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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 6 - Weed 'em and Reap!

997 replies

bookbook · 04/06/2016 22:20

Thanks WhoKnowsWhereThe Time GOes for the title of the new thread.
So, we head into summer, praying for sun, gentle rain and no slugs
Everyone welcome to join in and share joys and woes and advice, given freely!
Previous thread here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening/2582241-Allotment-Veg-Patch-Thread-5-The-Diggers-Rest?pg=1

OP posts:
Thread gallery
83
mogloveseggs · 28/06/2016 21:53

book thanks Smile so much conflicting information on the Internet!
hia what glorious colours! I've never heard of chard but it's on my to grow list now

bookbook · 28/06/2016 21:56

Evening!
Cathpot - no Blush - will go back in the morning and hope for the best. Luckily my wheelbarrow is plastic !
bees - well, we have plenty at the plot - we have 3 beekeepers at the site, and just about every plot has something bees love - . I actually added some bee friendly annuals this year, along with borage. There is a massive nepeta draggled over the path which I am loath to cut back as it is always covered in bees. I seem to be okay at home as well - though a lot of my flowers are a bit later this year.
Mindful - just scrolled back and realised that nobody had answered that for you. Personally, no I haven't used vinegar. I assumed it was used for drives and such. I'm not sure how good it is environmentally for beneficial insects and such, as it has to be concentrated enough to kill weeds IYSWIM? Maybe someone has tried it. .

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timtam23 · 28/06/2016 22:01

Dropping into the thread and hoping to be here for a while! After 2 years on a waiting list I have finally been offered an allotment (quarter plot). I went to sign all the papers and take a look at it yesterday. The last-but-two owner looked after it, apparently it was considered the best quarter plot on site, but it's had about 18 months of neglect and is now thick with massive dock plants, goose grass, creeping buttercup....however there are some good bits too, I found a compost bin (full) and there are some strawberry plants, also some hoops of tubing set out for a tunnel (presumably brassicas or something like that were netted under there). Hoping for good weather next week as I could get a portion of it cleared, DH reckons 3 good days and we could do the whole thing (overambitious maybe but with the soil being in good condition he may be right)

Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 6 -  Weed 'em and Reap!
Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 6 -  Weed 'em and Reap!
bookbook · 28/06/2016 22:27

welcome timtam that sounds promising, and a lot of the weeds may be relatively easy to dig out hopefully. Its always a surprise to me how quickly a plot can get overgrown - especially at this time of year, and its been perfect weed growing weather.....
if you get the chance, maybe as you clear an area, pop something in to get a bit of harvest. There are still plants to buy , and on our site , there is a table with spare plants at the entrance . You may even get offered some if you are lucky!

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WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 28/06/2016 23:14

Welcome TimTam, that would be quite something to get the whole thing cleared in three days, how exciting!

Book - sounds as though you had quite an exciting day.

I had a lazy day! Pottered up to the plot for half an hour this morning between school run and work, sat on my bench in the sunshine drinking coffee for a good 15 minutes just enjoying the peace, then did a bit of weeding and thinking about what to do next. With regards to the soon to be vacant onion patch, I think I will use half of it as an extension to my strawberry patch and turn the other half into a flower corner with a couple of lavenders and some alliums then biennial seeds for next year. I'd love some cornflowers and poppies - I'm awash with California poppies at home and they are such a glorious colour.

timtam23 · 28/06/2016 23:37

Thanks for the welcome. I'm thinking of putting some brassicas and winter veg stuff in, just to keep the plot busy over winter . I've got seeds for cabbage, swede, kohlrabi. None of which I've tried before but might as well have a go. Also the allotment committee have a polytunnel & they've said they'll be selling brassica seedlings soon so I think either way I should manage to have a bit of the plot occupied. I'm keen to get the dock out before it seeds everywhere...

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 28/06/2016 23:42

Good idea. I would also recommend covering any areas you aren't going to use this year as you clear them, to help stop them getting re-seeded with weeds.

SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 29/06/2016 00:09

You could also sow that purple manure crop than I keep wanting to call physalis but it isn't that. Easy to dig in and late flowers are good for the insects. It does s good job of holding the ground over winter.

Or there's the cardboard and mulch route.

As an alternative to vinegar I am using shears and flame thrower but you have to stick at it so only really good for edges and paths.

MindfulBear · 29/06/2016 00:34

Ooh. Thx for th idea. Flame thrower sounds like a grand plan..,,, what do you use for that?! We've been strumming & covering the rest of the plot that's not planted up but strumming is not really enough.

Will try vinegar on part of the plot & see what happens.... Need a sunny day tho!

MindfulBear · 29/06/2016 00:36

Btw any recommendations on what to get & where to get:

  • netting to keep birds/animals off my strawberries
  • fleece to keep pea moth off my peas?!

Thx

TheSpottedZebra · 29/06/2016 08:35

No gardening yesterday as it was my DC's school sports day. Well, it was a rearranged inside sports and activities day as obviously it was raining, but of course the playing fields are all churned up and slippy. A couple of hours without rain, then, er -more rain from 10 ish.

Bear for strawbs you don't need fine mesh, so any old thing will do, as long as it's held down well at the sides. I'd also raise it off the plants, as birds will happily peck through the holes if they can. But for pea moth you'd want a finer gauge. Lots of people use scaffolding debris netting, either newly bought, or recycled. So a friendly builder, or ebay could be good there.

bookbook · 29/06/2016 08:55

Morning!
Just about to set off on 'rescue wheelbarrow'
timtam - nice to hear your committee is a good hands on one!
Mindful - I buy most of my stuff from Wilkos/Aldi for starters. I am gradually getting better quality netting that lasts more than one season . And I bought a roll of fleece off ebay - I just cut off however much I need.
Weed flamethrowers were on offer at Aldi not too long ago -

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TheSpottedZebra · 29/06/2016 09:03

[[http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?id=879&ar=3] and flamethrowers in Lidl on 4th July...

TheSpottedZebra · 29/06/2016 09:03

www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?id=879&ar=3 oops

MindfulBear · 29/06/2016 09:58

Thx zebra I shall make a trip to lidl aldi and wilkos!!

mogloveseggs · 29/06/2016 11:30

Morning!
bookbook I hope your rescue mission is successful!
It's tipping it down here. No gardening today. Got a 20m roll of weed membrane from home bargains yesterday and wanted to get it down but it will have to wait.

bookbook · 29/06/2016 11:33

I'm back !
Mindful - we plotters haunt these places!
all well this morning apart from a pond in the wheelbarrow. :)
And I managed a bit of weeding and picking before it started to rain - setting in for the day now I think
I planted some flowers for cutting, and couldn't bring myself to cut the lovely sunflower that has just come out , but did cut the cosmos which needs a regular pick to make them keep coming - and an opening peony- how daft is that?
I know whats for tea now - the first peas !!!! along with some broad beans , and a bit of spinach will make a risotto :)

Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 6 -  Weed 'em and Reap!
OP posts:
Imfinehowareyou · 29/06/2016 12:36

I thought the flame thrower comment was a joke Blush

Went down in the light rain today to start weeding the plot but gave up as the rain increased and I had to accept I was just playing in mud!

GrouchyKiwi · 29/06/2016 13:24

books That looks wonderful.

hia That chard looks beautiful. The colours always make me want to grow it but I don't like the taste.

I got one serving of broad beans from the ones that were ready the other day and they were delicious. Think I'll get a whole meal's worth soon. Potatoes are nowhere near ready yet.

I'm struggling to handle it when the children pull berries off bushes or plants out of the garden. Think I need to work on letting it go - at least this year. DD2 should be old enough not to do it next year, when there should be more fruit anyway. It's hard to stay zen when they're wasting your hard work and (potentially) tasty produce.

SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 29/06/2016 18:29

You can also by weed burners online at reasonable price. You just lightly char things the first time. Then once they have died back a bit give them a better toasting. If it is dry they will burn back to the ground but just heating them up will kill small weeds. Bigger weedsyou have to keep at until they (or you) (or the gas) are exhausted.

wigelspigels · 29/06/2016 19:49

What lovely produce. Had a few leaves of rainbow chard. Got 20 mins weeding done this morning. Before buba decided he wanted my undivided cuddles.

A trip to Dobbies in order to get more onions and red cabbage. I just want to get a cherry muffin.

For some reason I have lots of horsetail - thought I got on top of it last year Envy

I have these lovely tenants

Allotment/Veg Patch Thread 6 -  Weed 'em and Reap!
mogloveseggs · 29/06/2016 20:11

wigel what are they?

bookbook · 29/06/2016 20:22

newts I think mogs
Grouchy - its hard isn't it when they just demolish . Next year hopefully better !
wigels -darned horsetail....

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SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 30/06/2016 00:57

Just been out and chucked about 30 snails in a bowl of water and skewered about 5 slugs.

I have a paved area at back of house - few weeds growing in the cracks - where I haven't shifted the pots to get the flamethrower in. They must be hiding in there.

I keep my seedlings out there (on the non weedy bit) to harden off for the allotment. It been like a horrir film for weeks. I spray the pots with gt80 (don't think it works as well as wd40). I put slug pellets in. And every day I go out one more plant has banished over night.
These are my replacement sqaush etc just toughening up for the allotment.

So. I feel.a bit brutal for drowning the snails but it had to be done. I have laid salt round all the pots now.

Hopefully 1 or 2 will survive. I had these lovely blue Australian daisies I was trying to bring on. All gone. Half my lambs ears. 2 more courgettes. All the sunflowers. And they had a go at the aubretia. All taken 1 at a timeSad

SmallLegsOrSmallEggs · 30/06/2016 00:58

These snails were in an area roughly 5ft square btw. I am sure they have friends.

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