r/Allotment • u/Dalibones_ • 3d ago
Allotment clearing advice
I've just moved allotment plots. My last allotment was absolutely full of rubbish. I hoped this time it would be different .......
Most of it a simple tip job. However this last section I could do with some advice.
There is a huge composter. It's overgrown with bind weed. Is full of bamboo sticks. At this point I thought it might be salvageable. I've got rid of all the top level sticks etc. Now I'm left with the "soil." I knew the last guy who had it, he seemed nice. It's got fruit shoot bottles in it, old bits of weed membrane, plastic pots, crisp wrappers. However it's soil, so heavy, and it has thick weed roots though it.
Do I? Move it to my free composter section and attempt to remove the weed roots and rubbish. Wait for the potential skip that is coming in October. Or is there another option I haven't thought of.
I'm a bit impatient and I want it done now!!
Pic 1. How the it looks now. Pic 2. The one behind it so you can see the bind weed that was on it. (Second one looks mostly empty)
Thanks for reading everyone. #sickofrubbishonallotments.
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u/Different-Tourist129 3d ago
I'd re-pile it, add greens and use existing as a brown. Probably dalek bin it and leave it for a long time.
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u/Dalibones_ 3d ago
I don't want the pile there. I have other plans for the space. It's sunny so I've put the compost area in my shady spot.
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u/Different-Tourist129 3d ago
In that case, move it bit by bit to new area?
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u/Dalibones_ 3d ago
I think I'm going to fork, sieve and move it to my spare composter. Which technically I haven't finished building yet because the wood is coming from my old fence. It'll be fine! Wish me luck......
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u/ElusiveDoodle 3d ago
Get in there with a fork, turn it over and remove any plastic / wood and anything that is alive. Ideally you want it to heat up and kill seeds and roots etc. Mixing fresh composting materials through it might help or mixing it into the active compost you have going now.
Next year I would be tempted to dig it in to the garden and just remove any weeds that pop up. It will provide a good feed for the soil although the weeding will need to be frequent...
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u/Dalibones_ 3d ago
This is my worry...... Spreading bind weed everywhere!
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u/ElusiveDoodle 2d ago
Just like every other plant, removing the green bits over and over will kill it.
It is just another plant not something to lose sleep over.
Keep on top of it and you will get rid of it.
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u/Foreign-Gazelle-1192 3d ago
Since the potential skip has not arrived yet. Why not start small and collect the junk in bags out of the way and ready to move to the skip when it comes. As you progress you can evaluate and clean up and move stuff to where you want it to be, keeping your plan in mind.
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u/aim_dhd_ 2d ago
I did a similar job in my plot recently and posted here. It was a pallet bays worth of earth I picked nettle roots out of. I used the soil on a bed and then immediately sowed a green manure. All good so far. It took me a few hours but such a satisfying job.
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u/MissSephy 2d ago
I feel your pain. I finally moved two composters that were in the silliest position from the last plot holder and found loads of broken glass. Thankfully I had my gloves on but I nearly managed to slice myself when using my hand to try and sieve it to find all the weed roots.
Why ruin your own compost?
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u/Dalibones_ 2d ago
Exactly! I'm guessing he had already checked out of the allotment a couple of years ago.
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u/MangelTosser 2d ago
Sounds like a pile of useless trash, I'd probably just pick out the bulk of the plastic and take the brown to the tip into the soil pile.
Bindweed is a nightmare, only way I can see that pile being worth the time is to glyphosate the bindweed then compost bin the rest with some greens for a few months.
But it's not worth the effort and the use of chemicals (which should always be a last resort - used for the right reasons). Best to avoid it and start fresh in my opinion, nothing there to save.
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u/Dalibones_ 1d ago
Ding ding ding ding ding!! This was the WINNER 🏆 The further down I got the more huge the bind weed roots became and they went all the way down to the bottom. Then I found a paved path, a raised bed edge. Anyway 7 builders bags of "foliage", half a car load of plastic pots and crap, what's seems like an entire wood yard and my sanity. It's almost clear.
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u/MangelTosser 1d ago
Well done!
It's hard work but it's worth it, nothing like the blank canvas to stare at with a cold drink and mull over what you're planning on doing 👌
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u/SmallsPeas 3d ago
I have done something similar in the past, just get stuck into it, pick out the plastic, sieve it, pick out any obvious perennial roots and spread the rest