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advice please - my first allotment is very overgrown
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dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Sep 21, 06 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

we exposed a 20x 10 brick walled base
and ate stuff

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 06 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

picked stuff and got a roomsworth of carpet today by asking the random carpet fitter (docks bad )

fourth set of beetroot have beets but
my "greenhouse" well little and a bit bashed (but quality and on ace footings ) wall stumps , are exposed but it will posh up with some materials and work , i hope into a shed and 20 by 10 ft glass house
i dont look like that now but ...
how you doing ?

Behemoth



Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Fri Sep 29, 06 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've got a load of sash/casement windows going spare if you're interested. Can measure them up for you if you want?

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Fri Sep 29, 06 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

maybe , sizes wont matter as this will be a collection of random windows , framed to fit .
cheers
tis a big base , i think i will need to buy a floor and sole plate ,bolts etc but the glazing must be recycled
im on the hop here cos ive only just excavated the brickwork to the full size,i will need several housefulls of windows to build the glass house
please

Behemoth



Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 06 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

They're not going anywhere for now so let me know if/when you want them. I had the same idea as you but OH brought reality and time into the equation which made them impractical.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 07 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i ate fresh greens today
new allotmenteers take up your tools

toggle



Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro
PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 07 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I'm still clearing bramble. We're getting a skip in 2 weeks, so I've got to clear it all back enough to get the rubbish out my then.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45384
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 07 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i think i got most of the bramble etc but lots of weed seeds still germinate and dock is a hardy survivor (eat young leaves or roots , bitter but edible ) and the grasses are quick to recover
im in year 2 and using dark fleece n plastic to heat n solarise some of my beds this year .

colettedeann



Joined: 11 May 2016
Posts: 35
Location: Chelmsford
PostPosted: Wed May 11, 16 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

this has been an interesting read - got my plot today - 10 rods - VERY overgrown so was looking for advice - and have found a fair bit of info that i will try out

by overgrown I mean waist high grass and weeds - but also some huge rhubarb (made myself a very nice rhubarb crumble tonight ) - there are also some fruit bushes - i think raspberries and was told there was also red currants - and 2 small trees that i haven't been able to identify

other inherited finds so far is a strawberry patch that looks salvagable if i can carefully get rid of weeds - i think spring onions - a concrete slabbed area where i can put a cheap greenhouse - a shed in very good nick with a small chest of drawers, a few shelves - string, canes and a few other bits

some of the rhubarb had gone to seed, so an experienced allotmenteer suggested i rid myself of seed, so we yanked them all off and ended up with loads of usable rhubarb and a load for the compost!! - that reminds me - there are also 3 compost bins made from pallets that are overflowing and coming apart - which i will deal with later (maybe very much later) - we also pulled up some of the ?spring onions? which i have cleaned but not eaten any of yet

tomorrow i am going to go around the plot and remove the weed seed heads that are in abundance before i start hacking the grass down (unless i can find a cordless strimmer to borrow which will be easier than hacking!) we are not allowed to use carpet on our sire - so will probably go for cardboard and black plastic sheeting (which they sell in the allotment shop) to kill off some of the plot weed and grasses

all in all i am really happy with the plot i have been allocated - and hoping to find so more 'goodies' when i start clearing

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Wed May 11, 16 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Welcome aboard. Good luck with your new allotment.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15542

PostPosted: Thu May 12, 16 6:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Sounds potentially like a good plot. You are starting the right way by removing the seed heads; not only will they seed in your plot but in other peoples, so removing them will make you popular. Good luck with it.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Thu May 12, 16 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Black plastic works wonders, I have used it. If you want to start early cropping next season then get a load of cow manure and put it down on the ground and then cover it with black plastic. This will warm the soil up for the spring, rot the manure and fertilise the ground suitable for a potato crop. I would be doing this in the autumn. But, if you want crops this time round, then you can always peg black plastic down at the edges and cut holes at the points where you want to plant this year, you pull any weeds that appear round the plants and you water if needed through the hole!
You may also need to lime, this should be done for the cabbage family, Brassicas, at their stage in your rotation and not anywhere near potatoes. Have fun!

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15542

PostPosted: Fri May 13, 16 5:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Make sure the black plastic is lightproof. Some isn't and the weeds will still grow.

wellington womble



Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
PostPosted: Sat May 14, 16 6:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have spent the last few days digging up black plastic. It keeps tearing and was very hard to remove. I would hesturate to recommend just in case Real Life gets in the way and you (or anyone else) needs to dig it up again later than planned. I would bite the bullet and pay out for weed suppressing membrane. It definitely suppresses weeds, holds together better, and can be reused for years. I use it all over the place.

Jam Lady



Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2501
Location: New Jersey, USA
PostPosted: Sat May 14, 16 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Weed whip and cut the unwanted growth very close to the ground. Go to an appliance store and get sturdy corrugated cardboard boxes from large items - refrigerators for example. Lay cardboard down. Top with autumn leaves, straw, what have you. Weeds get smothered. Earthworms eat the corrugated cardboard, and next year you can till in the partially decayed "topping" material.

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