How wet is too wet for planting????

[Crystalmoon]

Hi Im a newbie to all aspects of growing vegetables  ;)
Ive just got an allotment that I managed to dig over before all this blasted wet weather.
The ground is really wet & I dont know how many dry days my lottie will need before I can plant my potatoes (second early & salad) & any seeds  ???
I have sown some seeds indoors for now but I am running out of windowsills fast! 
Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks.   

[Crystalmoon]

[goodlife]

That is difficult one to describe...if the soil is so wet that is heavy to handle...or when you stand on it you sink in= need wellies or there is puddles on the surface, or taking handfull of the soil and you can squeeze water out of it or if you rather fancy a wetsuit when approaching the plot.... ;D
Give it a coulple of dry days and just try to turn over few spadefulls..if it still feels hard work..leave the soil for another couple of days.
There is no panic with planting potatoes yet and it is better to wait the soil to become workable..Nothing worst than stamping on the wet soil and then it dries to a concrete surface...patience..

[Robert_Brenchley]

Wait for it to get better. If you plant when the soil's wet and cold your seeds may well end up rotting rather than growing. One good thing about all this rain is that it will begin to warm the soil up a bit.

[kt.]

As a general guide:  If the soil sticks to your fork, spade and wellies in clumps and will not fall off then it is too wet.   Wet or damp soil is fine.  Heavy muddy soil is no good for working.

[Eristic]

As we now head into April the good news is that the ground conditions can improve remarkably in only 2-3 days dry weather. The bad news is it might not stop raining til May.

[Crystalmoon]

Thank you for your replies....yep my soil is definitely not coming off my wellies without a major fight so I will have to be patient...and it is poxy raining again ::)

Would it be a good idea to cover the areas I've dug with thick cardboard to keep the weeds down? 

[kt.]

Would it be a good idea to cover the areas I've dug with thick cardboard to keep the weeds down? 

At this time of year it is personal preference as prepared ground will be getting stuff sown soon.   It would also be just as easy to leave it uncovered and skim over weeds with a hoe just as they start to poke through.   I have 3 beds still covered, but they have been since November.  The ones I have dug and prepared for planting have been left uncovered.

[tim]

Goodlife's point about potatoes is very valid. If you tread down the soil, it's almost impossible to earth up when necessary.

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks for the advice everyone...I will leave my beds uncovered & be careful not to tread on the soil too much while its this wet. I did manage to get a few hours down there today & collected a huge amount of plastic, glass & wrappers from my plot  :o
really looking forward to getting stuck in once the weather clears up  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

A lot depends on the soil. I was planting asparagus today, with the soil sticking to the spade. In a clay soil, I wouldn't have touched the job. on my plot, I know that it'll dry out in a say or two if it doesn't get any more heavy rain, so I carry on regardless when I'm in the mood.

[Amazin]

I planted my potatoes on Saturday in the pouring rain using a bulb planter which pulled out solid cylinders of wet clay. I put the potatoes in then stuffed the holes with dry shredded paper and covered the lot up with weed suppressant till next week. I've left the cylinders beside the holes for the first earthing-up.

[Crystalmoon]

Amazin that sounds like a great idea. Ive got a bulb planter so will be giving this way of planting spuds a go real soon