[Thamesmeadhammer]

Hello all,

Getting there with the allotment, all but very slowly, have cleared most of it and managed to fill in holes and trench.

Want to start digging over but with the weather being very frosty would this damage the soil ?
Would it be wise to wait until the weather warms up ?

Don't plan to put down any manure until next winter (plot has been vacant for about 2-3 years)

Any advice please

Thanks

Tony

[penance]

If the soil is frozen then i would leave it till the thaw starts.
My beds are frozen solid, have been for 2 weeks. It is a pain waiting but digging forzen ground is hard work and I believe not good for soil structure.

[Aunt Sally]

Don't dig frosty soil !

You will turn the frozen bits in and bury them which will then slow the soil down from warming up (if it ever does  :roll: ).

[FCG]

You'd more likely damage your back! You must be crazy to think of doing it when it's frozen over. Give it till it is at least not frozen!

[Chuffy]

Just been out digging my garden plot. I've got a two inch thick frozen layer on top, so I've just been turning that over like paving slabs. The soil underneath is fine and easy to work.

[crowndale]

I've turned over soil that has just the top half inch or so frozen and the soli is fine underneath, dryer than it has been in a while as well.  but today it was probably frozen 3 or 4 inches down it was so hard!  I wasn't planning on digging today anyway!  Went to the tip with some junk on the plot and the metal stuff was sticking to my gloves!  It was absolutely perishing cold! -2C all day according to my cars thermometre.

[Farmer Fred]

i've had either a swamp, which is like trying to dig modelling clay, or a frozen allotment since mid November. it is so frustrating at the minute.

[Teen76]

You aren't really supposed to dig when the ground is frosty or very wet as it damages its structure.

All I get here if I try putting a spade or fork in the ground is reverberations up my whole body like a tuning fork ha ha

It doesn't go in at all and it hurts my wrists.  A bit like when you hit solid rock!

I've been trying to find other things to do instead, like putting some guttering up on my shed.  Its been so cold though I've tended to stay indoors and write lists of what I need to do, or what I want to plant this year etc.  Much more cosy than freezing your bits off ha ha

I suppose its really the only time you get to plan ahead.

[Babstreefern]

I've not touched my allotment since before Christmas.  I've changed plots and wanted to take my fruit trees with me and my gooseberry bushes - they're only two years old, so wasn't too bad.  I did all that in one day, and the following day the freeze started - so just in time.  I can now relax a bit.  All I've been doing since Christmas is starting off my onion and leek seeds - they are in my conservatory at the moment.  My only problem is, is the cat (I have a lovely big mainecoon cat - the largest domestic cat you can get) keeps lying in the trays - I'm sure he thinks he can hatch them!LOL - anyway, I've now shut the door on him so he can't disrupt the seeds.

[Parsnip]

I only got my plot in October, it was a very overgrown plot with brambles and stuff..But they cleared it for me and then rotavated it, just before Christmas.

I went up a few days ago and there are roots of, what I assume to be nasty weeds... :?

The allotment  chairman chappy happened to be there and I had a chat to him, he suggested leaving it then putting weed killer on it later..ie don't make work for yourself..

My problem is, I want to get stuck in

Oh and my darling  hubby just bought me a shed...

It's coming here we going to build it ourselves.

[Teen76]

I was the same in Feb last year.  All I kept getting was use weedkiller on it form everyone, but I tend to quite enjoy digging so they all thought I was a bit mad I think.  I use a fork as I've heavy clay soil and pull out what I can see and just keep doing this.  Eventually I'll get all the blighters!!  I'm sure it does the ground abit of a good too get air into it.  It was pretty compacted when I started.  Even if you just do a bit at a time and cover the rest.  

Mind you I was a bit neglectful during the summer and still had a bit of a jungle of weeds, but I'm sure it'll get better over time.  She hopes

 

[Salmo]

The farmers across the Fens have been busy this week pulling tined cultivators through frozen ploughed fields. They do this to let the frost into the soil so that it will break down to make fine seedbeds in the Spring. They are the professionals and probably know what they are doing. They are preparing to grow sugar beet, onions and potatoes.

If you have heavy soil with a layer of frozen surface take a stout fork and lever it up, leave it rough. Do not go in deep. When the soil drys out in the Spring the result will be a nice fine seedbed. I would only do this where you are going to plant small seeds such as carrots or onions.

By the look of the weather forecast you are probably a day too late. Do not go on it when it is wet.

[robbodaveuk]

I've been trying to find other things to do instead, like putting some guttering up on my shed.  Its been so cold though I've tended to stay indoors and write lists of what I need to do, or what I want to plant this year etc.  Much more cosy than freezing your bits off ha ha

I suppose its really the only time you get to plan ahead.

I can totally relate to that comment Teen76, I have lists all over my bedroom now with all this dodo weather. It's so frustrating not being able to get out and work your land.

  Robbo.

[Christine]

I don't dig when the ground is frozen. I hope that the frosts come late enough for the plot to be clear and roughly turned.

Trouble is that at this time of year when we want to get on with this, that and the other which is left over from last year, the soil is either sodden due to rain or frozen due to prolonged cold.

[out4nowt]

I've been digging today. The ground has quickly changed from rock hard to nice and dry easy to dig luxury! I got quite a bit dug.