Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: RichardY on September 22, 2016, 01:56
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Was wondering if anyone has some ideas on turning over compacted clay and turf, essentially ploughing. I found 2 solutions on the Internet.
1) Was to use something called a "loy spade" used by Irish potato farmers, however I don't see any retailers that sell them.za3HAjcLpHU2) Is to use a long handle pointed spade, but pivot it on a wire-frame fulcrum. Like this.KAIJogtk3LY
Any other ideas? I've considered using a rototiller or a plough. But have tried using a trenching hoe/azada 6.5inch though the ground is too compact to break through the sod and lift easily, a mattock works better, but the handle is a little short for my liking, if it had no pick, but added weight on the adze that would probably be more ideal.
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Try the backsaver autospade. The first trench will have to be dug conventionally, but then it works beautifully. Although if you have really hard/compacted ground wait until it's wet but not soggy and only take small nibbles of soil or else you'll put too much strain on the mechanism.
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The backsaver autospade has been around for many years and must be good to still be in production. However, it will not turn over the turf and bury it neatly.
As has been said, let the soil get softer, or water it.
You could kill off the turf with glyphosate which would mean that completely burying would not matter too much. It would make the digging easier anyway.
Small cuts and not too deep. Dig a few rows every day rather than do it all at once
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Try the backsaver autospade. The first trench will have to be dug conventionally, but then it works beautifully. Although if you have really hard/compacted ground wait until it's wet but not soggy and only take small nibbles of soil or else you'll put too much strain on the mechanism.
I had a large area to do, much the same as your soil, Richard, and would also recommend a Backsaver, (or Terrex in old money) but as Salmo says, it's not as neat a result as the videos show.
However, there is so little bending involved with the Terrex, it makes up for speed, ease and comfort, but often leaves a bit of uneven ground here and there. But if you've knocked off the weeds etc beforehand, you'd be doing more to it in the spring anyway, so it doesn't really matter!
I'd also consider the fork attachment, as that would work well in clay.
http://www.dobies.co.uk/Garden/Garden+Equipment/Garden+Tools/Forks+and+Spades/Backsaver+Spade_580955.htm?gclid=CjwKEAjwgo6_BRC32q6_5s2R-R8SJAB7hTG-O3hrB_1A-wj7d0KrVMWkFhA6n0QdapPegBLV3g0O5RoC4_rw_wcB
I didn't know that Dobies were doing these now, so it might be worth a look, but just about a hundred splonders is a bit of a gulp..;0)