From This to This…

[CrispyDuck]

Busy bank holiday clearing a new allotment plot…

From this:


To this:


Anyone else started a project this weekend? Post your before and after pics….

 

[TeeDee]

Thats a lot of work to be done in such a small time and in this heat . Well done you . Drink well deserved.

 

[CrispyDuck]

Tried all year to do it little by little, but was fighting a loosing battle and probably on the verge of being kicked off. So bit the bullet, hired a petrol rotavator and strimmer and got on with it. Aching now though.

 

[Mesquite]

That's an impressive amount of work.

 

[Toddy]

It sure is

Even with a strimmer and a rotovator that's a power of work.
Not surprising that you're aching, but it's a good ache

M

 

[CrispyDuck]

Was two of us on it, not on my own. But yes. Glad it’s cleared now. Just all the roots to pick through and get rid of. And the rubbish that I can’t recycle.

 

[Tengu]

Your a true hero.

 

[CrispyDuck]

Thank you all

Does anyone else have any before and after photos? Could be anything at all…

 

[Barney Rubble]

Well done, those photos brought back memories of when my wife and I took on our allotment. It's a very rewarding feeling though. Cheaper/better than any gym membership too!

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Did you dig up the roots of the unwanted plants ? If not........................

 

[GreyCat]

Did you dig up the roots of the unwanted plants ? If not........................

..........If not then get the cardboard sheet [or other mulch/light barrier] down quick before it rains and the weeds regrow.......

Otherwise you will become really good mates with that strimmer.

GC

 

[CrispyDuck]

The ones I’m most worried about are the brambles, bindweed and mares tail.. all the roots of which have been chopped up and mixed up into my lovely soil. My plan is to cover the whole lot over and take on one bed at a time picking out roots and then planting.

It’ll take me years to really get on top of them, but hoping if I plant heavily, mulch generously and cover whatever I’m not using I’ll be able to keep it in some sort of order. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.

Although I haven’t had much success in suppressing perennial weeds in the past. Their roots seem quite happy creeping their way under membranes.

 

[hughtrimble]

That is impressive work

 

[bobnewboy]

Thank you all

Does anyone else have any before and after photos? Could be anything at all…

The wife and I adopted one of our village’s road junctions (green triangle) a while back.

It went from this:

https://flic.kr/p/2hmG5mM

To this:

https://flic.kr/p/2hmJE2C

..and it eventually looked like this:

https://flic.kr/p/2iG3gtd

We keep it tidy and trim the tree when necessary.

 

[Woody girl]

Well done, that looks realy nice now.
That's the problem with a rotovator, it makes even more weeds!
Cardboard, then a layer of mulch of some sort. It will help some. Even wood chip if you know someone who can supply it, as long as its not pine.

 

[William_Montgomery]

Anyone else started a project this weekend? Post your before and after pics….

Good job on the plot, what a difference.

Been doing similar clearance work this bank holiday weekend. Beautiful plot of land, but it's had a lot of rubbish left on it for a many years.

Already taken a couple of van loads to the tip. Plenty more to go though. Most of it is in neat piles now.






Found some useful materials.


Setting myself up a little base camp amongst the piles of rubbish.


Made a new friend too, he hangs around in the apple tree.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

all the roots of which have been chopped up and mixed up into my lovely soil.

That's called root multiplication in gardening parlance.

 

[CrispyDuck]

@William_Montgomery those piles look very satisfying. I still have a general heap of junk that I’m hoping I can reuse on the plot somehow and a heap of complete junk that I need to sort through.

Think the worst thing I’ve found so far has been a buried broken glass window.

 

[Stew]

The ones I’m most worried about are the brambles, bindweed and mares tail.. all the roots of which have been chopped up and mixed up into my lovely soil. My plan is to cover the whole lot over and take on one bed at a time picking out roots and then planting.

It’ll take me years to really get on top of them, but hoping if I plant heavily, mulch generously and cover whatever I’m not using I’ll be able to keep it in some sort of order. That’s what I’m hoping anyway.

Although I haven’t had much success in suppressing perennial weeds in the past. Their roots seem quite happy creeping their way under membranes.

I tend not to worry about mares tail too much. I just pull it as I see it but as the roots are so deep and the plant is prehistoric, I figure that I wouldn't win trying to remove it completely. It's easy enough to keep on top of that one.

 

[CrispyDuck]

We’ve noticed the slow march of the mare’s tail across the plots over the last few years. Good to know it’s easy to keep in check. TBH I don’t mind a few weeds as long as they’re not total thugs