First of all hello everyone – it is my first post here. Charles – thank you very much for your website and all of you – for all the advice shared here on the forum!
I took up an allotment last November and have been trying no-dig there since then. I also struggle with horstail and binweed. Last November we covered the main part of the plot with a black membrane (we have not thought to put some compost over it then). Then, I had covered my half of the uncovered part with cardboard and compost whilst my partner had dug his half. Then a flood had come and stopped us from doing anything till March when we covered a perenimeter with some woodbark in hope to plant bushes this autumn. Now I see that the horsetail grew through it and it is a problem on the cardborded part too:/ We started planting in the uncovered soil in April and I can see that a cardboarded part is certainly easier to weed (in particular the one covered in cardboard and compost in April) but even this is still infested with the above two: horsetail and binweed. Any suggestions how we could tackle it this autumn? As it can flood I do not want to plant any overwintering vegs but am now also thinking about sowing some green manure – also on the part that has been covered with membrane for almost a year (soil is not bad but on the clayish side). Is it a good idea or it is better to buy some horse manure, spread it and keep covered with a black membrane till spring? If the former -what manure would you recommend?