Topic: A Fully Carpeted Plot!

[Aeeeek]

Just been down to check out my new, new plot ( moving sites) and under a good layer of grass is carpet , in fact it is carpeted  top to toe over the whole plot and under the carpet is clear plastic, according to the neighbours this plot hasn't been used for at least a 2 years ( the plastic is very brittle)

Under the carpet and plastic the soil is very, very hard ( and shiny!) will being under these layers of carpet/plastic for so long have damaged the soil or is it just a case of breaking the top crust??, ( or shall I cheat and do raised beds with bought in topsoil???)

[amphibian]

I'd just dig it over and add plenty of organic matter.

[bupster]

I'd give up on the veg, get a three piece suite and a standard lamp and call it an outdoors front room.  :D

Seriously, if the plastic has broken down then it's going to be a bugger to get rid of but the soil should be fine. And after two years a lot of your perennials will be dead. Bit of a job getting shot of the carpet, but it could be worse; one chap on these boards got a plot that had been used as a carpark. Imagine trying to dig over that! Get a load of muck in there and you'll be fine and it won't feel so much like cheating  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Your biggest problem will probably be getting rid of the carpet and the plastic, assuming the latter isn't in re-usable condition. One you've got that far, it should be easy to dig.

[Anne Robertson]

Aeeeek, are you in the alottments near Matalan?

[Aeeeek]

Hello Ani..
I was in the ones nr Matalan , but have just changed sites as my OH mate has got one on the Blacon site which makes it handy to do some plot sitting for each other...