to raise or not to raise, that is the question

[alicia]

Hello everyone,
I am new to allotments, I have just taken on a plot and it was subject to slight flooding last year. Although some of the other polts on the site fared worse than mine. As I have only had the plot just over a week so I did not see the extent of the flooding.

My beds are uneven with some of the sides of individual beds being 7-9 inches lower than the path. My plan was to raise the beds by building up the level with top soil and manure. Other plot holders have told me it would be a waste of time as if it were to flood again it wouldn't make nay difference being a foot under or three inches under.

also I am wondering about the cost of this enterprise and if I use fresh manure I will not be able to plant on the beds this season. Please help.

[carlseawolf]

hello and welcome.
if flooding is the only reason for raised beds then i would not bother as it's alot of money to install and no dought the old boys are right that it will flood anyway, the reason i put in beds on my plot was due to little avalible soil and a weed called mare's tail that keeps coming back and can not be killed with weed killer.
read up the benifits of raised against rows for yourself and make the choice basted on your plot , potatoes do best in open ground anyway.
don't manure everything at once ,but read up what requires it that year and make do with the soil you have got for the first year.

[gardenplot]

I have gone for raised beds for the no dig garden,

Others on your allotment will know best cos like they say "would be a waste of time as if it were to flood again it wouldn't make any difference being a foot under or three inches under".

[PAULW]

CSW
Marestail can be killed using DEEP ROOT I have successfully got rid of 99% of the marestail on my plot using this, keep a spray with a solution of the deep root and when the marestail appears give it a squirt, after a few weeks you can take hold of the plant and pull it from the ground as all the fine roots are dead.

[Hans Mum]

i wouldnt invest yet, check with other lottie holders to try and find out the degree of flooding and hopefully(fingers crossed) last years floods wont be repeated.
Dont manure everything because not everything likes it - roots for instance -get an idea of what you want to plant where first

[Snadger]

I don't know how deep the floodwaters are but some of my beds are 2 foot high!
Gardens that are created for disabled people usually have beds which are 2 to 3 feet high and can save your back aching once you get older!
Breezeblocks make excellent raised beds and even if you raise a few to 2 or 3 feet, it will save your most precious crops.

If the floodwater is over three foot high.............ignore the aforementioned!

PS You could also grow veg on your greenhouse staging rather than at floor level!

[nick the grief]

... If the floodwater is over three foot high...

If it's more than 3 feet keep ducks or move site!