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Vegetable Patch overgrown

  • 06-02-2014 1:09pm
    #1
    budgie001
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    First time poster on this forum. A few q's for you.

    I grew quite a few veg in the year before last but nothing last year. The veg patch which is quite big is badly overgrown. What is the best and easiest way to start it off again.

    I'm not bothered about organic, I've lots of horse manure, is it too late to spray the top off and if so with what to not affect crops etc?


Comments

  • #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,843 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    it's either too early or too late to spray; the plants wil be dormat so won't take up the herbicide.


  • #3
    Oldtree
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,104 ✭✭✭Oldtree


    dig dig dig :D lovely weather for it.


  • #4
    Macy0161
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,466 ✭✭✭Macy0161


    Too early to spray, and we're probably weeks away from the ground being dry enough to dig (probably not even the best to walk on it at the moment!), well where I am the ground is completely saturated anyway.

    If you are desperate to do something and used to, or are going to, grow in beds you could spread the manure and then cover it with plastic - plant through the plastic in the spring summer for some crops, dig in (and weed) for other beds or google lasgane beds for another approach.


  • #5
    budgie001
    Registered Users Posts: 78 ✭✭budgie001


    Thanks all well after reading that, ill strim the worst of the greenery off it and start the digging to clear as its pretty compact.

    A last q for you, is it too late to cut back raspberry plants?


  • #6
    Oldtree
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,104 ✭✭✭Oldtree


    no I havnt done mine yet. Just cut out last years stems that flowered and fruited (summer fruiting ones), they look darker and may have some of the side shoots still on. Autumn fruiting ones cut all back to ground.


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  • #7
    My Potatoes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 225 ✭✭My Potatoes


    budgie001 wrote: »
    What is the best and easiest way to start it off again.

    There are numerous things you could do, but here's one. Cover it with sheets of thick black plastic. Not light plastic like for bin liners, but heavy duty stuff from a builders providers.

    This will prevent light getting to the weeds, causing them to die, thereby weakening the strength of their roots, making the digging easier.
    We've had ten weeks of above average rainfall. The plastic will keep off further rain. Thought if we had a few dry windy days I'd advise rolling the plastic off to all for some natural drying out.

    Ideally, this is something that you'd have done about six months ago, but better late than never. I've done it in the past and, well, in terms of easy, I haven't heard of better.


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