Our plot runs downward from top to bottom thus at the very bottom it can get quite boggy when we have prolonged - days - rain. Is there anything that I can grow - not flowers - that will thrive with that much moisture? Obviously when the weathers fine then it needs to be watered the same as any other soil.
Any ideas?
Mark
Celery and celariac come to mind..
Rhubarb. Waterlogging can kill it, as I found out for myself in those very wet summers, but it likes damp. If the slope continues below your plot you shouldn't have any worries.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on December 30, 2010, 14:20:28
Rhubarb. Waterlogging can kill it, as I found out for myself in those very wet summers, but it likes damp. If the slope continues below your plot you shouldn't have any worries.
The slope does continue beyond our plot but on the end of our plot there are about a dozen closely grown apple and plum trees.
could you make some raised beds on that damp ground..then you could grow anything....few inches will make such a difference :-X..those wet hating plants would keep their toes dry during wet weather and wet loving would be able to reach to the moisture when needed ;) ;D
Skirret... aka marsh parsnip... :-\
Quote from: goodlife on December 30, 2010, 14:43:39
could you make some raised beds on that damp ground..then you could grow anything....few inches will make such a difference :-X..those wet hating plants would keep their toes dry during wet weather and wet loving would be able to reach to the moisture when needed ;) ;D
We have five 16ft x 4ft raised beds running across the plot bordering this area and they still get really boggy during wet weather. We grew potatoes in these raised beds and had great crops of which a family of five are still only about half way through. So maybe potatoes in this area or definitely not???
I've had potatoes drowned in wet seasons, so I'd be hesitant about putting them in ground which was always wet.
Don't forget blueberries and cranberries! (blueberries would love a raised bed over your swamp, cranberries would probably be happy with plain swamp).
Stuff that needs to grow quickly with lots of water (like lettuce) would also love a raised bed over a swamp.
There is such a thing as 'water spinach' too (Basella).
To go into exotics: there are various roots that like marshy ground - the white flowered (American) version of Sagittaria produces delicious tubers called wapato. There is another American tuber called Apios that is much better grown on swamp (pond margins) - though I don't rate it much even at its best - a bit gummy.
At worst you could grow cats tail (what most people call bulrush) http://ezinearticles.com/?Simple-Foraging---Cat-Tail-Rushes&id=5325475
Actually a pond would be a huge benefit to any plot.
Cheers.
Celeriac loves it.... I've had a good crop this year for the first time becasue I planted it next to the polytunnel I was usinga s a greenhouse and plumbed in a small-bore leaky hose to the watering system in the tunnel.... the celeriac got 2 hours of watering every day as a result from about 10 feet of pipe for 20 plants....... It's also stood all the bad weather this winter so far and is way easier than a parsnip to get out if the ground is frozen
Mark,
I would try and get rid of some of the water you suffer from, my lotty is on a slope and I did suffer from the problem of having lots of rain water from other allotments, but I dug a trench along the top of the lotty and also but a small drainage pipe in at one end and just a run off at the other, I went up to the lotty yesterday and it is doing the job, previous poster suggests raised beds which I have also installed, :)
One has found herself thinking of this problem while she has been lying down clearing cold/flu away....
YES........Like Mr Smith says.....rather than growing something (very few) that will cope in extreme wet conditions, you could grow anything and everything if draining some of it away.
Maybe you could drain it away and collect the water into pond or some sunken storage and use the water for watering when necessary.
When there is hosepipe ban you'll be laughing ::)..just wishfull thinking from me..if we would get good summer first ::)
Whilst not a vegetable so probably of no use, Astilble grow very well in wet boggy ground. I wonder if a pumpkin would be happy there. trial and error?
Quince trees (Cydonia) seem to grow well here on wet ground and mop up a lot of the water, as does hazel which you could coppice for the sticks, but best of all is willow - not a foodstuff, but jolly handy when coppiced.
if the water content gets refreshed often enough then watercress would be an idea - it doesn't need running water always as I grow it in waterlogged pans and it likes it :)
RICE. ;) ;D ;D ;D