[deannatrois]

To my delight I was given an allotment much sooner than expected.  I was wondering if I would have to learn how to hovver from my front door to gate if I planted all the stuff I had as seedlings lol.

So.., wonderful allotment, worked hard and cleared it in three days, its all ploughed, working on a continuing basis to remove large stones bricks etc (of which there were a lot.., moved a tonne so far and I doubt I've moved third of what's there.

So today, its the day when I start planting.  Potatoes first.  The rotivator has problems making rows in it because we're hitting a clay layer.  No problem, bit more work but I'll double dig it. Then I discover the clay layer is 4-6 inches down all over the plot.  Double digging won't help without the addition of lots of manure and topsoil.

Now, I am wondering if I just say tough luck, it'll take years but I'll just have to keep adding topsoil and manure bit by bit as I can afford it and meanwhile planting veg that will live in shallow topsoil.., or do I start writing to the council and saying the topsoil does not allow this pitch to be an allotment, please supply some more (with any hope whatsoever of success)?

I gather that this allotment was set up over an old graveyard.  The graves were removed, a layer of clay added, it was rollered, and then top soil added on top of that.

I'd appreciate your advice. I am not expecting a miracle cure.., or to have everything done for me .., I did expect a lot of work on being given an abandoned plot.  But I did hope for enough top soil to grow potatoes lol!

[elrohana]

Try your local Freecycle/Freegle for someone clearing/paving/decking over a garden who has a load of topsoil to give away?  They're always doing it round here.

[mumofstig]

IMO It would be easier for you to work if you devided your plot up into 4 ft wide bed areas.
If you loosen the clay layer under each bed, by gettin the fork into the clay as much as you can and just wriggle or lift the soil a bit, to aerate it and improve the drainage by loosening the hard pan layer.
You can then add soil, the good top bit, dug from your paths to raise the beds a bit more. I'm sure you would grow quite a few crops on it this year with the addition of chicken manure pellets or fish, blood & bone fertilizer.
Then in the autumn you can start your plan af working any manure you can get hold of into the beds. Green manure, sown in the early autumn, also works quite well at adding fibre to the soil when you dig it in....and don't forget to make as much compost as you can this year.
Good luck

These old posts may help...http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=54881.msg650688#msg650688

[Elcie]

Definitely worth keeping as you never know either how long it would take to get another one or what problems that might have - bindweed, flooding etc.

Raised beds as MoS suggests are a good idea as you can increase the soil depth just where you are planting and you can do this gradually over the years.

Good luck with it and feel free to post some piccies for us to have a look at 

[Goosegirl]

Clay rollered - ow! We bought an acre of field for sheep, hens, geese etc and a part of it was for my veg garden. I made raised beds because there was about 4-6" topsoil in places with a sub-soil "pan" because this had been run over by tractors in the past. It wasn't easy de-turfing and double-digging, adding manure etc, but it was worthwhile. Whatever you can add in terms of manure, compost will help - having said that, get some coarse grit (or seaweed if you have access and permission for this) and add this when you are double-digging. It's an instant drainage solver. Potatoes will help to break up the ground too, as will leeks due to their penetrating fibrous root system. It's back-breaking work, but if you do it now and add good topsoil to your beds, then you will know that the ground beneath has been broken up and will allow drainage. Any further organic matter will be drawn down by earthworms.

[gillie]

I can't help feeling that the layer of clay was added for a reason...  The plot had been a graveyard with 'the graves removed'  - but how thoroughly?

I would not dig too deep into that layer!

Raised beds are the obvious answer, but you do not have to do them all at once.

Gillie

[Ice]

I agree with a lot of the above.  If you can dig the clay add as much sharp sand as possible with some really cheap shop bought compost.  Divide it into areas so that you can grow a few things well rather than have a lot of things not so well.  Then keep opening up more beds  as you have the materials to fill them.

[deannatrois]

Thank you.., I am digging as deep as I can and breaking into the clay slightly.  Unfortunately the allotment has been allocated at a no funds available time (sods law) so I am making do with what I have.  I gather that the previous occupant DID grow quite good potatoes so I am making the troughs as deep as I can dig,  put some top soil on the bottom of the trough and making it as stone free as possible. Plan is to put the potatoes in place and cover as u normally would and see what happens.

Its all a case of suck it and see.., I don't mind some disasters at this stage.., I'll learn a lot if nothing else lol.

Once the growing season is over, I shall double dig and follow the recommendations given.

I am determined to end up with a good growing site however long it takes.

It just amazes me how supportive the other owners are, we've been given a lot of support and advice.  Someone came along this afternoon just to tell me that the previous occupier had grown potatoes successfully.., so 1) there is an allotment grapevine 2) everyone is trying to help lol.

[deannatrois]

The situation is not quite as bad as I was told.  I think its been subject to years of rotivating with no digging/double digging.  There are some nasty patches of clay.., and I've nearly broken my spade disintigrating them lol.., but its not a complete slab of clay as at first thought.  Its taken me several hours to deepen the first trench, but it is possible to do., so I'll just carry on like that.

Then when its time for double digging.., I'll sort it out properly.

Thank u for all your posts.

[binner]

8 of us got brand new plots last year, the poor guy in the bottom corner soon found out that there used to be pig sheds there! anyway he spoke to the council and they dropped him 2 ton of top soil off worth a try

[deannatrois]

Thanks, I've mailed the local borough with pics.., something might happen I guess.

[Rangerkris]

Theres a good base of blood and bone meal there already im guessing

[mumofstig]

yes, but hopefully a long way down 

[deannatrois]

lol, yes hopefully.