got some clear ground to start with in spring but don't over do it. Remeber you've got the little one, weekends only and the weather to contend with.

If you want to start being productive, clear a patch for broad beans and garlic and get them planted by the end of the month.

Jeff

Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 145
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 1:13 pm Post subject:

I have actually thought of creating a wildlife pond as a lot of insects, aphibians etc are good for the garden and could always do with a helping hand with all their natural habitats being built on

I do have a didgy-cam but am still to set up the PC so to down load them,I'll take some picks and post them in a short while...

I'm getting over there bright and breezy (basically whenever my little 6 month old son decides to get up) about 8am for a 5 hour digging session. One of my brothers has also agreed to come over next sunday for another attack cos I helped him on his garden a lot in the last few years turfing etc...

One last question, how deep can I expect to have to dig to get the bramble and grass roots out? (please tell me only a spades depth...

)

Last edited by Jeff on Tue Sep 13, 05 1:23 pm; edited 1 time in total

Jeff

Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 145
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 1:20 pm Post subject:

Behemoth wrote:

If you want to start being productive, clear a patch for broad beans and garlic and get them planted by the end of the month.

I'm not begging to get anything in the ground until next spring really as I have a good set of winter veg's coming on nicely at home to keep me more than satisfied...

I just want to get the best soil possible on the plot by about the end of Feb next year. I am reluctent to use any chemicals although it will mean more back-breaking digging I'm willing to pay the cost...

I'm going to clear a few meters at a time and refresh and manure as I go... I'll dig some muck in and then put a layer on top of about 2 inches, that should do some good I hope... oh and I'll add a few boxes/bags of Blood, Fish and Bone as I go...

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 1:24 pm Post subject:
Are you going to do deep beds then, with the manure? That is seriously hard digging.

Jeff

Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 145
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 1:26 pm Post subject:
Not too deep no, I am thinking more in terms of clearing the roots and grasses, turning a bit of muck in to only one spades depth and then spreading the bulk of it on the surface to let the frost get at it and let the worms take it down... How does that sound???

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 1:33 pm Post subject:
Jeff, that's not such a bad digging plan. May I ask, you say you've got a lot of grasses, what other kinds of weeds do you have? Is it the dreaded bind weed? Burdock? Nettles? Goosegrass? Willow herb? How I'd deal with the weeds would depend very much on what the weeds are. Some I might choose to glyphosate, some I'd hack down and compost, some I'd dig up and eat

Jeff

Joined: 23 Feb 2005
Posts: 145
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 1:51 pm Post subject:

Honestly I'm not too sure what I'm dealing with yet as I only saw the plot for 5 minutes before I was back to the site cabin to get signed up.

I'm on a days holiday tomorrow (going to the induction day of my RHS evening course that I start on the 28th Sept

) and am showing the missus the plot in the morning. I'll get in amoung the undergrowth and see what I'm dealing with.

I know I have half a plot of thick brambles which I peered into the middle to see just baren ground inside with no other plants. I reckon this is because no real light is able to get down there thus creating a mono-system? THis being the case, great, just brambles there!

If I recal, the grassed area seems to be just grass, I didn't see any trailing roots or leaves of anything else so I might be somewhat lucky there too? Still full diagnosis will be put forward on THursday morning when I'm back at the desk?

With regards to roots, how deep do the bramble roots go, just so as I can mentally prepare myself

ken69

Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 316
Location: Norfolk

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 2:40 pm Post subject: Allotment
Hi Jeff...if you have Japanese Knotweed or Marestail, you may want to cut your losses.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: Allotment

ken69 wrote:

Hi Jeff...if you have Japanese Knotweed or Marestail, you may want to cut your losses.

That's right, be optimistic

Both are complete sods to eradicate, of course, and you do get them on plots sometimes (there are one or two on our site with marestail). But it CAN be done, and you can, with a lot of hard work, make something out of such a plot. As long as it isn't a massive infestation, you should still be ok.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 3:23 pm Post subject: Re: Allotment

cab wrote:

ken69 wrote:

Hi Jeff...if you have Japanese Knotweed or Marestail, you may want to cut your losses.

That's right, be optimistic

I suppose arguably, if you have these infestations, you are duty bound to be the one to deal with it. Leave it and you are just allowing it to spread even more

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 9:10 pm Post subject: Re: Allotment

jema wrote:

I suppose arguably, if you have these infestations, you are duty bound to be the one to deal with it. Leave it and you are just allowing it to spread even more

Mares tail is a tough one to eradicate, but no big deal. Doesn't spread so very badly. Japanese knotweed, on the other hand... Well if it were an infested plot I'd be looking to eradicate it. If it were an infested plot surrounded by other infested plots I'd just cry.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 05 9:12 pm Post subject:
I'd guess that if it's a well run allotment then knotweed shouldn't be established, I would hope that the odds of it being around are pretty slim there.

ken69

Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 316
Location: Norfolk

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 05 8:33 am Post subject:
Don't take on hard land, Jeff, if lighter soil is available, and don't take on pernicious weeds if you don't have to.The best site in my little town has a ten year waiting list, yet enough vacant plots on the clay land to justify the local authorities selling them orf for building.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 05 8:39 am Post subject:
Wouldn't the council get involved if there was JN on it? Besides I've heard tell that you can eat the stuff...can't think where I read that. One of these internet nutters, I'll be bound.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Wed Sep 14, 05 9:50 am Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

Wouldn't the council get involved if there was JN on it?

Besides I've heard tell that you can eat the stuff...can't think where I read that. One of these internet nutters, I'll be bound.

Probably some mad crazy person told you that.

In theory, a local council can offer all manner of help and advice on Japanese knotweed. In practice, when I've put that to the test, I've been bounced around different departments with no one willing to take any kind of responsibility or help in any way.

Local government. A great idea. On paper

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