Allotments 4 All

Another rain related query......due to the council removing some areas of top soil when they removed old sheds etc prior to reletting the plots, I have lots of puddles.....I've noticed in the last day or two that the water in some has turned a very dark red....any ideas?

I've noticed some gravel roads with pot holes sometime have red puddles.
My subsoil is a very orange clay, I guess your puddles could have a clay silt.
What sort of soil do you have?

Parts of it are solid clay, and others are a lovely loam, but I would say that the areas that are flooded constantly are clay.

It wouldn't be one of those there plagues of Egypt would it?  ???

Perhaps we should consult Joseph if he's finished flouncing about in his coat of many colours.  ;D

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Seriously folks, I expect it is part of the soil pigmentation. Maybe the red coloured part of the clay is made of finer particles than the other constituents and it's flowed outwards and upwards as it's been sloshed about.

Well... it's a good theory.  ;)

Most likely. Water can turn red as a result of an algal bloom, but that's unlikely in puddles.

I think you could have red clay soil which is not good but can be sorted out with lots of manure as this type of soil is low in nutriants. It also tends to absorb warter as apposed to water draining through it.
Now the bad news Gwynneth (sure you dont want to put your name down for an allotment up here) I have had to dig this stuff (trenching it out) and i did not find it fun so if its the same as i had to dig you might want to considder a raised bed.on top of it.
Try turning a bit over and let us know.

Actually, I think I may have the answer!  My neighbour spread manure all over his strimmed plot, and also used some piles of manure to weigh down an area he had covered with black plastic.  I haven't looked very closely, but the puddles on his black plastic near his manure heaps also look discoloured, and so am hoping it's the run-off from the manure that's making my puddles red.

Thank goodness for that i had rather bad vissions of you falling of the spade

We now have almost a third of the plot dug-there are lots of brambles, nettles, thistles, docks and the usual couch grass, and some areas are harder than others, but we'll get there eventually.  We have broken glass and rusty metal objects by the bucket-load as well.  We're also the proud owners of three manure/compost bays, courtesy of my OH, and we've made ourselves a bench for welcome rests using two buckets and a plank.  I'll be away from the weekend for just over a month, so Jackie will have her hands full just keeping both plots weeded.  I almost wish I could stay at home as well as go away, as I really want to get on and get it all sorted!

Quote from: gwynnethmary on July 17, 2012, 22:16:10
Actually, I think I may have the answer!  My neighbour spread manure all over his strimmed plot, and also used some piles of manure to weigh down an area he had covered with black plastic.  I haven't looked very closely, but the puddles on his black plastic near his manure heaps also look discoloured, and so am hoping it's the run-off from the manure that's making my puddles red.

I hope those there animails that supplied the manure hadn't been eating beetroot!  :o
;D