Does anyone know whether it is a good idea to rotivate an allotment. I have just taken over the plot, which is overgrown with weeds. I know that hard graft is needed but am not sure the best way forward. Do I spread weedkiller or rotivate? I have heard of the blow torches that burn the weeds but don't know much about them. Does anyone have any good ideas or know anyone with a rotivator for hire. Any suggestions would be very welcome!

Cheers

Don't weedkiller it if you want to stay pals with the other allotment holders! If you rotovate, it will shred the roots of some of the weeds each bit of which will then grow!

Dig by hand, remove all the weed roots, dig again, remove more weeds, and maybe even dig again! You will of course, get a lot fitter yourself1

Most weeds don't come out soley by using weedkiller anyway. The only way to be sure is to dig deep and get them all out. Get you a more fertile soil that way anyway. Its hard work but otherwise you will be spending a lot of time weeding and reweeding and you will be growing things organically too.

Maybe a mod could move this to the gardening forum - you will get more replies there.

My dad used a rotovator and a flame thrower on the garden when we moved house when I was a nipper. All I remember though is that the flame thrower burned one of the blades of my action man helicopter that I had lost in the long grass.

30 years later the garden is weed free, so I guess one method must have worked.

I have an allotment and this is what i would do:

Spray roundup, to kill the weeds. Its very affective. Leave for 4 to 6 weeks

Then select and area to dig, remove any remaining roots, Dont do to much at once. Digging can be a killer but is worth it. If you just rotovate you will simply create a "pan" so the soil wont drain properly and get other problems.

I dig once a year , in the autumn. dig in manure then rotovate in the spring.

You will be thankful you dug over your plot first to!

When it comes to using a rotovator, the bigger the better!(bigger engine size to), a lot of rotovators just bounce along and dont do the job properly.

From my limited experience, plants dont like their roots showing, l would fork it over first then try and weed, then maybe dig. You can then dig small sections at a time.

I'm on my 4th year on my allotment. Like yours it was overgrown with couch, brambles, dandelions & docks. The best advice I took was to cover it in old carpet, which i did. 6mths later I removed the carpet, & as if by magic all the weeds had gone...remember nothing can grow without light!

Thanks to everyone for your advice. It seems that a rotivator is not the best option to start with. I will buy some roundup as you have suggested Phil and then dig it bit by bit. I have also put an add on for anyone who has any old carpets that are being thrown away, so I can put them over the parts of the allotment that I am not digging at the moment. Many thanks everyone

Great minds think alike Mel, I put an add on for carpets this morning. Cheers

Great minds think alike Mel, I put an add on for carpets this morning. Cheers

I wouldn't use carpet if I were you. For two reasons. First of all, some of the flame retardents in the carpet can get into the soil, and then into your crops.

The second reason is that you will be left with a load of heavy, soggy carpet to dispose of. Not a pleasant, or an easy task.

Use cardboard weighted down with bricks, or buy weed control fabric.

Carpet is fine to use.

Just make sure you use hessian , not the foam backed ones. If you use it then when you take it dry it out and take it down the dump!, or you can re use on the paths and cover with wood chippings. You may want to get to a few carpet shops and ask if they have they want to chuck, ie of cuts etc

good idea, I will do that tomorrow. I bet they will be glad to get some bits off their hands too. cheers

Here's betting when I finally get around to laminating the front room I have to take the carpet to the tip! Good luck with the allotment.

Carpet is fine to use.



If you say so. :roll:

I suggest that the OP spends a few minutes checking it out for himself.

I have a rotovator and all petrol equipment can sort your allotment for you can give a quote pm me

If you say so. :roll:

I suggest that the OP spends a few minutes checking it out for himself.

Well after many years of using it and having no problems id say its a safe bet.

I have a rotovator and all petrol equipment can sort your allotment for you can give a quote pm me

And multiply the docks & dandilions 100 x:hihi:

dont be silly phil never had to go back to a rotovating job just a good job done just keep your nose out

dont be silly phil never had to go back to a rotovating job just a good job done just keep your nose out

Really....

rotovator turns soil over and over than start picking weeds out is it really that hard THINK NOT

rotovator turns soil over and over than start picking weeds out is it really that hard THINK NOT

The problem comes if you have bindweed or couch. Chop those roots up and you have a problem.

<<<Chop those roots up and you have a problem>>>

That's what I said: remove whole roots, you will get rid of weeds. Rotorvate means you will chop roots, each bit of root will grow again. Carpet? I guess you want to get started and grow things THIS year. Forget carpets, get diggin'!

I've got some carpet now on half of the plot. I will start digging the other half this weekend. Back breaking............
I want to start growing something this year, even if it's only a few spuds

rotovator turns soil over and over than start picking weeds out is it really that hard THINK NOT

It turns soild over, but like others said it chops up bind weed, dock, dandilion, it doesnt sort the problem. Its easier to pick one dock out and one bind weed strand out then 500.

I've got some carpet now on half of the plot. I will start digging the other half this weekend. Back breaking............
I want to start growing something this year, even if it's only a few spuds

I think your a bit late for spuds, even main crop, am harvesting my earlies already.

However you can put in things like runner/french beans,swede, squash/sweetcorn (if transplanting),turnip, raddish, lettuce

You could put down a green maure such as red clover

Carpet is fine if you don't mind not knowing what chemicals maybe leaking into your soil and also if you keep the allotment and take it up after a while (when it's wet, muddy and heavy). Otherwise you are just creating a problem for yourself/a future plot holder somewhere down the line when it starts to break up, weeds grow through it and becomes a nightmare to dig out. I'd use cardboard, it will block out the light, break down and help your soil.

I'd also dig the plot by hand. There's no 'quick fix', allotments are hard work and if you've dug it over by hand it'll be better in the long run - and knowing the work you've put it you'll be more willing to keep on with it.

My allotment was so badly affected with couch that I couldn't get a fork or spade into it! This meant I had to leave the covering on for over 1yr. If I had used cardboard then this would have disintegrated after 6mths or so. My allotment is also 400sq mts in area... That's a lot of cardboard to find, & even more house bricks to weigh it down!
BTW, I got the idea from an organic garden in Wales.
As for getting-rid of the old carpet, wait till it's dry & take it to the tip, or put it on your paths or put it in the bin.
I totally agree with the digging by hand though. I have a fork with a shortened handle & I do mine on my hands & knees...

Couch and bind weed roots are just pure evil.

Well I have a real obsession with weeds so just can't resist weighing in!

2 main facts to remember which'll help anyone to decide how to deal with the EVIL WEEDS!-
1) Perennial weeds can grow back from even tiny fragments of root. So beware pulling up the stems and leaving the roots behind to divide and multiply and make the problem worse, and be careful not to do anything to chop the roots into bits.
2) Weeds often flower and produce thousands of seeds. Get them trimmed or cut back before the seeds form, once the seeds get everywhere you're in for the long haul- "one year seeding, seven years weeding"

So, i'd recommend the following-

1) Spray with glyphosate based weedkiller (the active ingredient in roundup, wilko do their own brand much much cheaper version). It takes up to 6 weeks but is drawn right into the root killing every part of the plant dead forever!!
2) If you can (ie do not need to plant in an area) leave the glyphosate to work, dont be tempted after 3 weeks to pull at half dead weeds- you'll leave part of the roots underground alive and well.
3) Cover as much of the ground as you can. Carpet has worked fine for me over the years, as have cardboard boxes, but i've found weed membrane too thing unless covered in a mulch. Over time the blocking out of light will finish even the weeds the glphosate hasnt.
4) where you want to plant or sow, hand weed, digging out roots
5) If there is an outbreak of seed-scattering, thats where the weed burning Flame Torch of Doom comes in handy, you can sweep it across the soil surface and hear the litle pop-pop-pop of the seeds bursting, much beter than digging them into the soil for future years misery!
6) Once you get an area clear, keep hand weeding any new appearances. Hoe in gaps between rows.

When i started my plot had been abandone for 7 years, 6 foot of bramble, and once we slashed and burnt that the dock dandelion and bindweed went wild as the bramble canopy was now gone letting the light to them! Currently we have a major problem with bay willow herb.

Good luck!