digging

[Philbasford]

has anybody found it rather hard to actually get any digging done on thier allotments at the moment ?, what with work, stuff round the house and the very wet soil nothing has been done!. i havent even got my spuds yet so will be going to wilkos this weekend or next and get some onions to!

trying to go hold of a rotovator  but not a lot on ebay round my area at mo (nottinghamshire)

[Philbasford]

[norfolklass]

digging is all I'm doing at the moment!
I have very light soil, so can carry on digging in most weather conditions, apart from really wet or really frosty.
I do enjoy it though, nothing like a bit of digging to get the blood pumping on a crisp (nearly) spring day :)
had a day at the lottie doing exactly that yesterday, and the sun didn't stop shining â€" bliss!

[Cuke]

I'm praying for some plot time at the weekend but the weather looks like it'll scupper my plans which is annoying... Need to mark out beds, dig paths... etc etc... So much to do so little chance to do it.

[Plot69]

I totally finished digging my two plots a few weeks ago and started to get bored with nothing to do... That was until the lottie chairman told me the plot next to mine had become vacant and did I want it.

[nuthatch]

I had to go and have a rest after just looking at all of your allotment land. :o
You must be very young and fit or bonkers or both. ;)

I wish you all the best though.

[Plot69]

You must be very young and fit or bonkers or both. ;)

Not that young but reasonably fit and bonkers with masochistic tendencies :)

[Philbasford]

we took an allotment that was in good shape last yr and is well marked out, so just hopping now we can dig some beds, luckily the weeds havent done to much growing !thinking a good few weeks in feb should sort it out

[nuthatch]

I have treated myself to a Mantis Tiller as my allotment has been well cultivated over the last few years and we have been using the no dig method successfully.

It arrived two weeks ago and is sitting in my lounge all shiny and new. I can't wait to use it but it is still to claggy on the plot.
I never thought that I would get so frustrated about not being able to use a cultivator.

How Sad

[delboy]

Glad you could assemble the Mantis thing.

Mine starts up and ticks over.. but does it rotovate?

That would be a "no".

I am pants at DIY and look at veg when it comes up and grows(not the same thing..)as a miracle.

So if anyone wants to come and take away my Mantis they can have it at no charge. I know when to stick with a fork and spade!

[Philbasford]

where do u live delboy?

[nuthatch]

I am no good at DIY but even I managed to assemble the four bolts onto the handle.  ;)
Completed in ten minutes.

[delboy]

Nuthatch...

My mantis came with a d**n site more bolts and nuts than 4.

22 parts and bolts etc to go with them

[redimp]

has anybody found it rather hard to actually get any digging done on thier allotments at the moment ?, what with work, stuff round the house and the very wet soil nothing has been done!. i havent even got my spuds yet so will be going to wilkos this weekend or next and get some onions to!

trying to go hold of a rotovator  but not a lot on ebay round my area at mo (nottinghamshire)

I am sooooo far behind it is depressing.  I am about where I was on October last horticultural year.  I seem to have done nothing and my plot is a mess.  Work,  weather and lazy moments (hangovers) working as a conspiracy. :(

[nuthatch]

Sorry Delboy I wasn't finding fault.

[Philbasford]

redclanger lets hope together things improve,am planning to go to allotment on sat to assess, buy some seeds and spuds etc and then make a plan.  We cant complain to much, my dad who has a large garden in mid wales cant do anything to end of feb cos of the thick wet clay!

[Spanner]

I have been trying to find an hour here and an hour there to get through the digging at my plot.
I got my plot 2 years back and it hadn't been cultivated for years. Full of brambles, young oak trees and more couch grass than I thought possible. I am aiming to finish double digging the last 1/3rd this year so hopefully in future years I will be able to get away with minimal digging and fewer deeply rooted weeds......I can but hope  ::)

[sarah]

i've done about half so still much to do. i always have this problem though. the combination of family life wet weather and other commitments means its usually hit and miss wether i get all the digging done.  i am doing a couiple hours a week at the mo so at that rate i wont be anywhere near ready! pray for more dry cold weather.

[Tohellwithweeds]

it was good at the weekend and i got a bit done but not as much as i wanted so yes I'm like some of you so much to do so little time or weather really it looks like being a wet weekend as well and really don't need that as Ive still not finished my first bed yet or made any plans if only the rain would stop.
i was hoping to try and get a week off at the start of march or will that be to late oh d**n and blast the rain

[redimp]

it was good at the weekend and i got a bit done but not as much as i wanted so yes I'm like some of you so much to do so little time or weather really it looks like being a wet weekend as well and really don't need that as Ive still not finished my first bed yet or made any plans if only the rain would stop.
i was hoping to try and get a week off at the start of march or will that be to late oh d**n and blast the rain

It was excellent weather for preparation at the weekend.  The first excellent weather at the weekend for absolutely ages - and I was busy with school/scouts/family all weekend - that has just been the way it has worked out this year. ::)  I didn't even go to the home game much to my shame.

[cornykev]

I have almost dug the whole plot over, a few weekends and a few sessions after work and I have surprised myself how much I have done, I still have carrots, leeks,w onions, parsnips and cabbages in the ground so my plan to rotate was put on hold as the veggie are spread out.  ;D ;D ;D