[Thamesmeadhammer]

Hello guys,

need some advice and help on this.

I share a  plot with Pete C.
Both our plots have been flooded and waterlogged since early December.
What is the cheapest way to drain off the water and the best way to keep it not so waterlogged.
Have read a number of items in books and they all seem expensive with the use of guttering, shingle etc....
Would simply ditches, 8inches in width and 2 foot deep along the plots help combat this ?
Also the water sitting on top has an algee growing in it !
Thanks

Tony

[dougsta]

Tony

Flooded for almost three months is a real problem. I feel for you. Even if it drains off the surface it could still be a long time before the ground is workable.
I think you're going to have to find some way of carrying the water away on a more permanent basis - otherwise it's going to keep happening.
Guttering & ditches are all well and good but as soon as they are full the same thing is going to happen.
However, is this your problem? I'm no expert on the legal side of things but it might be worth looking into the contract that you have with the council.
You pay them to provide you with land that can be worked - not a duckpond.

Good luck

Doug

[Trillium]

As mentioned, the actual planting areas may take a while to dry out but if the council fail to provide any help, you could try digging those ditches you mention. It's a bit of work but that's what gardening is about. Come summer you might want to also consider making either  raised or mounded beds so that the rain/water runs off. John the site owner had the same problem with one of his plots and that's how he solved most of it. You can check in his diaries for that, about a year ago or more.

[Yorkie]

I'm no expert on waterlogging, but I'm a little concerned by the thought of ditches 2 foot deep being accessible on your plot.  It would be so easy to slip down one and at that depth you could easily do yourself a lot of damage.  Just something to guard against...

[Thamesmeadhammer]

I should add that the plots either side of me are "delerect" as well, even though I have had conformation from the council that they are occuplied !

As for the ditches.....had a think about them and will only dig 18 inches.

The other plots on the site seem ok, a little wet underfoot, but not flooded like mine !

[woodburner]

Water needs somewhere to go, there's no point digging ditches if the ditches don't take the water off the plot.

One poster here recently had a plot that was so wet even after providing drainage, that I wonder if he had a spring!