[rowlandwells]

the ground has got so sodden and wet it's going to be imposable to plough the allotments before spring it's a bit disappointing because I like to plough all the ground and dig over the raised beds before winter sets in but as I said the ground so wet so it's going to be spring ploughing, I'm thinking about spraying the ground with roundup prior to ploughing the ground to kill of all the weeds I know I will need to leave the ground at least three weeks before planting but as we bench grow all our veg that's not going to be a problem

we also have a lot of chic weeds on the raised beds, I also think I will leave trying to clear that of raised beds till spring I was held up a tad with ploughing as I was spreading loads of horse manure on the plot and then we had a lot of rain on the ground so it's going to be up to the worms to pull that manure in the ground the same with the raised beds, I put horse manure on those maybe the horse manure caused the chic weed

I don't suppose the ground is going to cultivate as well in the spring as winter ploughing the ground something I need to find out come spring 

[Hampshire Hog]

Whilst I don’t plough my plot I agree about the problems of wet ground.
I should have dug over my beds by now but it’s just too wet.
Adding to that I need to strim the grass and cut the lawn at home but when will it be dry enough ??

[mumofstig]

Whilst I don’t plough my plot I agree about the problems of wet ground.
I should have dug over my beds by now but it’s just too wet.
Adding to that I need to strim the grass and cut the lawn at home but when will it be dry enough ??

Very much my own reasoning, right now.
Maybe snow soon, if you look at the long-range forecasts, so suspect little will get done until early Spring. I hope they won't bother to do plot inspections, whilst the weather is doing it's worst 

[Christine]

Maybe snow soon, if you look at the long-range forecasts, so suspect little will get done until early Spring. I hope they won't bother to do plot inspections, whilst the weather is doing it's worst 

It'll all look loverly under an inch of snow you know. 

[Snowboar]

I have a way that makes the ground not perfect but a bit easier for digging cover a section with plastic holds some of the moisture off so ya can dig but like o say it’s not ideal but helps ya plod along

[rowlandwells]

looking at the plots its unlikely I will be able to get the ploughing done till spring because its far to wet to even think about trying to turn the ground over I was watching my farmer friend ploughing a field today with a 4 wheel drive tractor and it pulled that plough up the ground around nine inches with little effort unlike my little two wheel drive grey ferguson with no heated cab 

[Christine]

You have a little grey Fergie Rowland. It's worth more than trying to plough your plot in this weaather. Look after the Fergie.

[Hampshire Hog]

No digging then and with the current cold snap I can’t even strim the grass at the plot or cut my lawn at home. Also think I will just have to hibernate. Checked my energy bill for this month and my gas now costs 4 times what it did last December. 

[rowlandwells]

just to let you know Christine we have 7 vintage tractors all grey fergie's except for 1 David brown alas only 3 are in working order and we only use 2 fregie's for the allotments one fergie we bought carries so many sentimental memories I can remember it being delivered on the farm across the road from us around 1955 it had 2 local owners from new until we bought it about 15 years ago and there's only one chap left in the village who  drove it from new including my Dad and my uncles who are sadly no longer with us

also HH its darn cold to do anything on the plot including sitting on that tractor as I said without a heated cab maybe 20 years ago with a good overcoat but nowadays its a no no like you said  hibernation comes to mind  till the spring