New Allotment - slightly freeked out!

[Loztastic]

I've been on the waiting list for an allotment for about 2 years now, and never really expected to get to the top

anyway, I got a call at work today, and about 2 hours later, i've got a half-sized plotat the end of a local site.  its got no structures on it, other than a small rain shelter.  the ground has been pre-strimmed down to ground level (or just above) but there is a thick cover of grass, or some other weed

so, having never expected this moment to come, where on earth do i start!

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site loztastic and congrats on your new life

Start here http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Clearing_a_New_Allotment.php

And here http://www.allotment.org.uk/articles/Planning_the_Plot.php

And here http://www.allotment.org.uk/garden_month.php

for starters 

The main thing is to take before piccies as well as progress ones. 

Take your time, but decide if you want to grow garlic and autmn-planted onions, as they go in about now. 

And spend as much of the time over winter as you can in preparing the plot (as long as it's not so wet that the mud sticks to your boots), as it always longer than you think to get how you want.  Make sure that cleared areas are covered before the weeds start to grow in spring - as lots of stuff doesn't get planted out till June.

[Babstreefern]

Well the good news is that you've got all winter to prepare your plot - and the weeds won't be growing now until next year .  If you've not had much rain, I would cover the whole lot with weed killer and then cover over with membrane .  This will kill off the weeds that you've got at the moment - namely the grass .  Leave it until about January, and then starting uncovering your plot bit by bit, and digging it over .  Depending how the weather is, and only having half a plot (that's how I started), it will only take a few weeks to dig it .  Whilst you are digging it, you can start your plants that you want to grow .  In fact, you can start now - especially if not don't put weedkiller down on a bit of your plot, and plant winter onions and garlic

Apart from that, good luck to you and keep us posted on how you do

[Yorkie]

Just to clarify - don't cover with membrane for at least two weeks after applying weedkiller, or you'll stop the plant growing and thus absorbing the weedkiller.

[Loztastic]

one small complication being i will need to limit chemicals to the absolute minimum (I do want to work-towards organic as my skills grow)

other than general principles, the plot goes next to a brook, that flows into a pond that contains rare frogs - so given that the frogs eat the beasties, and a lot of weedkiller hurts the frogs, i want to avoid it!

[Yorkie]

In that case, you'll need to cover and dig, or dig and cover - steady work but rewarding.

[Elcie]

Congratulations.  Don't be too daunted, just don't expect everything to happen at once.  My best suggestion is to always dig a little and plant a little.  That way you can see something growing and it gives you something to go to the plot and check on before doing a bit more digging and clearing!  If you could clear a little bit in the next week or two you could plant some garlic or onions.

[Loztastic]

Well, as an update, beyond spending a day cutting back brambles we have not done much yet - since the bramble-cutting day, its been, more or less solid, heavy rain, leaving the ground totally water-logged

we figured it would be fairly ineffective to do much in the circumstances!

[Sweet Pea 2]

i guess you could do some planning indoors in the rain.
A plan of action of digging
A plan of what you  will plant where and when in your plot
A plan of what seeds you want, an where you wil buy them from.
Only thoughts

Or just cuss the rain that is what I do.

[SG6]

If waterlogged then it may be worth while thinking of getting bags of compost and course sand to improve the drainage. The thought being that as you dig the plot over to remove the weeds you dig in stuff to improve the drainage and structure. 

[fatbelly]

Two years ago when I got my half plot, I was in the same predicament that you are in.
My advice is dig, then dig then dig again.

It is the best way and i know because i did this. I have also watched other new starters to our site and everyone has used different methods, but my dig and dig again method is the only only that has completely worked. Spaying your plot with weed killer like Round Up will knock the weeds back and kill some of them, but if you are not prepared to do the work then don't get a Lottie because Lotties need regular manual work forever. Not trying to put you off but on our site people get a plot spray with weedkiller then when the weeds come back a month or so later give up because its to much work

In truth there is no easy way to a weed free plot, hard work over the next  5 months will pay you back a thousand times next Summer when the weeds come back to us all.

[Elcie]

Two years ago when I got my half plot, I was in the same predicament that you are in.
My advice is dig, then dig then dig again.

It is the best way and i know because i did this. I have also watched other new starters to our site and everyone has used different methods, but my dig and dig again method is the only only that has completely worked. Spaying your plot with weed killer like Round Up will knock the weeds back and kill some of them, but if you are not prepared to do the work then don't get a Lottie because Lotties need regular manual work forever. Not trying to put you off but on our site people get a plot spray with weedkiller then when the weeds come back a month or so later give up because its to much work

In truth there is no easy way to a weed free plot, hard work over the next  5 months will pay you back a thousand times next Summer when the weeds come back to us all.

I do agree with you Fatbelly but on the other hand I wouldn't want to completely put newcomers off.  I must say that, apart from some digging at the start to make the raised beds, I don't dig now as I am too weak to do so unfortunately!  But I will move the soil around a bit, and I use a trowel to dig out big weeds and a hoe to get rid of smaller ones.  Yes this is still manual work, but it isn't perhaps as heavy as you describe (although I wish I could do the heavy work too!)