When is too cold?

[beckydore]

Last year I know I managed to dig a fair amount of my plot in February.
I did go the other day and get a few hours in but remember it being too cold / wet in December last year.
I can't remember how warm I decided it should be last year before I bothered going down the allotment (colder and the ground was just too hard to dig).
Has anyone got any suggestions on when I should give up digging for the winter / know when its too cold to go down there. It is 1.5 miles away so a pain to drive there and not be able to do anything.
Becky

[beckydore]

[ACE]

I would not think that your ground is in any danger of freezing hard. Too cold is when you you cannot keep warm even when digging. The best bit about winter digging is you can just turn it over in big lumps and let the weather do the rest. The frost will kill pests and break down your soil so you can knock it down to a fine tilth when you are ready to plant.

I like to be steaming after a good digging. Not good for some I know, but it  gives you a very good appetite and you can eat a pud without feeling guilty. :)

[cornykev]

I don't think it can ever be too cold to dig, too wet or frozen yes, but unless its too windy the digging will keep you warm, keeeeeep digging.  ;D ;D ;D

[Bill Door]

Good question that does not appear to be answered on the web in any great depth.

On a personal note I would say that it very much depends on your soil and the condition it is in.  If it it fairly "new" soil and not dug a lot then I would dig whenever I could just to get it cleared and ready with no expectation for the crop.  The ground may take a time to warm up and break down.

If the soil is to be used asap next year and was in goodish condition then I would be a little careful and not dig when the soil sticks to my boots.  If you are not careful about this then you can damage the soil structure and possibly compact it.

If the soil is frosted then I would not turn it over.  My uncle said that you turned the cold into the ground it takes ages for the soil to warm up.  Again if your soil is clay and you can get on it when its wet then go ahead but not when it is cold.

Last year I took over my allotment and dug it in February.  I did about 2 hours every Saturday and Sunday and I was usually started about 8.00am.  For next year I have dug most of the ground before October this year and I will not go on all of it until March next year.  I have to plant shallots over the Christmas break.

The other way to look at the question is that if you put on enough layers you can dig as much as you want in any weather.  If you start cold you can take the layers off as you warm up.  You should also take a flask of whatever drink you prefer.

Hope this helps but most of all enjoy your allotment. ;D ;D

Bill

I expect someone else will give a better answer but that is my take on it  8)

[Tee Gee]

If the soil is frosted then I would not turn it over.  My uncle said that you turned the cold into the ground it takes ages for the soil to warm up.

My thoughts exactly!

Think of it this way;

Lets say the frost is three to four inches into the topsoil and you turn it over, this layer is now five to eight inches down, and what was the lower layer is now open to more frost action thus cooling it down.

So now we have potentially up to eight inches of cold soil and the spring sunshine will not be hot enough to warm the soil to this depth, meaning; your newly planted plants are going to get 'cold toes' thus hindering growing.

This is why I winter dig, the warm soil is where I want it as is my manure.

During the rotting process manure generates heat and this coupled with the spring sun soon warms the soil up so my plants get off to a good start.

.....and that's my tuppence ha'porth on the subject

[Robert_Brenchley]

It can easily be too cold to dig. A couple of days ago my plot was like concrete, I'd have needed a pickaxe to break it! As long as it's above freezing, I don't see any need to be inhibited.

[telboy]

Come on Tee Gee/Robert,
When has it been too difficult to dig in your part of the world at this time/this year?
She lives in Solihull FCS.
I walk 1/2 miles to mine.
??? ??? ???

[Baaaaaaaa]

Just look acros the road.

If its too cold to make Landrovers, then its too cold to dig.  ;)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Come on Tee Gee/Robert,
When has it been too difficult to dig in your part of the world at this time/this year?
She lives in Solihull FCS.
I walk 1/2 miles to mine.
??? ??? ???

I walk a mile to mine, but seriously, any time it's been frosted several days on the trot, I'm not going to bother. It may be because we're in a frost pocket, or my specific soil (which also turns into quicksand when flooded), but it soon gets to the point where continuous frost - I'm not talking about freezing then thawing during the day - makes it impenetrable to a fork. Fortunately it doesn't happen too often.

[Tee Gee]

Come on Tee Gee/Robert,
When has it been too difficult to dig in your part of the world at this time/this year?

Sorry about that Tellboy but I was not inferring I couldn't dig at this time of year! I was making the point by digging at this time of year you fetch the warmer soil up to the surface and put cold soil beneath it, resulting in deeper 'cold' soil!

I hope that clarifies it a bit better.

BTW I agree with you point about 'hardness' I can't recall when you last couldn't dig at this time of year (if you wanted to)

[betula]

I went down to my plot before Christmas to plant some bulbs.

The soil was full of ice,Just bringing up lumps with my trowel,definitely too cold to dig :)

[lewic]

Seem to remember my parents making me and my sister dig our veg patch in winter as frost "helped to break the soil up". Wish they had heard of Bill's uncle's theory back in 1972!

It was about 3 degrees on my allotment today and not great for digging, but it was actually easier to get the couch grass up than it was earlier in the year when the clay soil was wet, as the top skimmed off rather than it just turning to sticky mush.

Am told that the soil on our site is worst in the summer when it dries to concrete, so I'm trying not to winge about the cold too much!

[Bill Door]

Yes lewic they probably had heard my uncle  ;D but they decided that it was better to suffer the colder soil and have the clay soil broken up.  Ofcourse the other positive was that it kept you and your sister off the streets 8)  and it gave you a hobby for life.  Well done them.


Bill

[Kea]

Am told that the soil on our site is worst in the summer when it dries to concrete, so I'm trying not to winge about the cold too much!

Yes I have heavy clay and it gets very wet and sticky over winter and impossible to dig ..there is a small window of opportunity in spring before it turns to concrete in summer. It is getting better on the manured bits though.

[Eristic]

In an ideal world you dig the plot when it is cold but before the frost arrives. Then you have the excuse not to do anything while the frost frazzles all the lumps for you.

[SMP1704]

Yesterday was too cold.

I have almost finished digging but yesterday, the ground was solid, which is very unusual for this part of the world.

Lifted all the strawberry plants instead - that wasn't frozon as it is covered with membrane.