Author Topic: Why rotovate ???  (Read 3245 times)

Sage

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Why rotovate ???
« on: February 16, 2022, 20:35:06 »
Hrumph … Sage here , just wondering why  rotovators are used so much on plots ?
Chopping up perennial weeds into tiny bits , similar with earthworms , destroying the soil structure and hastening the breakdown of organic matter are just a few of the “ benefits “ l can think of. Can you think of any more ? .  :tongue3:

gray1720

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2022, 21:07:40 »
Because you can still move without the aid of an osteopath when you've finished your plot? As someone without a rotovator, I am ever-thankful for the existence of Madam Hannah and her House of Pain!
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

Beersmith

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2022, 22:08:22 »
It is pretty much a given that having an allotment means you will regularly see lots of other plot holders doing things differently to you. Digging, pruning, planting, sowing, anything you can think of they all seem to have their own way of doing things.  In other words, and this is me totally agreeing with you as another expert, they are doing it wrong.

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Not mad, just out to mulch!

gray1720

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2022, 23:00:31 »
In other words, and this is me totally agreeing with you as another expert, they are doing it wrong.

*snorts tea through nose*
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

pumkinlover

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2022, 08:25:49 »
I'll never forget seeing a trail of dead chopped up earthworms between one members plot and his back garden where he made a hole in the fence to access the allotments.
Amy  thoughts of having a rotavator dissipated.
I only dig out the potatoes now and let the worms etc do their work.

BarriedaleNick

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2022, 09:07:58 »
Here in Portugal the rotavator is king - virtually everyone with a bit of land uses one, at least round here.  Generally it is so hot and dry that any worms are 2 ft down and why worry about perennial weeds when you can just spray your entire plot with weedkiller..  This is the way many locals garden and it apes the way many farmers work too but on a less industrial scale - spray and kill everything, then 2 weeks later come back and rotavate it all in with a huge bag of blue pellet fertiliser, plant and water.  They get great results and many people here are relatively poor, in time as well as the unusual sense so I don't begrudge them their ways, I just don't want to go that route...
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

Beersmith

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2022, 09:43:01 »
I am ever-thankful for the existence of Madam Hannah and her House of Pain!

Well thank you for sharing, and I'm sure we all have our own little peccadilloes, but isn't this a little off topic?
Not mad, just out to mulch!

Tee Gee

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2022, 10:05:11 »
I have  always thought  that a worm  cut in two then becomes two worms and chopped up worms become many. Have I got it wrong?

Deb P

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2022, 10:23:20 »
I have  always thought  that a worm  cut in two then becomes two worms and chopped up worms become many. Have I got it wrong?

Looks like that’s a partial yes……🥴

“If an earthworm is split in two, it will not become two new worms. The head of the worm may survive and regenerate its tail if the animal is cut behind the clitellum. But the original tail of the worm will not be able to grow a new head (or the rest of its vital organs), and will instead die.”
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

Tee Gee

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2022, 12:38:00 »
I have  always thought  that a worm  cut in two then becomes two worms and chopped up worms become many. Have I got it wrong?

Looks like that’s a partial yes……🥴


Thanks for that Deb, something from my past told me that cutting up worms was not a total disaster, but I can't recall the bit about the back end and front end. Another aged moment, I guess.(getting a lot of them these days!

Deb P

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2022, 16:07:33 »
Ah yes, senior moments I know them well!
My favourite recent one was coming out of the allotment gates, I got out of my car, opened and pinned back the gates, went back to the car and drove through, went back and locked the gates…..then realised my still running car was not on the same side of the gates as me…. I stared in genuine bewilderment before I realised that I had locked myself into the site side! 🙄🙄🙄😂
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

gray1720

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2022, 22:12:12 »
I am ever-thankful for the existence of Madam Hannah and her House of Pain!

Well thank you for sharing, and I'm sure we all have our own little peccadilloes, but isn't this a little off topic?

Depends... If she's fixing my back after cricket, yes. If she's fixing my back after digginnng the lottie, definitely on-topic!
(it's the mother-in-law and I's nickname for our shared osteopath)
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

gray1720

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2022, 22:14:27 »
On a slightly more relevant note, Dad would never have fed a family from a garden on Essex's heavy clay without the rotovator - back-breaking stuff to dig, even after decades of manuring.
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

Beersmith

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2022, 23:05:39 »
On a slightly more relevant note, Dad would never have fed a family from a garden on Essex's heavy clay without the rotovator - back-breaking stuff to dig, even after decades of manuring.

I don't have a rotavator and have never been tempted to get one.  At the risk of being smug years of hard work have pretty much eliminated perennials from my plots so I could if necessary, but my initial reply was not to take sides as I can see rotavators can be great for some. It's your plot and within the rules you can do as you wish. But my post was certainly designed to be a bit facetious, and as this was the first post by a new member, it didn't seem very diplomatic  to join our discussions by dismissing an approach used by many as in, all but name, idiotic.

I hope that tea did not burn your nose!!

PS I know little about osteopathy but this town has a league two football club and a premiership rugby club. So the physiotherapy business that looks after many of these sporting professionals is a real boon.  Far more knowledgeable about muscles joints and similar than the average GP. Expensive though.

That said, and with great respect to my GP who is an excellent professional who listens and is serious about medical concerns. But with the current state of the NHS getting an appointment to see him for something like  joint or muscle problems  is simply impossible.

Not mad, just out to mulch!

Plot22

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2022, 15:38:44 »
We all do things differently and each to its own. My neighbour rotavates his farmyard manure in whilst I dig a trench manure in the bottom potatoes set on manure covering of soil potato fertiliser and slug pellets fill trench in. He uses a dibber on his rotavated plot but I get much better crop. Its good exercise digging but setting potatoes in my way is a killer. I am into my 73rd year and I say every year I don't know how much longer but whilst ever I can I will keep it. I like the taste of my veg  and the chat at the site but I don't want a rotavator if I left it in the hut it would disappear one dark night and be on ebay soon after.

ACE

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Re: Why rotovate ???
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2022, 15:21:26 »
I expect just as many worms get maimed or eaten when you are plodding through with your spade and pet robins. I rotovate large areas now after 50 years of hand digging. Run through the plot first with a fork to dig out any robust weeds, not many as I keep them down with regular maintenance. Then blast though with the machine, mashing any small weeds as I go. I have not noticed any downturn in the worm population.  This is on a bed that is cultivated, I would not use  a rotovator to clear a new plot, Asian hoe or mattock and a heavy fork are what's needed for that job.

 

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