[SalB]

Hiya , I keep hearing about not digging if the mud sticks to your boots..... Can anyone tell me why that is? I did quite a bit of digging earlier on this week , which involved pulling out huge roots ....Have I done any damage? ...and yes the mud was sticking to my boots 

Hope not as I've only got 2ft x 15ft left to clear now

Cheers Sal

[DD.]

You ruin  the soil structure by treading on it.

Your nice light & airy soil ends up as compacted mud!

[GrannieAnnie]

You tend to get stuck in the mud!!!!!

No, serious now!  I think it's because working in the wet ground, it tends to compact it down more round where you are working, but I supoose if you are walking backwards as you dig and not walking on it, may be okay, but your nearly finished now anyway, and if we get some more frost, that'll help break up any big clods you may have there.

but I'm no expert, so no doubt yoo will get a more technical answer soon!!!  

[shaun]

plus it sticks to your spade

[DD.]

I think we both said about the same GA!

Shuan - thought you didn't believe in spades and used heavy agricultural machinery!

[shaun]

I think we both said about the same GA!

Shuan - thought you didn't believe in spades and used heavy agricultural machinery!

i use the spade to clean my machinery sorry DD its not a spade its a shovel 

[GrannieAnnie]

LOL, that's right DD.  When I clicked on 'post' it told me there was another reply,.  we were only a minute apart!!!! lol

[poultrygeist]

Does digging it again once it's dry open the structure properly ?

Twice the work but hopefully puts things right again. Or will that only break it into smaller compacted lumps ?

Rob

[chooknewbie]

*has had to dig whilst wet out as other allotmentiers have been complaining about the lack of work going on on my allotment*  miserable beggars...not like the grass was 6ft and the weeds going crazy!!!

[Yorkie]

Rob - I was taught on my gardening course that the soil structure damage would be permanent, not temporary.

Something to do with the tiny size of the soil particles (or something like that, perhaps)

[richyrich7]

Rob - I was taught on my gardening course that the soil structure damage would be permanent, not temporary.

Something to do with the tiny size of the soil particles (or something like that, perhaps)

thats the way I understand it too Yorkie.

If you have to work on the soil work from off a plank this spreads your weight and minimizes damage.
 BUT you would have thought the other allotmenteers would not expect you to be working in this weather. I know on my site this time of the year it's virtually uninhabited fro days on end.
Some sites have funny beggars in charge 

[chooknewbie]

oh they are just totally shocking,.....nothing against the older members of the community on here, but our allotments do seem to be mostly of the retired ilk, and just lately there seems to be quite a few young 'uns coming in ...probably cos they need to what with the state of the price of shoppin and all that...anyway, i think that they liked it the way that it was, and that the young ones dont do it the way that they do, and so therefore dont like the change.... i dont know, could be totally off, but i grew enough last year, have got my poultry, and yet they still arent happy....have even put in some onions, which i dont expect to do much of anything, other than to shut the complainees up as i am actually doing something on my garden...despite having probably trashed my soil in the meantime.

[Elcie]

So, the damage actually comes from treading on the soil rather than digging it?

Wouldn't make a difference to raised beds then, or am I geting mixed up?

[Yorkie]

Chooknewbie, don't worry about it too much.  You'll always find some people won't be happy unless you toe their line.  You're enjoying yourself, keeping on top of the plot, and that's all there is to it!

NB I can see your email address if I hover over one of the icons (a triangular lookingone) under your name / avatar - I'm not sure what you've got ticked in your profile, but did you want to enable others to find this out and/or email you?  Probably best not for safety but it's your choice  

Elcie - the damage comes from compacting the soil.  If you're stood at the side of raised beds whilst doing all the digging, and aren't walking on the soil at all, I would imagine that you're not doing as much damage as you would if standing on it. 

[richyrich7]

Can be difficult sometimes. Some people old and young don't like or want change, it threatens their security. Perhaps you could ask the secretary or who ever of any specific problems they may have and come to some understanding, They should know Rome wasn't built in a day and tell them "I can't get on the garden because it damages the soil structure." I imagine if you have poultry on there you must be down there every day