[pvc]

hi please could some advise me ,I.have just be offered a plot  after a couple of years on the waiting list. the problem being that  the plot floods in the winter.I have been told that the requires about 5 ton of topsoil  after it has been cleared and I will be putting in raised beds. do I accept this and get a foot in the door so to speak or wait several years for a better plot .Several other plots around flood alsothe plot is rent free. Will I be wasting my time and money or should I accept that will be only able to use the plot for a  limited time of the year, any suggestions please

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

That's a tough dilemma you've been faced with.

Is it a council plot and are they going to provide the topsoil?  It could get quite pricey otherwise, particularly as this is one instance where raised beds are a really good idea (but again need making / funding - ideally from treated timber or it won't last long in that dampness).

Can you ask other plot neighbours how significant the flooding is?  Also, whether it's owing to water run-off in heavy rain, or high water table?

Might also be worth considering what you plan to grow - if only during summers, and the floods are only winter ones, perhaps that's not so bad as if you wanted garlic / leeks / broccoli / other winter veg.

[Yabba]

If the plot is rent free then I'd be tempted to just use it in the months that you can *if* you're allowed to stay on the list until a "paid" plot comes up.

My lil plot in the corner is always water logged in winter, normally doesn't become usable until april/may, I live with it because it's free

Since I got it though I got lucky and gained more, better drained, space to grow in and a bunch of excess soil due to some footings that needed digging so, with a tad of luck, next year I might even be able to use it before april

Either way, it's still free and I use it when I can

¥

[paintedlady]

My big plot used to look like a marshy lake every winter so I when I took it on I decided to go for raised beds.  After 3 years of working it, I learned the reasons for flooding was:
1) my ex-neighbour had dug a channel off his plot to drain into mine
2) it was at the bottom of a hill so will always have a higher water table
3) the council tractor had compressed and compacted the heavy clay soil (and subsoil) after an annual trim so water was never able to drain away.

At first I used the plot just for summer crops but after digging and creating the beds, it is now a very productive plot throughout the year.  The channels were filled in and boundary footpaths resurrected so that stopped the drainage.  Even digging through the compacted soil was enough to reduce the flooding problems, but being at the bottom of the hill actually has its advantages - I don't need to water the plot in a dry spring or hot summer half as often as those at the top of the hill 

The raised beds are made from wood collected from skips - several short lengths of floor or roofing joists or old skirting boards etc - so doesn't look neat & tidy but it does the job of raising the soil enough to allow gravity to drain off excess water and hasn't cost me a penny.  And don't forget you could use things like old tyres or old bathtubs if you can get hold of them.  No top soil for me but anything compostable & manure, and the occasional bags of sharp sand if I want better drainage eg herbs.  I won't deny it has taken a lot of effort but well worth it. 
 
So to answer your question pvc - if you are prepared to do the work and keep at it, go for the plot.  As for expense, that is entirely up to you.  The other reason I might suggest why it might be a good idea is that it is unlikely the plot has been cultivated much if others have avoided it so the number of pests and diseases are more likely to be much less than that of an established plot & will work in your favour   

[Runwell-Steve]

One question I feel I should ask from experience is what causes the flood.  Is it just the excess rainwater and insufficient drainage, or is it because of a swollen river.

If it is the first, then I would go for it and put in some raised beds, gradually raise the level with as much organic matter as you can, and bring in any topsoil you can find going spare on freecycle if you have the means to transport it.

If it is due to a swollen river then you could have some slightly bigger problems as river water can be polluted, and you don't really want that on your plot. 

Hopefully it's just excess rainwater, in which case I'd go for it.  It's amazing what you can grow just late spring and summer.  If you looked at a lot of allotments at the moment people will have only just started planting a lot of their veggies.

[pvc]

thanks for all your replies I will take your suggestions on board.the flooding is due to plot being at the bottom of a hill.Several plot holders have raised there ground with compost/manure and raised beds.,at least I know where to come for useful advice thanks again 

[HugglescoteGrower]

you say the plot floods because it is at the bottom of a hill, but this could still be due to run off or to a high water table. It is worth finding out which as run off is much easier to deal with. If your plot is on the edge of the site for example ditches could be dug around the edges. It's remarkable what you can achieve in half a day with a mini digger, and a ditch 30 inches deep can lower the water table by three to six inches on the adjacent land.

If it is high water table then there is less that you can do, and raising your growing surface is the only way forward.

[noshed]

I've always wanted a go on a mini digger

[izzy]

we had to give up on a plot that flooded couldn't work it until late in the season once it had dried up. :nowink:v