| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Debs |
allotment virginsWe have just acquired an allotment from our local council. It has lots of fruit bushes already established which is a major bonus but at the mo the rest (about 8m x 25m) is covered with grass. It has been strimmed recently but we are not sure the best way to clear it organically.We are about to move house so will have loads of cardboard & I'm sure I've read somewhere on the web that you can use cardboard instead of black plastic sheets or carpets. Does anyone have any experience of using cardboard & if so are there any pros & cons to the various methods. In amongst the fruit bushes there are quite a few nettles....any tips there? Many thanks PS This is a great site...already found the list of tools we need 
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| Bugs |
The only thing that is springing to mind is that I read recently that the HDRA doesn't recommend carpets because they do pose a risk from the chemicals/cleaners etc.
I think it was in the organic way and it might mention card as an alternative, I will try to look it up later if nobody comes up - the only other thing is I think you have to be careful to get a good thickness and overlap because the weeds can easily find their way through card. |
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| Bernie66 |
Allotment owning is probably the most rewarding thing i have ever done. Yes its damn hard work ,especially at the beginning if your plot has been left to go wild.
The only advantage of that is when you make discoverys by hacking through the brambles -like the fruit bushes that you mention-its a real buzz. I used old carpet to keep areas clear of weed growth as i could not afford to buy the green manures~ but i guess cardboard would do just as well if it keeps out the light. So long as you found a way of keeping it pegged down, it would also have the aded advantage over carpet of being able to be composted afterward use alot quicker. |
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| Debs |
Thanks Bugs & Bernie
I checked out the HDRA site : http://www.hdra.org.uk/factsheets/gg36.htm Hmmm...not sure how you go about holding down cardboard with straw but it seems like cardboard's a goer. Can't wait to get on with the planning |
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| Bernie66 |
Which part of Liverpool is the allotment? | ||
| Treacodactyl |
Hi Debs, it's also worth remembring that you only need to do sections at a time. No point clearing the whole site only to find weeds re-growing. My traditional reply for these questions it to get a pig, although no one has taken up that suggestion yet. | ||
| sean |
I would, but it's specifically forbidden in the contract. 
Actual wording: No livestock to be kept, including pigs and bees. |
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| Bernie66 |
Apart from the pig bit i would agree wholeheartedly.-I nearly killed myself for 6 weeks trying to turn my allotment into something respectable as quickly as possible, only to miss the growing season through a bad back! Start working methodically aiming for winter crops now rather than kill yourself trying to get much out of this season. |
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| Treacodactyl |
Can't you put a collar on one and call it Rover? (Obviously the pig, not the bees - they would be called Queenie). |
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| Treacodactyl |
Winter crops sounds like a good new topic. 
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| Bernie66 |
linked to trying to eat seasonally by any chance? | ||
| Treacodactyl |
I was just thinking how much we planned what we wanted to plant for the Summer when it was still the Winter. Now the Summer's finally turned up it's time to think of Winter veg. 
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| ButteryHOLsomeness |
have you heard of lasagne gardening? you use cardboard and such in this style of gardening. i've heard rave reviews about it!
http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/lasagna_gardening.htm http://www.electricscotland.com/gardening/lasagne.htm http://boards.hgtv.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/7184011632/m/9531016322 |
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| wellington womble |
I have an idea that someone had problems with a cardboard mulch - might have been gavin - it just broke up, and they couldn't unmulch it (mind you, I suppose you could just dig it in! In which case don't forget to take the packing tape off it!)
An alternative suggestion would be to mow it, weekly, and that would take care of all the weeds except the grass, and then you can just rotavate the grass in, or turn it upsidedown. It depends on the state of the plot, and how long you want it to take, I suppose, though. Oh - Good luck by the way - I'm sure you'll have a lovely time! |
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| Bugs |
Re: allotment virgins
Ooh, just grass? If it isn't going to do any harm (ie it isn't surrounding the fruit bushes) why not just lift of the turves and stack them to rot, then you have a fairly clean soil to cultivate and either mulch as you intend or sow a green manure? Regarding nettles, chop them back and compost, then eat them when they sprout again? Haven't tried it (because we've been encouraging the only nettles in our garden  ) but I'd imagine that sustained cutting would kill them off eventually and you'd be benefitting from it in the meantime!
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| selfsufficientish |
If you are going to just turf it then place the turfs in a pile grass facing grass. After a year or so it can be dug back into the allotment and used as loom. - We turfed parts of our allotment when I first got it and since found out that so had the people before us and as such we had no top soil which was pretty bad for growing in.
I have used the card method before and it has been ok, but it does not keep the weeds away for long as it breaks down pretty quickly. But yep dig it in and it is ok to use. I use carpet on some sections and it does work, but it has to be hesian backed carpet and not plastic backed. I also use sawdust from my gerbil cage as a mulch around some plants. It means more watering but I prefer that to weeding. It has to be about half an inch deep to make any difference. |
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| Debs |
Thanx for all your tips. We'll give the cardboard a go & probably try lifting & rotting down some of the existing turf - but certainly like the idea of starting out small & just keep mowing the rest until we are ready to do more.
Will keep you posted on our progress |
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| Debs |
Bernie
Forgot to say where it was - Mersey Rd Allotments, Aigburth. Where abouts are you on the Wirral? |
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| Bernie66 |
Just moved to Tranmere, unfortunately in the shadow of Prenton Park football ground. But close to a new set of allotments which i will be visiting as soon as i have got the house under some sort of control. | ||
| Mad Dad |
I've had my lottie for two years now and It's still not fully cultivated. I started with a five year plan by covering everything with black plastic and just uncovering what I needed for planting, moving to another area of the plot for this years planting. All of the time keeping the unused bit covered.
The plan is to eventually use all of the plot at least once by which time most of the weeds will be gone. The secret is to be patient and eventually you will have the lottie that you want. Good Luck... |
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| JonO |
I'm not 100% sure but are nettles good for attracting the kinda critters that eat aphids, which in turn attack fruit bushes ? Therefore maybe it would be wise to leave a few nettles around and class it as companion planting.
But I maybe wrong !!! (I'm sure I've seen loads of ladybirds on nettles ???) |
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| Treacodactyl |
Nettles provide the food for the caterpillars of many of our butterflies. Small Tortoiseshell, Peacocks, Red Admirals etc. | ||
| wellington womble |
I've heard that too - nettles attract nettle aphids, which don't attack other plants, but the ladybirds come to eat the nettle aphids, and are less discriminating, eating all kinds of aphids. |