Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: mick on February 21, 2009, 10:00:19
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hi all, when would you know when it is the right time to dig the lotty after winter, cheers mick ???
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All day today and all day tomorrow should see most of it done.
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As Eristic says now! if the weather is suitable.
I got most of mine dug in October and only have a couple of beds to dig.
Thinking about starting these tomorrow.
A word of warning take your time and don't injure yourself (back)
It is better to take a few days longer and be well at the end of the process as lay your self up because you overdid it on the first day.
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:)thanks guys, little and often then 8)cheers mick
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Mick a couple of things to add to Tee Gee and Eristic. (good points that I agree with)
If you are digging the ground for the first time now is the time to do it.
If the ground was dug last year and the soil is cleggy and sticks to your boots don't do it as you will cause problems later on.
I went to the alotment this morning and planted rhubarb and shallots. The ground was soggy and clung to my boots so after doing the minimum I came home. This afternoon I was able to dig a portion of my back garden and the soil turned over beautifully. There are areas where the soil is wet so I will not touch it until it dries out a bit.
Now for tomorrow.......
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Mick start digging once you get a letter from the council threatening to take your plot off you within 28 days unless you bring it upto scratch
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All day today and all day tomorrow should see most of it done.
I've got nothing to add to that other than it had me giggling like a teenage school girl ;D
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hi all, when would you know when it is the right time to dig the lotty after winter, cheers mick ???
When you got a new spade ;D ;D ;D
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ive been digging today and it felt really good to be cultivating the soil again not too wet so it wasn't heavy either jsut cant wait get things growing now ;D
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As much as I like the looks of freshly dug beds and the fact that I don't mind digging............. I don't dig. After reading many articles about soil and to dig or not to dig, I decided not to and haven't for several years now.
Our veggie beds never get walked on. In the fall I loosen the soil by pushing a fork straight down as far as it will go, pull the handle towards me and down, straigten the fork back up and then pull it back out with a twisting motion.
Then I cover the soil with stuff like old vegetation, green manure, compost and aged manure and leave it all winter.
In the spring, when we need a bed, I rake the coarsest stuff off for the compost bin and repeat the forking trick. This way the still loose soil gets aerated. Keeping the soil covered protects the top layer from UV rays that kill micro-organisms and from hard rains that will damage the soil structure, to mention a couple of the benefits.
The micro-organisms in the soil make it possible for plants to take up food and each type of organism lives in a different layer in the soil. If you dig and turn the soil, you upset these layers. So if you do decide to dig, don't do it shortly before sowing or planting because it will take 4 to 6 weeks for the micro-organisms to recover.
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That's all very well and good but you are not working on good old English clay which after a winter of pounding rain you would be unable even to push a fork into the ground never mind wiggleing it about. Winter digging is the only way to get the better of these conditions.
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Exactly. Winter after winter of pounding rain damaging the soil structure causing the need to dig. It's a vicious circle that can be broken. For a start, by adding organic matter and not letting the soil lay exposed all winter.
At our allotment complex there are a lot of 'old fashioned' allotmenteers sticking to the way 'it's always done'. They hurt their backs digging and the plot looks wonderful afterwards. In summer, after heavy rains (yes, it rains a lot in Holland too), water sometimes sits on top of their soil and then it bakes in the sun.
We talked about it and they nodd when they see our beds but next winter they are breaking their backs again because 'it's always done like this' and the farmers also plow their land.
It took us a lot of years to improve our soil. I believe that the most important reason for the no digging system is not only so you don't have to dig but to protect the soil life and structure.
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Let me tell you straight. You only hurt your back digging if you do not do it properly.
If the area to be cultivated is small I use the fork but for any larger area digging with the spade is the most efficient way to do it by hand. Digging does not damage the soil. How can it?
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I agree, don't do yer back in, anyway as delboy would say "digging is for wimps" thats why I don't dig mine, I run the old badger rotovator over my two. Havn't been able to get on mine yet let alone start prepairing it but hope to soon.
kev.
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Eristic, you may be right, "how could digging damage the soil? How can it?"
However, as I wrote before, I believe it disrupts the subsurface micro-organisms and exposure to the elements (pounding rain, UV rays etc.) damages the soil, layer after layer, year after year. I did not invent this, there's plenty to read about it around.
Thank you for telling me straight ??? but this is a forum, it's not between you and me trying to convince each other.
To each his own, I added my piece and explained why, so people kan make up their own mind. Over and out.
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Micro -organisms tend to stratify themselves over a period of time, the more oxygen dependent nearer the surface, etc. by inverting the soil this balance will be affected. ;)
the soil with the highest population of earthworms ( a reliable indicator of fertility) happens to be Grazed pasture !! Never dug!! but crops of hay, and meat make it the most productive type of cropping! ;)
(just another thought for the debate) ;D ;D
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Eristic, you may be right, "how could digging damage the soil?
by opening up the soil to air, therby allowing the carbon in the soil to oxidise, releasing co2, and reducing the percentage of carbon in the soil. ;)
land which has been repeatedly ploughed / dug without the addition of organic matter (carbon) degrades quickly, the americans found this out in the '30's, the russians in the 50's.
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c'mon guys (and gals) the poor guy asked when he should dig his plot over, not what carbon footprint his leaving behind. Just dig the thing when you feel like it mate.
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If you turn the soil and the soil sticks to your fork its too wet if falls away I would start digging, I use scaffold boards to stand on if the soil is a bit sticky, you probably won't see this message as you are out digging. :P ;D ;D ;D
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Anybody tried Rootgrow when planting?---this replaces the microryzzal fungi and gets the roots away quickly.you can dig and then still have the micro organisms.p.s sorry if I spelt it wrong!
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when my boots turn in to a size 14 when im a 10 it gives me a clue its too wet....forget the so called experst we all have them..........every plot on the same site will have different requirements
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Anybody tried Rootgrow when planting?---this replaces the microryzzal fungi and gets the roots away quickly.you can dig and then still have the micro organisms.p.s sorry if I spelt it wrong!
yep! ;)
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Dug the first 1/4 of my 5 poll last weekend. Yeah the muscles ached but I got excersice and fresh air for free...not stuck in a gym which costs a fortune!!
For me I dig when it don't stick to me spade....
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hiya, pompeyblue, welcome to the site ;D
another no digger here, due to mobility probs, mulch and leave the raised beds to get on with it, they get 'turned' when harvesting spuds etc :)