Turf humping

[piskieinboots]

Is it Friday yet? Tomorrow will see me humping turf from lottie project - masses of it.....

With so many plots still having to be de-turfed (each had to do their own plot, some are yet to start!) there is masses of turf to be removed.

Would be lovely to leave it to turn into good topsoil a year down the line, but there is just too much of it - and we are in danger of someone complaining to the SWO that it is 'looking messy', which it isn't in my view, but well - someone may.

I've put out a 'call to arms' to get as many of us down there as possible, but they appear to be ignoring my emails, we are currently standing at 1½ persons with me being the ½ person - fingers crossed they come en masse

Fish and chip supper methinks

Happy Friday eve Viners

[Matt94]

well i didn't know what to expect when clicking on this topic

[bearded bloke]

Could you not use the turves to build the walls of a communal compost "clamp" ?
Or build little walls between plots & tell "interested parties" they are wind breaks

[dominic10]

We've just inherited an overgrown allotment plot and have a neat pallet compost bin in one corner now largely full of sods - (and not the previous owner). You could compromise and save some for compost. This would also save you traipsing backwards and forwards to dispose of it. You sound like you have a mammoth task ahead I hope you get some help. I'm sure on Groundforce years ago I saw you could hire a turf remover - would this be a possibility if everyone chipped in? Good luck!

[zazen999]

That's like throwing away gold! Why not wait and see if someone does indeed complain first?

In a couple of weeks, you could plant some pumpkins in it and that will disguise it until the autumn.

Wouldn't you be better off building a compost bin around it?

I'd happily have it as I've got schools buying in topsoil - I'd just put it into raised beds upside down, cover with a layer of municipal compost and plant straight into it. Or if no raised beds, mound it up [1 turf layer at the edges, and about 6 in the middle like this _/''''''\_ - upside down - and plant straight into it. Pumpkins, squashes, dwarf beans, toms, cukes - would all love to grow in this sort of bed.

[bearded bloke]

Dunno if it would work but how about setting your maincrop spuds on top of the grass then use inverted turves as the "earthing up" material,if it works you get the best of all worlds,in as much as you do not have far to move them (with a legitimate reason),they stay on your own plot for later use as rich soil & you potentially get a crop while they are rotting down

[Bigmallly]

Cover it with a Camouflage net.........and don't say they don't have one...............or just bury it.

[piskieinboots]

We aren't getting rid of it all by any means - just tidying the area somewhat and it's not just about the possibility of complaints, it is very shortly to become a space issue too.

What we are letting go tomorrow is going to be recycled so someone will get the benefit.

I used a fair but of mine on my plot to grow my spuds through (turning upside down and using bulb planter), a couple of others have built small 'walls', one has put straw on the top and covered it in netting - pumpkins

It's a developing site and in it's very early days - and for a few a new concept

[Kleftiwallah]

Soil to soil and grass to grass, you can construct a very comfortable settee from the sods (sorry, turfs), this will turn into excelent loam over the following years. Cheers, Tony.

[piskieinboots]

I have one next to my plot - photos to come

[Mikey]

When I took over my plot it was covered in grass, I double digged (should that be dug?), and put the turf at the bottom. It was a lot of hard graft, but on the whole I was pleased with the results.

[taff]

you can make raised beds with turf walls....

[Feral007]

Well that Turf Humping made me look! Bit chilly to get naked on the lawn atm.
All those other suggestions sound good as well.
We're using no dig gardening here, and have put down cardboard or paper, then hay and compost, hay and compost, hay and compost and then planted in. It actually looked quite tidy and it was directly on the weedy lawn. Now at the end of the season it's looking a bit untidy, but will get to work on it shortly and get it ready for next season. Digging all that turf is a lot of work. Maybe work out some digging and some other means of covering up sections. Especially if it's not very fertile soil atm the no dig garden helps improve the soil over a season or two, without taking anything away and just adding hay(cheap) paper(free) and compost(free). Save paying the chiropractor to sort out all your backs when you've finished all that humping Ali

[Florence Fennel]

Just to say "Happy Humping" Piskie, hope you get some more help

[Snadger]

Its not so much the turf as the good friable topsoil its composed of that I would be agrieved to lose.......................