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New allotment and half of it like a bog - help please

• Message 1. 

  Posted by LindseyL1 (U15027964) on Sunday, 6th November 2011

  I am a novice on the allotment, in fact we all are as it is a new allotment site. I know I have to prepare the soil, but the ground is solid clay and top soil has been put on top. I have just trod on my allotment and sank up to half of my wellie. It's a bog. What can I do, any advice would be great please.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by DiggerSean (U14704361) on Tuesday, 8th November 2011

  It sounds like you'll have your work cut out but all is not lost. Firstly I wouldn't work on your plot if it's waterlogged as you'll probably cause more damage than good. Wait until it's drained before starting work, you may have to wait until the spring but hopefully you'll get a chance to work your soil before then.
  For me you've got two choices, double digging which is very hard work but will improve your soil considerably.
  Your other choice is constructing raised beds with paths in between them.
  
  Both have their pro's and cons but at the end of the day it's a personal choice.
  
  What ever you decide to do your hard work will be rewarded, but remember that little and often is much better than tiring yourself out completely by doing too much too soon. Good luck!

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Jasmin (U14270220) on Tuesday, 8th November 2011

  Lindsey, you have several replies to the same question on the other thread you posted.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Wednesday, 9th November 2011

  Oh! tut! Tut! Let the girl talk and experiment.

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Wednesday, 9th November 2011

  Lindsey
  
  If you are all new and they are all new allotments, then you only have one choice and that is for everybody to log on to Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú gardening message board.
  
  Perhaps you could hire a mini plough to dig them all over in the first instance together. It might be a good start and you would all know what you have all got in terms of soil.
  
  Or don't allotment people do things like that?

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Wednesday, 9th November 2011

  This sounds very much that the sub soil is grossly compacted
  if this is the case you have a big problem on your hands
  water will not drain away thus your top soil will remain a quagmire
  
  This is a common complaint with gardens which were building sites on new developments
  
  it is very easy to have hindsight but what should have been done is to have moved all the subsoil whan it was dry with a digger to a depth of at least two foot before any top soil was put on top
  double digging is not neccessarily the answer as you may have some virgin clay rubbish comeing up on top
  it really needs going through with some sort of breaker wehan the soil is dry
  but this requires the services of a very large tractor which probably is unobtainable
  Nature can sure this with a very dry summer which will cause the soil to crack naturally but of course this is not conducive with growing the next seasons crops
  Certainly double digging can help but ideally the top soil must be kept on top
  you may also need to put drains inif there is anywhere thye can discharge
  
  sorry to be the bearer of bad news

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Jasmin (U14270220) on Wednesday, 9th November 2011

  Oh! tut! Tut! Let the girl talk and experiment.  She can talk and experiment all she likes, Papa - I was just directing her to the answers on the other thread in case she missed them.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Wednesday, 9th November 2011

  It certainly sounds Farmersteve,does it not that a concerted effort by the allotment holders to get ALL their plots broken up at the same time, would be a very good idea indeed.
  .
  If they did what my good neighbour did on his 30 year compacted
  pasture last ploughed in 1970, last year, they would have to use about 5 different sophisticated gadgets to obtain the rich loam that is now the case out here, but they WOULD have it
  
  I don't agree with farmer Steve about the non mixing of top soil, in the circumstances. It might be the best thing.
  
  Whatever the case you have got to WORK THE SOIL, by hook or by crook!

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Wednesday, 9th November 2011

  It is always a sahame that when allotments are formed from scratch that no thought is given to the soil conditions
  a little work beforehand could save hundreds of hours of back breaking work
  
  old compacted pasture is not a real problem as the compaction will be in the top few inches and digging over the first time will release this
  
  deep soil compaction happens in this case, by heavy traffic over it then putting a layer of topsoil on top can make things worse
  
  if the clay underneath is pure subsoil clay it can make very heavy work if it is mixed with the topsoil and may actually cause all sort of greif with great big clods which will never work down by human hand
  

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