Couch grass is evil, evil stuff. The old boy next door told me it's too wet to strim it and I can't light a bonfire for the same reason. It's such a pain to pull up, it's like a huge thick carpet covering everything. Any advice? I'd like to stay away from chemicals if possible.
On the plus side, the couch grass has covered up quite a few structures which I am slowly discovering. I've re-dug an old potato patch (decided not to keep the potatoes, im not a big potato eater) and made it into a make-shift bed. Not the prettiest bed but it'll do for now!
Ive also tried my best to flatten the couch grass mounds and cover some areas in weed suppressant. I don't know if I bought the right stuff....it doesn't seem very thick : Oh well, newbie error!
Any advice on how to prune gooseberry/currant bushes?
Here are some updated pictures- feel free to scrutinise! I'm not a natural haha.
As for burning , get a pallett and put the stuff on that to dry ie. it's off the ground
If you can afford it buy a fire dustbin for burning stuff , obviously put some news paper in but you can get some cheap fire lighters and that definately helps , also get a stick to poke through the holes , that helps
only problem is you will stink of smoke , had a good burn up the other week , o/h put cloths straight into washing machine and I had a shower
Update- been doing lots of digging!! I don't know what to do with the piles and piles of couch grass that I'm pulling up- it's getting a bit too much too handle!
The bed I've dug in the foreground is my fruit tree bed. Currently there's a gooseberry bush and 4/5 red/blackcurrant bushes (don't actually know what they are!?). There are lots of raspberry canes that are overgrown to the left of plot. What's the best way to go about transferring them into the bed? Thank you!
weed pile , are you able to take it to a local tip ? At least it clears it up . You could just leave it , it will rot down eventually
Raspberrys , do you known if summer or Autumn fruiting , probable not , so you could just leave them until next year ? If not just put them where you want them , water in and hope for best
I have a rasberry forest watch I have slowly hacked , dug up over the last couple of years , next year will be the year I finally sort it out !
you can strim wet grass , I'm hoping to strim the edge of my plot on Saturday
The beds are now dug! Couch grass is my enemy still- it's been such a pain! My desire to keep to organic growing is getting harder to stick to...the next door neighbour has offered to spray roundup on the areas surrounding my beds if I like. Would this be a good idea? Im happy to spend time hand weeding the beds but I think putting roundup on the areas between would be a good idea to stop it spreading.
Here are some updated pics. Please note the weeding isn't finished yet....I don't think it ever will be haha!-
Posts
Hello , lots of good advice
you could make beds without raising them , what's been said about creating paths is right and not walking on the beds
having taken on an allottment just as bad , the best advise is do a bit at a time
also go to charity shop/ The Works and get a book about Allotments , could be a Christmas present
would definately not rotavate as other that have done this it seem to create more weeds
Lots would not do this but you could consider using weed killer
there another allottment site on hear and I have had really good advise , just keep asking
in fact been at the allottment today - best of luck
Update-
Couch grass is evil, evil stuff. The old boy next door told me it's too wet to strim it and I can't light a bonfire for the same reason. It's such a pain to pull up, it's like a huge thick carpet covering everything. Any advice? I'd like to stay away from chemicals if possible.
On the plus side, the couch grass has covered up quite a few structures which I am slowly discovering. I've re-dug an old potato patch (decided not to keep the potatoes, im not a big potato eater) and made it into a make-shift bed. Not the prettiest bed but it'll do for now!
Ive also tried my best to flatten the couch grass mounds and cover some areas in weed suppressant. I don't know if I bought the right stuff....it doesn't seem very thick
: Oh well, newbie error!
Any advice on how to prune gooseberry/currant bushes?
Here are some updated pictures- feel free to scrutinise! I'm not a natural haha.
Hello , you can definately strim wet grass
As for burning , get a pallett and put the stuff on that to dry ie. it's off the ground
If you can afford it buy a fire dustbin for burning stuff , obviously put some news paper in but you can get some cheap fire lighters and that definately helps , also get a stick to poke through the holes , that helps
only problem is you will stink of smoke , had a good burn up the other week , o/h put cloths straight into washing machine and I had a shower
best of luck
With the couch grass just did a bit at a time then try to get the long roots out shake the soil out
Doing the same thing recently with my allotment plot
Go onto Youtube great lot of videos for allotment plots which you can learn from and something to watch
you can get stuff free from Gumtree or look for skips and ask if you see anything good
looks as though you have done a lot maybe cover the soil you have dug as when you dig soil up you can make new weed seeds grow
Update- been doing lots of digging!! I don't know what to do with the piles and piles of couch grass that I'm pulling up- it's getting a bit too much too handle!
The bed I've dug in the foreground is my fruit tree bed. Currently there's a gooseberry bush and 4/5 red/blackcurrant bushes (don't actually know what they are!?). There are lots of raspberry canes that are overgrown to the left of plot. What's the best way to go about transferring them into the bed? Thank you!
Great lot of digging there and soil looks good
Where abouts are you?
Thanks
Norwich!
Hello , yes a really good start , well done
weed pile , are you able to take it to a local tip ? At least it clears it up . You could just leave it , it will rot down eventually
Raspberrys , do you known if summer or Autumn fruiting , probable not , so you could just leave them until next year ? If not just put them where you want them , water in and hope for best
I have a rasberry forest watch I have slowly hacked , dug up over the last couple of years , next year will be the year I finally sort it out !
you can strim wet grass , I'm hoping to strim the edge of my plot on Saturday
keep posting , happy allottmenteering
Update-
The beds are now dug! Couch grass is my enemy still- it's been such a pain! My desire to keep to organic growing is getting harder to stick to...the next door neighbour has offered to spray roundup on the areas surrounding my beds if I like. Would this be a good idea? Im happy to spend time hand weeding the beds but I think putting roundup on the areas between would be a good idea to stop it spreading.
Here are some updated pics. Please note the weeding isn't finished yet....I don't think it ever will be haha!-