herbs and waterlogged - not connected

[newspud9]

in true "newspud" style, I've gone back-to-front on my herb plot - that is, I built a small raised bed, and filled it with the best unused soil from the plot, plus some good general compost.  I now find out that herbs do best if the soil is not well-fertilized as this leads to lots of foliage but little taste. What's the general view on this. .. plant away, or change the soil.

Also, I have a muddy, unplanted, very slightly raised corner on the plot that is very water-logged in a 2 foot square area.  It's probably water collected from melted snow but its not draining.  What to do... leave it to evaporate eventually!

Thanks very much to all

[newspud9]

[1066]

what herbs are you growing?

re the waterlogging - can you dig a drainage ditch - doesn't have to be massive, for the water to drain away? That's what I tend to do - although the waterlogging on my plot doesn't sound as serious as yours

1066

[artichoke]

Maybe you could grow blueberries and cranberries on the waterlogged bit?

[newspud9]

Thanks for responses.  Its intended to be a mixed bed of standard stuff - rosemary, parsley, thyme, oregano, corinader, basil

[Ian Pearson]

If it really is waterlogged, I'd plan to double dig it at some point once it has dried out. That will cure it once-and-for-all if you make a good job of it. But perhaps wait to see if it is just temporary - it has been raining a tad recently! In baking mid summer you might be glad of an area that retains moisture.

Growing deep-rooted crops is the canny way to improve drainage, but will take a couple of years.

[Robert_Brenchley]

If it's waterlogged now, after a dry winter, and it doesn't drain in the next day or two, think about putting in a raised bed.

[Unwashed]

I have a water logged area on my plot.  I just try to keep off it until May and I've been incorporating organic matter to break it up a bit.