Thanks Kevin, the weeds are swathes of creeping buttercup, couch grass, dandelion and dock. I think the speedwell is okay to hoe, but most need digging up and every piece of root removed. I have a good sized compost bin, which another allotmenteer gave me. Such lovely people, everyone is so helpful, its like being a in special secret club.
I would like to grow fruit and flowers mainly and some peas, pumpkins and tomatoes. My neighbour told me that potatoes are a good crop to lighten the heavy clay soil? What do you think?
Thanks Hosta, I couldn't agree more, the most important thing is to enjoy. Its amazing the psychological affect of dividing up the plot in sections with a few canes and twine has made. Everything looks manageable as I'm just focused on a very small area. Quietly pleased with the progress a, and freed up two blackcurrants bushes, they have now had a good dose of chicken manure pellets and a little bonemeal, and are mulched with homemade compost and bark over the top of that to suppress the weeds in the compost.
So feeling motivated and enjoying just taking my time. I have always found weeding therapeutic and cathartic.
Also treated myself to new chair to sit and enjoy the great view of the hills.
Yes that's right they do,I would go with a early variety and a late one.pumpkins are great for storing, into the following year.I would recommend growing what you like first and then try other vegetables and fruits.with pumpkins add lots of compost, the more the better in a sunny position. Good luck !
Caral reclaiming our veg plot from 6 years of weed growth I cut it down, coverd it in thick black plastic and kept on top of the weeds the first year of planting with regular hoeing. I've not got pictures of before but it was truly dreadful with mallow growing 4 foot in the air and god knows what else.
Here it is today at the start of year two
Ronnie the rotavator is my best friend, though you'll want to dig out all the roots of the really nasty weeds before using one else the roots just get chopped up and spread everywhere.
Looking at your plot there are areas that will clear OK by hand, concentrate on those, and use black plastic sheet or the cardboard and mulch approach to clear the really grim bits like the mint.
This is the little section that I turned over and have weeded so far, doesn't seem a lot, but has taken hours and hours, but I'm digging a foot down and sieving through the earth removing every piece of root.
Thanks Caral it's good to look back, just to appreciate the progress.
It is painstaking work but worth it. That soil is looking good, plants healthy too .
Cold , gusty wind here today so washing pots ready to pot on seedlings with plans to sort out compost next week. Then the fencing, then a gate, then base for shed...then back to more manuring!
Posts
Thanks Kevin, the weeds are swathes of creeping buttercup, couch grass, dandelion and dock. I think the speedwell is okay to hoe, but most need digging up and every piece of root removed.
I have a good sized compost bin, which another allotmenteer gave me. Such lovely people, everyone is so helpful, its like being a in special secret club.
I would like to grow fruit and flowers mainly and some peas, pumpkins and tomatoes.
My neighbour told me that potatoes are a good crop to lighten the heavy clay soil? What do you think?
I'd agree with the basic, little by little approach. Please remember, this is a thing for enjoyment.
You don't have to have the whole plot perfect in one season.
Don't let it become a chore otherwise you'll end up hating it.
When you've had enough, give up and have a cuppa, or go home and come back refreshed another time.
Sounds silly, but grow what you can eat, don't have a huge harvest of something unless you're happy to freeze, bottle , pickle etc.
Keep us updated with photos.
Have fun.
Thanks Hosta, I couldn't agree more, the most important thing is to enjoy. Its amazing the psychological affect of dividing up the plot in sections with a few canes and twine has made. Everything looks manageable as I'm just focused on a very small area.
Quietly pleased with the progress a, and freed up two blackcurrants bushes, they have now had a good dose of chicken manure pellets and a little bonemeal, and are mulched with homemade compost and bark over the top of that to suppress the weeds in the compost.
So feeling motivated and enjoying just taking my time. I have always found weeding therapeutic and cathartic.
Also treated myself to new chair to sit and enjoy the great view of the hills.
Yes that's right they do,I would go with a early variety and a late one.pumpkins are great for storing, into the following year.I would recommend growing what you like first and then try other vegetables and fruits.with pumpkins add lots of compost, the more the better in a sunny position. Good luck !
Caral reclaiming our veg plot from 6 years of weed growth I cut it down, coverd it in thick black plastic and kept on top of the weeds the first year of planting with regular hoeing. I've not got pictures of before but it was truly dreadful with mallow growing 4 foot in the air and god knows what else.
Here it is today at the start of year two
Ronnie the rotavator is my best friend, though you'll want to dig out all the roots of the really nasty weeds before using one else the roots just get chopped up and spread everywhere.
Looking at your plot there are areas that will clear OK by hand, concentrate on those, and use black plastic sheet or the cardboard and mulch approach to clear the really grim bits like the mint.
Hi Caral congratulations on getting an allotment!
All friendly, good advice and encouragement on this forum, as I found on the o.m.g thread too.
Here are some before, during and after photos of my half plot which I took on last October
Final forking over and still adding manure.
Wow, super piccies! Great job BizzieB and very encouraging for 6 months!
GemmaF, I would be thrilled if mine looked as beautiful as that at the start of year 2
This is the little section that I turned over and have weeded so far, doesn't seem a lot, but has taken hours and hours, but I'm digging a foot down and sieving through the earth removing every piece of root.
Thanks Caral
it's good to look back, just to appreciate the progress.
It is painstaking work but worth it. That soil is looking good, plants healthy too
.
Cold , gusty wind here today so washing pots ready to pot on seedlings with plans to sort out compost next week. Then the fencing, then a gate, then base for shed...then back to more manuring!
Agree, beautiful soil Gemma
all credit to your hard work.
Have to laugh, never thought I'd be so interested or envious of soil structure!