[veggienut]

Hi.
Acquired an allotment back in May this year, dug half of it and planted lots so far: however: I need some advice? The part I dug was relatively easy, had been cultivated not too long ago. The other half, well , youch! Have two ideas so far:
cover it with cardboard and tarpaulin and wait for nature to help or
hire a tiller. The ground is so hard to put the fork in, just so dry . My back is not too good. Any ideas would be appreciated. I can hire a tiller at a cost of £26 for the day but have just been told by chap at allotment it may not get through ground?

[richyrich7]

To be perfectly honest the kind of machine you need to get through that would probably be nearer the £100 a day/weekend mark.
I hired a big 8hp camon rotavator this year and while it did the job, a bigger hydraulic type of machine would have probably done a better job.
Better off waiting till we've had a bit of rain then digging over IMHO take it easy on the back.
Do you use a longer handled spade ? they are better on the back than the shorter normal spade.
Rough dig the ground by the end of November and leave the frost to do the hard work by spring you'll have a lovely friable soil to work with.

If your covering then I'd use something degradable or at least water permeable, tarpulin/plastic will just make it drier and harder. 

[Sue33]

hi veggie nut, we're in Essex as well and yep the soil is sooooo hard, can you leave it for a while, maybe hoe off any weeds to start with and then turn it over in the winter when it should be softer?

[Aidy]

+1 with Richy. I personnaly would not use the cover and wait method, certain weeds will sit under it and then shoot up, horsetail for one, I re-laid our path when we moved in, I reckon the path are was covered in concrete for 40+ years, I put down paving blocks and within three weeks of laying it, horsetail was poking through. I am afraid its hard work but do it slowly, mark out small areas and concentrate on clearing it bit by bit.

[veggirl]

Hi Veggienut,
I got my allotment this year - it was ploughed for me, but very hard (huge lumps the size of my head). I found a local landscape gardener with a ride on rotavator and he went over it twice for me. It left the ground easily workable, and as an added bonus, disturbed all the annual seeds so I can clear some of them. I reckon it was well worth it, but he couldn't have done it if I'd finished planting, as he couldn't have driven up the path!