[drypulse]

Hello, I just got my first allotment and I am a complete beginner! The plot is not a huge one, less than one hundred square meters at a rough estimate. It has been neglected and although there are not too many weeds at the moment, there appears to be alot of tufts of grass and some other unidentified vegetbale. It is very water logged.

My main question would be how would be best to improve the drainage and the nutrients? Would well rotted manure be adequate for both and would it need to be dug in or left on the surface? I am not concerned too much about planting anything too soon! And would prefer not to use raised beds.

My plan was to remove as many of the weeds as I can by hand before april, then rotivate the soil and add the drainage improver then? Does that make sense? Any advice appreciated.

[sunshineband]

Hi there drypulse.

Yes your new plot does look pretty waterlogged, but we have had a massive amount of rain in the last few days.

Are other plots nearby also running with water or do they look better drained? The reason I ask is that it might not be your soil type... it might be the amount of rain and the soil is just compacted.

Good plan to dig off all the weeds ready for the new growing season.

Manure all over may not be a good idea, as some crops find it a bit too much to cope with.

Decide what you would like to grow and where these are going to go, before adding any manure at all.

Best to put it where potatoes are going imho 

Hope that helps a bit

[Yorkie]

I agree.

If the soil sticks to your boots (which it certainly will at the moment!) then keep off it as you can do more damage than good to the soil structure.

Once the soil has dried out, you can do a soil type test either with a bought tester or by scrunching up some of the soil in your hand and seeing how it sticks together afterwards.

[drypulse]

Thanks for your responseboth of you! Certainly a fair point about the amount of rain we've had! Looking round the others near me they are wet but no waterlogging, today water covered 40% of the soil and was quite deep, even though I am on a slope in my favour!

Hopefully I will divide the plot into five for different types of crop and rotate each year. One would be the permanant one for rhubarb etc. Would there be any drainage improver that I could use on the whole plot? Sorry to bombard you with questions!

[bazh]

Hi drypulse

Are they vechile tracks in the picture, has it been used as some sort of turning circle at some point the fence looks new so it might not be as prone to waterlogging as you think, what are the other plots like around you? It may just be compacted and need a good digging.

Once it's dried out I'd be inclined to start double digging removing the weeds as you go, making sure you break up the hardpan subsoil, I'd do this rather than rotovate if it hasn't been cultivated for a long time.

If you do find out it really is prone to waterlogging be careful what you add as manure, leaf mould etc can retain moisture as well.

And good for you not automatically going for raised beds.

Good luck with it

[sunshineband]

Dividing the plot in the way you suggest is a sound plan, and if you have paths in between you will be able to walk about safely even when your plot is very wet.

You could use weed suppressant membrane with bark chipping on, as this drains well and is fairly long lasting.

'Drainage improver' will depend on soil type, so if t'were me I'd follow Yorkie's advice about how to find out what type of soil you have, and, hard though it may be, stay off it until it is a bit drier -- don't start digging yet 

Use the time to draft out your plot plan, and peruse those seed catalogues 

[Carrot Man]

Like Yorkie said, I would wait until it's drier as until then it will be hard to see what type of soil you have and if drainage is really necessary
It may appear it now but then we have had a lot of rain

[drypulse]

Excellent, certainly plenty of planning to be getting on with in the mean time! thanks everyone, been a great help.

[sunshineband]

Glad it was all helpful 

[Salmo]

Being Basingstoke the subsoil could well be chalk and the topsoil chalky clay. Keep off it in the wet. From what I remember the other soil type in that area is greensand which is very nice. Rub it between yourthumb and fingers. If it slides it is the former, if it is gritty probably the latter.

[kosh42|EFG]

Welcome to another local. Where abouts in town is you plot? I got one in Oakridge last summer, but none of the plots at my site look that waterlogged (but I haven't been since yesterday's torrents)...

Saying that, the soil in our allotment varies greatly from one end to the other. Most of the others hate me as for some reason my soil is lovely, dark and fine where thier soil is hard clay lumps...

[drypulse]

Hi Kosh, my allotment is in Old Basing, nice and close to me which is handy! Your soil does sound very nice, what is the Oakridge site like? Good community?

Joe

[kosh42|EFG]

It's smack in the middle of the estate, and often there is the sound of barking dogs and swearing teenagers...

However there is a fantastic little community on the plot. All really helpful and always stopping for a chat. One of the main reasons I chose that plot (apart from it being half way between work and home) is that an old friend has an allotment on the site and I can bribe her daughter into watering if I'm away on holiday

And my headphones and Bach soon block out any noise from outside the fence...

All the best with your new plot!

[Swing Swang]

Drypulse - you're just round the corner - it'll be clay on chalk, and possible not very thick clay at that - I know that OBAGS have halved the size of their plots, but yours looks pretty small. How long were you on the waiting list for?

Anyway the folks round there are a pretty friendly bunch - I don't have a plot there but occasionally wander around to see what others are planting and to steal advice and ideas.

If you check out some of my very early posts you'll find some opinionated posts on how I drained my patch with b@stard trenching, manure and sharp sand etc.

Then there's always the village show - try and get your name onto a trophy or two!

Welcome to the site and to growing veg in Old Basing

Swing Swang

[drypulse]

Hi Swing Swang! Had a look at some of your early posts, looks like you had a lot of work digging in all that manure! How did the plastic milk cartons work as cloches? Looks like a good idea.

My allotment is quite small compared with some of the others, I think they split one big one down into 4 little ones, but it's enough for me to be getting on with, for now! I was waiting over two years for it. Now it's here I'm really excited heh.

I love the village show! One year I'll win something...one year!

Regards, Joe