How to clear plot?

I'm currently working on half of my plot with a view to doing the other half next year. I've put some tarpaulin down in one area but the weeds are lifting it up! The rest that is uncovered is starting to look like a jungle. Any advice for how to clear it and keep it clear until next year when I can start working on it? Is it best just to tarpaulin the whole thing or use weedkiller?

 

I agree with John, and just to add to what he has said, I managed to kill my plot neighbours Parsnips...even being very very careful.

There are many ways to cover ground, here is an example of two, thick black plastic weighted down with whatever is to hand on the left and green manure on the right.



What ever you use to cover with just ensure you cannot see through it because if you can, weeds will grow. A neighbour has her back garden covered in cheap weed membrane, not only does this stuff rip at the slightest footfall, but the old grass is growing underneath it still.

Cardboard boxes can be used as can old carpets but check your sites rules as some don't allow them. Use hessian backed carpets, NOT foam backed one as the foam degrades very quickly and makes a right mess.



Carpet used as pathway in one of my tunnels.

And below, more covered ground...mixture of all kinds to do the job.



Steve...

 

I should say that the membrane won't kill everything. Some membrane I pulled back late last year now has bindweed and raspberry suckers coming through.

 

An overgrown plot is likely to be full of weed seed as well as weeds, so even if you remove every single weed together with all their roots you could well get all your veggie seedlings swamped by new weed growth, so consider bringing as much as possible on in cell trays/pots to give them a head start and planting out when a decent size and more able to overcome a flush of weed seedlings.

Covered areas can still be productive as marrows, pumpkins and courgettes will grow through whatever weed suppressant covering you use, planted into just a small pit of prepared soil underneath and will help make your plot look more tidy and productive.

Tomatoes grow extremely well through plastic mulch, so that's something else that could be planted in just roughly cultivated ground and give you a better crop than if planted in open ground, and with far less weeding and watering.

Don't worry about a few weeds remaining under plastic mulches (including bindweed) as it will be far easier to tackle these after they've been weakened, and in the meantime you'll have benefitted from a relatively weed free crop. Docks, thistles and brambles are the ones to try and get rid of before laying mulch sheets.

 

I have found though that planting permanent crops through membrane is a maintenance nightmare. I've spent the past two visits up on my plot trying to weed around the raspberry canes and strawberry plants that were planted through membrane and then the weeds came up in the small hole for the canes / plants. I might just use cardboard collars in the future.

 

Thanks guys, think what I'm going to do is get a strimmer and take it right down before covering it all in tarpaulin. I've got *some* weedkiller, the touch gel stuff, but I'm using that on any breakthrough weeds in the beds or coming up through the weed membrane I've but down under my wood chip paths
I don't really want to use weedkiller unless it's the last resort.

Thanks for all your advice!