I knew when we took over our new allotment that we would have to work hard to tame it, but I had no idea just how virulently those weeds would grow. I cut back some ground elder a few weeks ago, but yesterday, when I cut back the new growth, some of it was nearly three feet long. If elder were suddenly discovered to be edible, it would be hailed as a miracle crop.
Still, we've harvested most of the nettles, which have been added to the compost heap, and the site is now looking vaguely like it did when we adopted it. Our efforts have not just been to maintain the status quo, however. There is now a good, fertile bed with strawberry plants in it and room for more crops; we've reduced the elder to a about half of its previous area; there are large areas under carpet to suppress weeds ready for digging over in the autumn, and we've generally dug or tidied up and removed a lot of general 'stuff' - mainly brick, tile, wood and glass.
A friend from work has helped tremendously, working away in a corner of the plot, revealing from under a pile of debris a brick oven with two mash pans set in the top. This, we presume, was used to prepare food for pigs which were kept on the site at one time. (The plot has only ever been used for livestock, apparently, and never cultivated, which is why there is still so much rubble under the surface.)
We even have an overall plan that's relatively stable, probably because we've learned not to specify many details, which only change, usually several times. We won't be growing much this year (for different reasons, we've been in this position for what seems like several years), but we're managing to concentrate on small areas. The trick is to remain focused on immediate tasks so that we're not over-faced by the sheer scale of the work ahead.
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3 comments:
...what is extraordinary is how easily things that you want to grow, die - and how things you want to die, grow. You're right, you do just have to put your head down and do what you can.
More power to your elbow (and other bits) - txxx
It is hard work. No two ways. keeping on top of weeds or grass in this type of weather is not easy. Im after advice too - what do you think about snails/slugs. At the allotment thisdidn't seem an issue. But here - they eat everything. Had loads of sunflowers and they have scoffed most of them. And the sweat peas and...I too much of a woos to kill them, don't want to use pellets and the frogs seem to be on strike. Any suggestions welcome?
Hya alec,
too true too true that, should focus on what needs to be done in the here and now, cuz all to often when ya look at something in its entirety it can be such a large task it leaves you at a complete loss on where to stand!
i get that way about a lot of things to be honest! especially my guitar, you can't force progress just practice but it seems like ya getting nowhere fast, but then when ya do a chord change without any problem that at one point seemed ni on impossible ya realise that ya heading in the right direction!
& Even truer still is tone the blueshawks comment! aving a bit of a profound five mins between the lot of us ain't we!
I don't really do the whole gardening thing, mainily because i live at home so its not really my space to change & because i'm so scared of spiders!!!
keep on keeping on though alec, before you know it you'll be down that garden show thing showing off ya wears!
pukul
x
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