| ALLOTMENTS
When
one starts to clear a plot ready to cultivate
it, the first thing is to decide how this is to
be done. First cut back all weeds to ground level
with a sickle or better still if you can borrow
or hire a strimmer, this makes the job easier
and quicker.
Then
you have to decide which is the best way to turn
the plot over, by digging it by hand or by machine,
machine is quickest but digging by hand allows
you to remove perennial weeds, as only a small
piece left in the round, can soon start to grow
again, but with a large plot this can take quite
a long time, but in my opinion its the best way.
With
machinery, first one must weed kill the plot with
a translocated weed killer, after spraying, the
plot is left alone for 10-14 days to give the
weed killer time to work, then you go over the
plot with a rotavator which can be hired from
a tool hire firm, they are quiet reasonable to
hire for a day. After rotavating over the plot,
rake any perennial roots off the top of the soil
and remove them and burn them.
Now
the plot is clear, divide the plot into 3; so
you have A. B. C. this is so you can practice
crop rotation, as you should not grow the same
vegetable in the same plot year after year.
As
an example if we were to grow Brassicas in plot
A we would need to lime unless the soil was alkaline,
then rake in a general purpose fertiliser two
weeks before planting or sowing.
In
plot B if we were growing Beans, Pea, leek, lettuce,
onion, spinach, sweet corn, we need to add liberal
amounts of well rotted manure or compost at digging
time, rake in a general purpose fertiliser two
weeks prior to sowing or planting. In plot C we
use for roots, beetroot, carrots, parsnips and
potatoes, do not add lime, manure or compost,
rake in a general purpose fertiliser two weeks
before sowing or planting.
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