Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: titch on March 21, 2009, 22:12

Title: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: titch on March 21, 2009, 22:12

our plot has been created from a grassy field.
the owner ploughed it, turning it over, so that underneath what looks like free soil are huge clumps of soil and grass
oh and i have been digging these clods out, breaking off as much soil as poss and then tipping the grass/soil root bits in a heap at the edge of the site (owener going to use them to fill bits around the site that are low)

it is back breaking (and old fork breaking  :blink:) work, which though tedious i dont mind, as we are doing a bit at a time, get a section ready to plant and then dig the next bit.
I just wondered is this the right thing to do - should i be doing something else.
A friend rotavated part of hers and said that she has to do it again anyway and that it has not reached down as far as the big clods (they are a good fork lenght down)

What would you do if this was your plot?

Title: Re: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: Stree on March 21, 2009, 22:44

Rotovated it and grown spuds packed tight. They would cut out the light for weeds and grass trying to reestablish for the season, and break the soil up.
See whats left to do before winter sets in.....perhaps mulching and blinding the plot with  a black polythene sheet or old carpets until spring, then rotovate again  and grow what you think you can on it.

Title: Re: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: Robin Redbreast on March 21, 2009, 22:47

you sound like ya have the right idea but i am not an expert! me personally would have done the same. you could rotovate it now and then again in 2 weeks and again in another 2 weeks to stop germination then mulch heavily with manure a further couple of weeks wait dig in and plant hopefelly that should work! :D

Title: Re: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: paintedlady on March 21, 2009, 22:49

Everyone has their own way of doing it, but it makes sense to do a first dig to break up clods and deep enough to remove any perennial roots and allow better drainage, and at a pace that suits you - if one bed at a time works for you, then that's fine.

Title: Re: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: Salmo on March 22, 2009, 00:13

Your neighbour is quite right to leave the turf where it is.

The farmer has ploughed the soil so that the turf is sealed underneath. That is what ploughing does. Do not disturb the turf because it will rot down and add organic matter to the soil.

Cutlivate the surface to level it. Only shallow the first time over and gradually work deeper each time you go over it until you have enough seedbed to plant into. Some crops only need it very shallow. A rotovator is good for this as long as it is not going in too deep and fetching up the turf. Some grass will grow through and you will have to hoe this off, apply roundup or cover with sheet.

Work with the weather. Allow the clods to dry out. When it rains and then dries they will break up easily.

Title: Re: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: Jay Dubya on March 22, 2009, 10:28

Hi, Salmo you talk a lot of sence , listen to this man.

Kepon s troshing J W

Title: Re: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: titch on March 22, 2009, 22:32

thanks for the replies, salmo you make sense, with a weeks worth of sunshine they are drying out nice already, going to do the deep rooted crops in raised beds at home this year, as i know the soil is good for that

Title: Re: is this the right thing to do - dig the whole thing this way?
Post by: paintedlady on March 23, 2009, 09:51

Out of curiosity, what kind of soil do you have?  With clay, clods round here set like concrete especially at this time of year!  I've learned to physically break them up before they dry out