Charlotte If I had a allotment like that I would put raised beds in, they could be put on top of the grass without doing anything just put new soil in,have the beds wide enough so you don't have to stand on them
Thanks everyone I went to the allotment today for the first time by myself. It's clear I have soooooo much to do! I spent 2.5 hours up there today and it looks like I've done nothing haha. Here are some more pics. I think couch grass is my new best friend....
p.s - looks like I've got 4 or 5 red currant bushes, quite a few Autumn fruiting raspberries and a gooseberry bush
As there's so much couch grass to tackle- would anyone recommend covering half the plot with membrane and working on strimming and digging the other half? I need a strimmer asap!
Wow - yes - looks like you've got a job on there Charlotte! Treat it like eating an elephant - a bit at a time.
Maybe in the circumstances, Logan's idea is a good one - you could get going fairly quickly. A couple of 4' wide beds on top of what's there could get you going. Do certainly cover half of of - or more if you like - with the weed-suppressing membrane. I'd put a couple of layers of cardboard under there first though to make absolutely certain that nothing will get through. Well, not much.
Clear as much as you can around the fruit bushes to let the air circulate and avoid disease. The currants and gooseberries will need pruning between now and February.
You also definitely need a heavy-duty strimmer or brush cutter, which you could hire for a day if you can't beg, steal or borrow one.
I don't know if il be able to afford raised beds at the moment- I've looked around and they seem quite expensive to buy (I don't have the tools or skills to make my own at present). I have a fiat 500 so couldnt pick up any wood, it would have to be delivered
I cleared a LOT of grass that was covering the fruit bushes today, I think I'll leave the redcurrants where they are and make them a bed but I'll relocate the raspberries.
Well done on getting that lot cleared! A good start.
You don't have to buy anything Charlotte: The nearest stables will be only too happy to let you have as much manure as you and a friend can load into his trailer (you may end up buying beer for a lot of people however). And start collecting old bricks to go round the edges. And there are bound to be bits of wood lying about somewhere. You will, of necessity, become a scrounger!
Charlotte - do you know the Streetlife website? It's a local community site that you can ask for stuff or give it away or sell it (plus lots of other stuff). You could ask for old scaffold boards and other timber, and all sorts of gardening stuff. The other day our local one had two compost bins being given away.
Have a look, I'm sure you'll find it useful
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/
no dig gardening , still involves a lot of barrowing of organic material but better than digging!
Thanks everyone
I went to the allotment today for the first time by myself. It's clear I have soooooo much to do! I spent 2.5 hours up there today and it looks like I've done nothing haha. Here are some more pics. I think couch grass is my new best friend....
p.s - looks like I've got 4 or 5 red currant bushes, quite a few Autumn fruiting raspberries and a gooseberry bush
As there's so much couch grass to tackle- would anyone recommend covering half the plot with membrane and working on strimming and digging the other half? I need a strimmer asap!
Wow - yes - looks like you've got a job on there Charlotte! Treat it like eating an elephant - a bit at a time.
Maybe in the circumstances, Logan's idea is a good one - you could get going fairly quickly. A couple of 4' wide beds on top of what's there could get you going. Do certainly cover half of of - or more if you like - with the weed-suppressing membrane. I'd put a couple of layers of cardboard under there first though to make absolutely certain that nothing will get through. Well, not much.
Clear as much as you can around the fruit bushes to let the air circulate and avoid disease. The currants and gooseberries will need pruning between now and February.
You also definitely need a heavy-duty strimmer or brush cutter, which you could hire for a day if you can't beg, steal or borrow one.
That tree looks very apply to me.
I don't know if il be able to afford raised beds at the moment- I've looked around and they seem quite expensive to buy (I don't have the tools or skills to make my own at present). I have a fiat 500 so couldnt pick up any wood, it would have to be delivered
I cleared a LOT of grass that was covering the fruit bushes today, I think I'll leave the redcurrants where they are and make them a bed but I'll relocate the raspberries.
Well done on getting that lot cleared! A good start.
You don't have to buy anything Charlotte: The nearest stables will be only too happy to let you have as much manure as you and a friend can load into his trailer (you may end up buying beer for a lot of people however). And start collecting old bricks to go round the edges. And there are bound to be bits of wood lying about somewhere. You will, of necessity, become a scrounger!
Charlotte - do you know the Streetlife website? It's a local community site that you can ask for stuff or give it away or sell it (plus lots of other stuff). You could ask for old scaffold boards and other timber, and all sorts of gardening stuff. The other day our local one had two compost bins being given away.
Have a look, I'm sure you'll find it useful
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
never heard of it! Thanks for letting me know