"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:



"Martin" wrote ...
Moonraker wrote:
Pam Moore wrote:
Ed wrote:
David WE Roberts wrote:
In a couple of months we are off on a 'world tour' until next
spring so
we won't be able to do anything to the allotment over
autumn/winter/spring.

It would be nice to find a strategy which made the best of this
fallow period.
I presume the alternative is to spray with a weed killer after we
have lifted everything then hope that the plot doesn't get too
rampant over winter.

I have seen several mentions of 'green manure' which sounds like
a good
idea.

Are there any recommendations for something which can be planted
late September/early October which will cover the plot without
encroaching on
our neighbours and can be dug in after Easter next year?

TIA

Possibly Phacelia?

Too late for phacelia now, but it's a beautiful ground cover, too
pretty to dig in! I just let it seed about and flower.

The problem is more likely to be vandals than wind, don't they have
those in Holland?

Not in our allotment it is within the secure area of the site of my
former employer. We do have the occasional thief who steals tools,
including two wheel
barrows, and fruit.
The black sheeting on unused allotments is weighted down with bits of
paving
stones, bricks etc. It is also possible to bury the edges of the
sheet in the
ground to stop the wind getting under the sheet. The allotments are
less than a
mile from the North Sea and in an unsheltered location. Most winters
have at
least one force 10 gales.

We always had a problem with foxes ripping anything on the ground up,
fleece didn't last 24 hours. If you use plastic sheeting then use
Mypex ground cover fabric, it lets the water/air through but stops the
weeds. More expensive but much better and more robust than plastic
sheeting, it will last a very long time and is ideal for planting
strawberries through for example.


That makes a very expensive alternative!
I wonder how long it would be before it pays for its self.

http://www.allplaz.com/

Nothing against it but what price does one draw the line between home
grown and supermarket veg?
Good old fashioned digging and weeding regime is always the most
practical and economical, but not in the op case I think.
Nice idea though, the Mypex.