Clearing an allotment

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Easy Peasie
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Clearing an allotment

Post by Easy Peasie »

Hi all
Just taken on a new allotment this evening. New being the operative word. It's in a field that has been used for cutting hay in the summer although at £11.00/ year I can't complain. Can anyone give me an idea of the best way to clear it please.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by lancashire lass »

Great news about the allotment )t' I bet you are excited to get started!!

A new plot is not much different from a neglected plot - there'll be a variety of plants, grasses and weeds to remove so there are 3 ways of clearing: digging them out, weedkiller or covering. As the new growing season is imminent, then the clock is ticking to get as much done as possible. Everyone has their own method of clearing, and have their own reasons for following a particular method.

Weedkiller containing glyphosate will only work on active growth .... currently there will be none while temperatures are well down below average. Some people prefer to be organic and avoid weedkillers. However, if the field was used for hay making it would be useful to know if it has ever been treated with aminopyralid - a weedkiller used to kill off broad leafed weeds in fields for hay cutting. This weedkiller is very persistent and awareness of its use became apparent when gardeners used the manure from animals fed with contaminated hay. This RHS website is worth having a read as the weedkiller may still be present in the soil and could adversely affect many vegetables.

Digging and lifting roots out is by far the more effective method of removing plants and grasses but is slow and hard work especially if it is heavy clay soil. It will be quite a challenge to get it all cleared in time - you don't mention plot size - but if it was me, I would cover as much of the plot with something like heavy duty black plastic as possible. Warm spring weather will encourage quick growth so digging and clearing might not keep on top of the growth, and covering will keep most of it down until you are ready to dig it over.

Black plastic is especially useful as the sun on it will help to warm the soil and aid plant growth. If you are unable to clear the ground in time, you might be able to plant through the plastic - plants such as sweetcorn and squashes do especially well planted through plastic giving you a crop while the weeds underneath die back. If you do decide to use this method, it would be especially useful to put a layer of well rotted manure down first before covering as these plants are particularly hungry crops and need very fertile soil. Be sure to have some means of watering the crops as covering will prevent water from reaching the roots.

Now, potatoes - everyone always say plant them first as these will break up virgin soil. I'm not convinced - ground that has had established grasses will also harbour pests called click beetles and their larvae (wireworm) will dessimate potato crops. Of course potatoes could be used as a sacrificial crop - the wireworm are attracted to the potatoes and thus lifted out at the end of the season. It takes about 3 years for wireworms to become adults so the risk to potato crops will be some time.
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albertajune
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by albertajune »

I can't give a better answer than Lancashire Lass, who has just about covered all the essentials. Just to wish you lots of pleasure with your new allotment and do let us know how you get on with it. )t'
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Easy Peasie
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by Easy Peasie »

Thankyou for the replies especially Lancashire Lass, very thorough )t' .
I think that the priority will be to cover the ground in black plastic to prevent growth then build the greenhouse and get on with the tomatoes, chillies cucumber etc to ensure we have a crop of something this year, then clear the ground as and when we can, although I will plant some squashes through the plastic and see how they go on. It's all new to me so there will be some trial and error.
We are going down tonight to mark out the allotment, the width is governed, but we have been told the length we can work out ourselves within reason.
Can't wait to get started this weekend.
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billnorfolk
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by billnorfolk »

Hi there Easy Peasie

I think the black plastic is the way to go ,but if fit and lots of energy to spare then dig a piece by the width and say 3-4 meters long,double depth digging and burying the weeds upside down will put a little body into the soil,add a little well rotted manure should get crop of something this year ,farmers seem to rely to much on artificial manure which feeds the crop but does nothing for the soil.
Hope you enjoy your plot and look forward to your posts )t'
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HappyBob
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Re: Clearing an allotment

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Hi Easy Peasy, I cant really add anything more that hasn,t allready being said, except dont try to do it all in one year, the amount of people who I have seen over the years that start like a steam train ripping up tree,s so to speak then a month or so later they give up because they think allotments are too hard work.

My advice for what its worth, is take your time and enjoy it, if it takes a few years to get where you want to be then so be it. The first thing I did was to get a shed, a comfy chair then a stove and kettle.

Then set your self little a target then a pot of tea etc :-D you,l soon get the idea.
On a new site glysophate is your freind to start with, regards the possible aminopyrallid situation there is a simple bean test you can carry out, instructions for that are on the internet I should imagine. Enjoy your new allotment and a few before and after pics would be very welcoming... )t' good luck with it all
Dont ever grow up, its a trap
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lancashire lass
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by lancashire lass »

HappyBob wrote:the amount of people who I have seen over the years that start like a steam train ripping up tree,s so to speak then a month or so later they give up because they think allotments are too hard work


you are right Bob although I find that a lot of them do not realise that a plot needs regular visits to keep on top of weeds - miss just one weekend (if you can't get there during the working week) and a fortnight later those weed seedlings have grown up and are knee high, taking over and gone to seed. Once a bed has been cleared, dug and turned over, all those years of dormant seeds are exposed and they will germinate and grow astonishingly quickly. So be prepared to spend a lot of time weeding, especially from spring through to late July. Hence the black plastic is a good temporary solution.

You can use other materials - heavy duty cardboard can be used: put the cardboard down and manure on top to weight it down, so the initial covering will prevent seeds from germinating, and eventually the cardboard will rot down and can then be dug in along with the manure. The downside is that if there is couch grass or bindweed, they will merely go dormant until conditions improve.

Another is old carpet - a lot of arguement about chemical residues from cleaning materials seeping into the soil so perhaps avoid where you intend growing crops, but used on footpaths should be fine. The biggest downside is that if the carpet is not removed, seeds that land on the carpet will grow roots through the carpet into the soil beneath and then anchor it firmly down making it extremely difficult to lift up again. Often this happens when someone gives up a plot and the new tenant has the awful task of having to deal with the problem and then there is the disposal too.

I forgot to mention rotavators - some people like high powered tools and no doubt looks impressive and speeds up the job. Depending on what size and horse power, most blades don't go that deep and often the plot needs a rough dig first so that it can get the job done quicker and more easily. Shallow rotavating can create a dense pan underneath which does not allow water to drain - if we get weather anything like last year's rain, then plots can get flooded. Rotavators chop up the weeds and roots but be aware that perennial root pieces will simply regrow and so is the perfect way to cultivate weeds if they are not dealt with. I don't like rotavators because they are noisy }hairout{ and they will chop up the earthworms in the upper layer of soil (earthworms are good for gardens as they eat the dirt and digest rough vegetable matter which when excreted adds fertility to the soil. Their tunnelling action also adds air to soil and keeps it sweet)
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Homemade
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by Homemade »

Good luck, we did the same thing last year -and it wasn't a good year to start but we were very pleased with the results.
See my 2012 diary Homemade's late start.
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Easy Peasie
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by Easy Peasie »

Wow
Thankyou all for the replies, We (myself swmbo and the kids) will be up the alloment tomorrow planning and digging, luckily it is 5 minutes walk away so will be there most evenings (Back Allowing). Will keep you all posted

Thankyou
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Mo
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by Mo »

Easy Peasie wrote:We (myself swmbo and the kids)

swmbo ? that's a new one on me. significant ? ? ? other ???
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
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HappyBob
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by HappyBob »

Mo wrote:
Easy Peasie wrote:We (myself swmbo and the kids)

swmbo ? that's a new one on me. significant ? ? ? other ???


Mo swmbo means "She Who Must Be obeyed" )t' most women like to be obeyed )run(
Dont ever grow up, its a trap
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Mo
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Re: Clearing an allotment

Post by Mo »

And quite right too
Dance caller. http://mo-dance-caller.blogspot.co.uk/p/what-i-do.html
Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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