[matthewdeller]

Having secured an allotment (in reasonable condition) a couple of weeks ago, i have managed to get my onions in and turn over a bed ready for spuds this weekend.

Then, this morning WHAM my back went again. i'm now struggling to see how any of the earth is going to get turned, a local guy has offered to do half plot for £100 - a lot of money but do i have any choice?

[Wildeone]

:shock: Ouch - How long are you normally laid up?  Get some plastic down and just do a little at a time once your better!

[Aunt Sally]

Good advice Wildey :!:

You could also use the no-dig method.  There are a few people here who find it very successful  

[GreenOwl]

£100 seems like a lot.  Think he's ripping you off.  What about friends and family?

I've offered my husband as a labourer to one our neighbours who's just had a hip replacement.  They're delighted.

[Wildeone]

£100 seems like a lot.  Think he's ripping you off.  What about friends and family?

I've offered my husband as a labourer to one our neighbours who's just had a hip replacement.  They're delighted.

I bet she is!  

[matthewdeller]

Good idea. Sure i am owed a few favours.

[Wildeone]

£100 seems like a lot.  Think he's ripping you off.  What about friends and family?

I've offered my husband as a labourer to one our neighbours who's just had a hip replacement.  They're delighted.

I bet she is!  

P.S. My husband is due a hip replacement soon will anyone offer to come and do my gardening!      

[noshed]

£100 is steep. Don't you know any strapping 12 year-olds who would like to do a bit of digging?

[crowndale]

At minimum wage £100 is around 19 hours work, I earnt more than that for 1, 8 hour day teaching, I don't think its a rip off for the work involved but will concede its a lot of money when the original plan was to DIY.  I have probably spent twice that amount of time so far to dig over around 1/3 of my plot (about 60'x12 growing space), but am going slowly and being very thorough, no guarantee others would be as thorough as we are ourselves.  I would go the route of finding friendly neighbours/teenagers/family etc before forking out to pay someone though, and whoever did end up doing it I'd be there supervising to make sure it was done properly!.

[GreenOwl]

£100 seems like a lot.  Think he's ripping you off.  What about friends and family?

I've offered my husband as a labourer to one our neighbours who's just had a hip replacement.  They're delighted.

I bet she is!  

Its a he!  Hubby went round today and took a look at their "rotivator".  Its 20 years old and has been sitting outside for a while.... Ha, so much for short cuts!  He'll be digging by hand yet  

[hotterotter]

thats pretty steep, most plant hire companies (thats plant as in machines not the green things that come outta the ground) will rent you a rotavator for £45 + VAT a day, your allotment association might do one cheaper than that. With a decent rotovator you can dig over your whole plot in morning, easy. I've never done my back in so I don't know if rotovating is totally out of the question, if it is with the £50-£40 left over after the roto + vat you could surely get some youth to do the rotovating and have cash to spare and have more land turned in for your money.

There's a bloke on my site who'll plough your plot for £20!

I wouldn't reccomend no-dig just cos your backs gone, you wanna get the whole thing sorted and perrenial weed free, then go no-dig because its how you want to grow.

No help now but something that might help in the future is a digging hoe - they're sold under the spanish name (azada) but everywhere else in the world uses then instead of spades. You can then dig land over working with gravity rather than against it. Digging land over the hard way with a spade is like a funny pennance for having the closest to perfect climate and growing conditions of anywhere in the world.