[yorkiegal]

The previous tenant of our new plot dug a trench around the entire plot to help with drainage. Apparantly this was because 3 years ago torrential rain caused most of it to be under several inches of water. But the trench really eats into our overall space.
Whenever other plot holders ask where we're situated they laugh and say ''oh the one with the moat!''. They all seem to be of the opinion that it is unneccessary and we should fill it in. When we got the plot about 4 weeks ago, the trench was bone dry. We plan to have raised beds anyway so what do you think?

btw our soil is mostly clay.

[compostqueen]

He went to an awful lot of trouble for a good reason. I wouldn't be in a hurry to fill it in just yet. You can't fill your plot with stuff immediately, it takes time, so I would cross the moat bridge when and if you come to a point where your plot is full and you need the extra space. In the interim you might get some heavy deluges which will demonstrate whether or not your moat is an asset 

My brother gets a flooded plot and it's no joke 

[TerryB]

If you can afford it get some 75/100mm plastic drain pipe or put a good layer of stone in the moat, back fill and then cover with wood chip. You will then have a nice path around your plot and should not get flooded out after heavy rain. 

[steved]

I dug a moat atound my plot and boarded it on the growing side with scaffold planks. All the stones i take out of the growing area are put in the trenches. Its been an abnormally dry 18 months since i did it and hasnt been needed since!
But i remember what it was like in the winter before i dug it and so wont be doing away with it.
Id rather have a tiny bit smaller well drained plot than a paddy field!

[Spana]

Would it be possible to use it for growing early crops along the bottom of it.  A sheet of clear plastic over the top would give excellent frost protection.
 Or what about planting potatoes in the bottom.  Then as they grow and you need to earth up you are filling and growing as you go. Plant one side  this year and another side next year and so on :happy:

[yorkiegal]

lol i should have waited until this afternoon and then i wouldn't have had to post this thread at all. Went down to the plot for the first time all week and the entire drainage ditch is full to the brim with water. There are also a couple of small lakes across the middle of my plot. So I guess the ditch stays where it is and it will be raised beds across the whole plot. At least now I know why the previous tenant scarpered to another plot on the other side of the site.

[sunshineband]

lol i should have waited until this afternoon and then i wouldn't have had to post this thread at all. Went down to the plot for the first time all week and the entire drainage ditch is full to the brim with water. There are also a couple of small lakes across the middle of my plot. So I guess the ditch stays where it is and it will be raised beds across the whole plot. At least now I know why the previous tenant scarpered to another plot on the other side of the site.

Well at least you know now 

[yorkiegal]

I dug down two spade depths in a couple of places on the plot today to check the drainage and encountered pools of water underneath too. As I said before the soil is mostly clay here. I'm going to do raised beds but is there anything else I can do, other than the moat to aid drainage on my plot? Would it help to put a layer of gravel down in the bottom when I'm double digging? I was planning to add sharp sand to the soil too.

[goodtogrow]

Just a thought about the water table, i.e. why the plot has standing water.  On our site there are plots which get waterlogged, and they're all lower down on the site, whereas others don't.

Some plots don't drain as freely as others on the same site, so I don't think you can change the nature of the plot without installing land drains everywhere.

Realistically, all it means is that you delay planting and sowing, and perhaps grow more transplants for later planting out.  The good news is that what is today's problem is a positive advantage later in the season, when water is more readily accessible for your crops in the the summer time.

Tom

[yorkiegal]

our plot is in the far corner and at the lower end of the site. The plot next door has a little bit of standing water, but the one on the other side to us seems fine. However, it is no doubt benefitting from our moat lol.

[compostqueen]

My brother has flooding issues and has made some raised beds in the areas worst affected, which has worked for him

If your plot floods then you could raise the matter with your allotment landlord who might be sympathetic and either do something or reduce your rent (as happens on one of our plots)

[gremlin]

I dug down two spade depths in a couple of places on the plot today to check the drainage and encountered pools of water underneath too. As I said before the soil is mostly clay here. I'm going to do raised beds but is there anything else I can do, other than the moat to aid drainage on my plot? Would it help to put a layer of gravel down in the bottom when I'm double digging? I was planning to add sharp sand to the soil too.

IMO putting in drain pipe or sand is pointless as all it will do is aid drainage by moving all  the water to the lowest point of your plot, where it will sit - unless you have a lower level ditch to drain it away.

I had the same problem when I took over my plot with an existing "moat" on two sides and solid clay 12" down. The test where you dig a hole and pour water in to see how long it drains away was a joke as the water level rose overnight !!  The answer was tons and tons of organic matter so the soil can at least absorb the water like a sponge.  It can still be far too soggy to walk on, but there is no water bubbling up from below any more when I dig a hole. Moat is now filled in.

[sunshineband]

Organic matter has certainly improved our clay, which allowed water to lie in puddles wehn we first go the plot 

[Christine]

sunshineband beat me to it. I started out with a plot that could have done with the moat. Much compost and years later, things have improved greatly.

I wonder if the previous tenant on yorkshire gal's plot has rotovated it many times and produced a pan just below the surface. Happens on clay plots a lot. Double digging is the only answer to that situation - along with lots of compost over the years.

[Kirpi]

bet you glad you have that moat now! (heavy rain)