what to do with the pond?

[gwynnethmary]

Every time it rains the centre patch of my new, still in the process of being cleared and will be for the forseable future lottie, turns into a huge puddle.  It's where the men from the council scraped along with their machinery clearing out the old sheds etc. When it does dry out you can see the tracks. As I have started digging at the top end it'll be a while before I get to this particular section, but I wondered if anyone had any suggestions, other than raised beds?  I have a big pile of manure. 

[gwynnethmary]

[saddad]

Dump it over the offending are... sounds like the machinery compacted the soil and impeded drainage... unless you are up to double digging it.... raising the surface by 6-10" should help..  :-\

[chriscross1966]

Pile the poo on it....

[gwynnethmary]

Thanks people- I was thinking that might be an idea, although it's mainly straw and not very well rotted yet-does that matter?

[chriscross1966]

It'll rot down quick enough....

[gwynnethmary]

Well today I dismembered a weedy hillock, de-weeded the soil and threw that on, followed by a layer of manure, and then covered it and most of the rest of the plot with black plastic, kindly loaned by fellow plotters.  I feel better now.....