First the compost frame... I turned an old pallet into a compost frame. Cutting the pallet diagonally to form the sides. and using the slats on the other side to build a back. It only needs a tarpaulin cover now. I had so many weeds it was put to good use immediately.
And a few hours of hands and knees left me with nice clean plots, the weeds had grown incredibly in the last two weeks with all the rain.
Like the carpentry and your ability to saw at an angle!My pallet compost is a bit more basic but good for holding the free horse manure and garden waste.It's rotting things down much better than the plastic daleks.
ReplyDeleteDid you manage to get rid of most of the perennial weeds on your initial dig over?
While I removed masses of root I still seem to have left lots of smaller bits.Now experimenting with cutting the thistles and bindweed just below the surface to weaken it ,rather than trying to remove the roots and thereby creating more "offspring".
Hi Shinny. I did scratch my head a bit but finally locked the pallet onto the top of my B&D workmate, got a long piece of wood to use as a straightedge and marked the cut.
DeleteI cut from about a third of the way down one edge to a point the same length from the diagonally opposite corner on the opposite edge. It wasn't too much hassle.
I like the result so much I intend to build a couple more to go alongside when I can pick up some more pallets, then I can cycle the compost along as it rots down. I reckon each will hold about 500 litres which compares well with the plastic jobs. I also do not like these too much, the compost tends to get too musty and they are much more difficult to get the compost out or turn it over etc.
As for the weeds, Most of mine were bramble which I did my best with. I went down about 18 inches and tried to remove what I could. I am seeing the left over bits sprouting back now. I go down on hands and knees and carefully pull them out to try to get the whole root. Most seem to be broken off bits of root sprouting again so I think I will have my work cut out for the next couple of years.
I know that ripping out the plant can leave more tiny "babies" underground for each to come back and bite you. The tiniest bit seems to be capable of regenerating a nasty new bramble in no time, particularly with all the rain we have had.
Next winter I will probably excavate the whole thing again to try to thin them out again. My big problem at the moment is that the two people who started the adjacent overgrown allotments seem to have been defeated and I am now fighting their brambles and grass seed trying to invade my patch.
Thanks for the comment and keep up the good work! If you ever get to the South Coast feel free to drop in and give the allotment a closer look.