[ntw]

Hello,
I finally have an allotment plot and it's on on a gentle slope.

The bottom end (and where the land levels out) is like a bog. About 6 feet in length x the width of the plot. I'm up for the challenge as it's a local plot, but can someone offer advice on how to improve the land so it's potentially useable?

I was thinking of raising the soil level and thus a raised bed at this end, but do any experts have any thoughts?

and no, I don't want to start a bog garden or a pong :-)

regards
Brian

[richyrich7]

Hi Brian
welcome to the forums

Might be worth a close look at that part, it's possible the ground has become compacted at that point, so the water does not drain, double dig a square meter or so and see if that area improves a little. Depends how much back ache you want to put into it.
Raised beds might be a better option, but still give the ground a good dig over if you can 1st

[solway cropper]

I had a patch of ground that was always waterlogged and when I looked into it there was a plastic pond underneath which had simply been backfilled by a previous house owner.

Needless to say things improved when I dug it out and, as richyrich says, if you do a bit of digging you may find out why it's not draining.

[aelf]

Hi ntw

What is the land like at the other end, is the bog in a dip? Is it boggy because the water table is near the surface there? you could dig a small (2" square) hole as deep as you can go and see what happens. If it drains the bog, problem solved. If it stays full of water then it may be a water table problem.

[rozalia]

We have a large bog garden and I've got 2 raised beds for veg (as we don't have much other suitable flat land).  This year I grew runner beans, courgettes and strawberries successfully.  I've also got a section for mint and next year I might try some watercress type salads as well.