[al78]

Having took over the second half of a plot a month or so ago I have been gradually clearing it and covering some of it in black plastic and cardboard. There is a section which has had black plastic down for what appears to be at least two years, long enough that weeds had spread over the top of the plastic and some had rooted through it. After a lot of effort I managed to get one of the sheets off the soil which took the weeds off with it (a bit like giving the ground a wax treatment lol). The photos give an idea of the condition of the soil underneath. Needless to say it is hard work just getting the fork in to dig it, when I do dig it comes up in huge clumps. What is the best way to deal with this, keep digging it and leave over the winter for the frost to break it down, dig it and try to break it up into small enough lumps to sow a green manure, or something else?

[Growster...]

It seems as though it's very dry, and therefore will be very difficult to dig, until the rain gets at it all.

Try and do a small area at a time, like a square yard. Fork it - or use a spade if you like, and get down as far as you can, hoiking out all the perennial weeds as you go.

If you can, get some compost or manure, and spread that over as well, and by spring, you'll have a great plot to lightly dig over, or rotavate, and you're away!

We had to cope with exactly the same conditions as you, and the plots are much better now thankfully, but take your time, there's plenty of that from now until spring!

Good luck!

[MrsLev]

That's exactly like ours! We only got it a few weeks ago and the bits that were covered in plastic are the worst! The crack in the ground go spade deep. I have no real advise because I cannot get a spade or fork to break it-have to leave it for Mr Lev and I go back over it on root check. I have considered that a pick axe might be the way to go though... Oh and after 2 large rain showers its no better

[finleyfreyaseth]

id put as much manure straw and horse/cow mukk down leave it or mb cover to let moisture and worms to get in the ground

[mumofstig]

That's the trouble with using black plastic - the soil just dries underneath  and if we have any hot weather it bakes 

It will need a lot of rain before it is workable, as the others have said - it could take months.

[al78]

Perhaps I should try this. 

[Goosegirl]

The plastic covering would have prevented any rain getting into the soil. If you can, just dig a small area at a time by doing a trench, wiggle your fork over the bottom of it, and add as much compost, manure, and horticultural grit as you can. If you don't have manure to hand, then lime it as you go along as clay soil tends to be a bit acidic, then manure in spring.

[snow white]

Are you intending digging the entire area?  It might be a good idea to get a professional in to rotivate it with some heavy duty machinery, then let it get rained on, dryed out then rained on again.  What you are not using till spring can be left with manure on the top for spring forking over.  If you want to get thing planted then at the rain, dry, rain stage, you will have to add some sort of organic matter - cheap compost is good for immediate planting into.  Then fork it in and bash any lumps out and rake over.
If you don't get heavy duty machinery in, you could devide into managable beds and do a bit at a time.  the ground will get wetter eventually and thus more workable.   

[Aunt Sally]

That's the trouble with using black plastic - the soil just dries underneath  and if we have any hot weather it bakes 

It will need a lot of rain before it is workable, as the others have said - it could take months.

I agree.  A LOT of rain and then I'd double dig it incorporating as much compost manure as possible.

Double Digging

[goodtogrow]

If you just sent fork tines down into the cracks, then levered up the 'boulders', you'd start to improve it.

Leaving it to the elements - wetting and drying -  should help with more cracking and breaking down with the fork tines.

Leaving it over winter then sounds like a good plan to me, but so does adding loads of organic matter, if you've got loads.

Tom

[al78]

I can get hold of horse manure, but only fairly modest quantities at a time as, not having a car, I have to ask someone to deliver it (and pay £1 per bag) so it is a case of can I ever get hold of enough of it. Because of this, I was planning to also go down the green manure route and have bought some vetch and rye for overwintering and digging in next Spring. Unfortunately the soil under the long-established plastic is in no fit state to be sowing seeds into and the area that I have covered earlier this summer with black plastic and cardboard needs the weeds digging out before I can sow any green manure there. I'm wondering now whether it is worth trying to clear this latter area and prepare it for sowing the green manure and tackle the compacted area later in the autumn and break it up when the weather is cold enough for frost action to be effective.

[Yorkie]

I'd concentrate on taking longer to get on top of the plot, rather than focusing on green manure.

[Rexmundi]

You could always just build raised beds on the ground and fill with manure/top soil/compost. This would prevent you having to dig up the ground at all.

[ptarmigan]

Hi.  It might be worth thinking about doing as Roxanne above suggested. You don't have to do it for the whole plot but to get you started put in a couple of raised beds and fill them with whatever organic matter you can get. You'll be able to start collecting leaf mould soon and spent mushroom compost can get delivered, its still quite cheap where I am.  Then put as much organic matter on the rest if you don't want to do the whole plot raised beds.  I've got the same 'soil' and used a mixture of lasagna beds (g*ogle) which worked really well and raised beds.  Also save the weeds, grass and  attached soil you dig up now and rot down in black plastic bags - this time next year they will have rotted down into goodness to add!  It does get better!

[Wavertree Red]

Do what I did when acquiring my plot - bribery.  Get as many friends and family down with the promise of a BBQ,  beer and wine.  Ask them to bring a fork and spade as there a may be a 'little bit' of work in between.  We had it turned over in a day and had a laugh doing it