Shy newbie!

[Jen]

Hello

I found this site and it inspired me to go out and get an allotment - so I have! We've just started with a half plot at the moment and can't wait to get started on it.

It's a bit weedy and overgrown so I guess we need to clear that before anything else.

Does anyone have any tips for when the weeds are gone? We thought we should cover the land with a massive black bin bag, or whatever it's called and then leave it. Should we compost it before we cover it?

Help!!

Thanks

[JenMul]

Hadn't logged in when I posted the original message!
It was meeeeeeee!

[ina]

Hi Jen

Welcome to the site - no need to be shy, we all started off like you...

It's a bit late in the year for planting anything except fruit bushes, trees etc. So black plastic is not a bad idea, but I would leave the composting until the spring. Despite the plastic, some nutrients would leach out over winter, and you'll want them all for your plants next year!

You could try some "trench composting", though - I've never done it myself, but a friend of mine does it. Just dig a trench, not too shallow, and half fill it with raw compost material - instead of throwing it in the bin. Then cover with soil and next spring plant/sow along the line.

Have fun

Ina

[bludge]

i have an allotment through work & we,ve just purchased a hoooge piece of black plastic from a carpet company (someone we know works for company) for £20. it'll virtually cover the whole allotment 'cos its 25m by 4m & it's nice n thick too!

good luck!
andy.

[gunners71uk]

hi shy i would try and not use plastic or carpet yes its easy but we all have diffrent ways if you want to do that its up to you but a cart load of muck over the top of what you dig, you can still put some spring cabbage in if you can find some ask on the allotment i bought some but someone had some spare and so i chucked them in. you can put some wintwer hardy broad beans in ie aquadulcia i think is the name get cracking on clearing it ie hire a strimmer and clear and dig through traking out the roots etc, set up a compost bin look around the allotments pick brains but its up to you all the best.

[Magpie]

Yes, Gunners, I'm with you. I have lifted black plastic other people have put down, and the soil underneath seems dead... also, if you have invasive plants like convolvulus or cooch grass, it just runs around underneath the plastic, until it finds the edge, the plastic doesn't seem to kill it.

I would go for sheet mulching with cardboard, then put some clean soil or compost, then straw. That kills most weeds, and enriches the soil instead of smothering it.

[Wombat]

G'Day Jen!

It's all personal choice really I suppose..........welcome to the site anyway!

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

Hi there Jen Mul and welcome

Not been mentioned on this thread but I have used cardboard in the past which retards weed and also composts down into the soil. Some weed really are stubborn and you will grow back whatever you put on top of them. A classic is couch grass, although I read a very old gardening book that stated you should thickly plant turnips on cooch, worth a go I guess you will at least end up with turnips.