[hunlom]

hi all, local parish councl have just turned over an acre to use as allotments.they ve had it it rotavated for us(back in sept)..the field is notoriously wet..thinhing of using a load of old scaffold planks to make raised beds rather than plant in ground....any thoughts on this..? also got access to any amount of rotted bedding muck..would this be suitable alone to fill raised beds?....sorry for any ignorance,still new to all this.. :happy:

[peterjf]

dig in straw , compost , manure , anything that adds bult and breaks the soil up

[Yorkie]

Raised beds will help against some drainage issues, assuming we're not talking about streams flowing 

I would advise against just using muck as contents of beds.  Organic matter is a soil conditioner and does not contain the nutrients etc that soil will do so.  It is always a good idea to add it but not solely to rely on it.  Remove your weeds before you put the raised beds up, and as Peterjf says, dig the whole lot together.

[Goosegirl]

Living on re-claimed and flat mossland, I know only too well the problems of heavy, wet, badly-drained soil - ours is on previous farm field land. I use raised beds, constructed after double-digging the areas to break up any panning (barrier) layer between the top and sub-soil, and then incorporating muck, home-made compost and grit - all to open up the soil structure. Depending on the amount of wetness and inherent drainage problems, you could investigate constructing a soak-away or drainage channel to divert the water away from your beds. This would also depend on the site of the other allotments so as not to interfere with any of their possible drainage problems.

[hunlom]

thanks, really appreciate any help. had sprayed whole site (15m x 10m ) with round up which killed most weed off.then 10 days later rotavated whole area.but weather overtook me before could even think of planting up..now weed s are back....    ground just about walkable on...

[viettaclark]

We moaned about lack of water earlier this year, now we've got too much!!!

[Salmo]

I would not rush into installing raised beds or permanent paths during your first season. You will learn a lot about your soil as you are cultivating it. Neither would I rush into planting anything now. Concentrate on digging it well. Keep off when it is wet. If it does not get dug until Spring it will not matter.

Was this a grass field? If so, you will not need to be digging in muck for a year or two until the turf has rotted.

[SG6]

For heavy soil all you can do is dig in whatever you can to improve the soil. manure, compost, course grit. I have used mulching material as it breaks down and lightens the soil over time.

Does the local council have compost available? If I would suggest that plots are marked out clearly and you ask if a supply of compost could be supplied. After that allocate it amongst the plots and get digging. Add grit or course sand as I read that it acts as a fixing agent in that the soil does not revert back to heavy so quickly over time.

[smc]

hi all, local parish councl have just turned over an acre to use as allotments.they ve had it it rotavated for us(back in sept)..the field is notoriously wet..thinhing of using a load of old scaffold planks to make raised beds rather than plant in ground....any thoughts on this..? also got access to any amount of rotted bedding muck..would this be suitable alone to fill raised beds?....sorry for any ignorance,still new to all this.. :happy:

loads of sharp sand!! hnlom, thats what i have used on mine its pretty good now

[hunlom]

yes salvo, it was grassland before.. it was rotavated sept.reall y could ve done with round up`ing week before.luckily its only 200yds from home .plenty of time..loads of hard work comin my way    

[gillie]

What ever you do, do not walk on planting areas except when you are digging!  You will compact the soil and make it ten times harder to hoe or weed.  This probably means marked out beds, which could be raised, or using walking boards.  You do not have to cover the whole area with raised beds in your first year, you could make one or two and leave the rest to grow potatoes or brassicas.

Muck on its own is not suitable for filling beds.  It does not contain certain nutrients and anyway disappears remarkably quickly as it continues to rot down.  Use a mixture with your soil.  Do not use muck in the area where you intend to grow root vegetables and go easy where you will be growing brassicas which like the soil firm.

Cheers,

Gillie

[Tazmaniandevil]

I have just taken on a plot on a site which floods every year. We are right along a river bank and the river regularly comes over the raised bank flood defences.
That said the soil drains very quickly. After the last flood the park next to where I live is still under about a foot of water, but the allotments are all dry enough to work.
If you sort out the drainage, I don't think flooding need be too much of a worry.

[Goosegirl]

Potatoes are supposed to be good for growing on previous grassed areas such a field as they help to break up the soil. You will notice wireworms there but they should hopefully get less in time.

[chriscross1966]

Freecycle for topsoil (it comes up a lot round our area) or see if you've can make contact with contract gardeners locally who might need to dispose of such....

Roundup is no use in the autumn, it needs the weeds to be growing away to work but I wouldn't bother with it if your raised beds are going to be deep enough, just dig over the ground, weed as well as you can, layer of cardboard and then fill the beds with soil and muck....

chrisc

[solway cropper]

I started a plot from scratch three years ago on what was a lawn laid on heavy clay. the clay is not so heavy now and I'm growing very healthy crops but I reckon it will take another couple of years before the soil is how I want it. I've used sharp sand and loads of organic matter but I knew at the start I was in for a long haul. Best advice I can give....don't try and rush it. What's really great about a new plot is that it just keeps getting better as you work it.