Clearing an overgrown garden

Sometimes an allotment plot will have been vacant or neglected before you take it over. If so, your first step is likely to be removal of rubbish or clearing of weeds and scrub which may have developed.

Good tools for this job are:

• strong pair of gardening gloves

• shears / secateurs / loppers

• rake

• fork

• spade

Explore your garden

Take an initial look around your plot and choose what is worth keeping. Features such as ponds, sheds, paths and compost structures can be incorporated into the layout of your garden, or moved and redesigned, depending on what you want the overall look to be.

Explore the overgrown garden and see if you can identify any plants that you may wish to keep such as herbs, foxgloves, ferns and herbaceous flowering perennials left by the previous gardener. Fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums and possibly even a quince or mulberry could be present. Soft fruit bushes such as gooseberries or black and red currants may be hidden among the grasses and brambles !

Removal of weeds

When you are ready to begin clearing, start by cutting down everything that you want to remove close to ground level. Place all the cut vegetation for composting in a heap and then concentrate on the remaining growth. For areas to be cultivated, your objective will be to remove the roots of weeds by digging. This can be a lengthy and difficult operation, depending on how overgrown your garden is.

One effective and energy-saving method for the removal of weeds is to cover all or parts of the plot with material that will prevent light from reaching the soil surface. Leave the covered area for at least a season, when the weeds will have died off and the area can then be uncovered and dug over ready for planting crops. Some persistent roots may still have to be dug up and removed.

While some areas are masked with the sheets, you can dig up and remove weedy roots from other areas to gradually prepare them for crops. The time of year will determine which if any crops can be planted, hence the need to plan.

Experience has shown that spending a little time planning can save some endless regrets and also avoid many problems encountered on the allotment garden.