any help appreciated

[shepp726]

think i'm going to dig a couple of 4m x2m beds at first and get some spuds in one perhaps carrots and parsnip in another, justb to get something growing.
then am considering trying a 'no dig' bed of the same size, just put cardboard down and cover with 4-5 inches of compost.
am also planning to have a bed just for peas and beans about 4m long and half a metre wide.
think this will be enough to get me going.

[shepp726]

have just been for a walk onto the field where the new allotments are going to be......OMG, so much back breaking work to be done.
the place is waterlogged, 8 inch deep (at least; lying flat at moment) in grass, blackthorn in the boundary hedge has spread about 20 feet into field.
gonna put some pics on when the phone has got a charge.

[KittyColdNose]

Are the council going to sort out the drainage if it's waterlogged?

[shepp726]

its a parish council in small village, so don't know as yet.
have been told I've got a plot but they haven't marked anything out as yet, but think they're going to have to do something before that as it's really quite bad.

[shepp726]

[SarzWix]

Heavens! Still, mine looked a bit like that when I got it, but on a much smaller scale. It's doable and you'll only need to worry about your own patch not the whole field

[RedThorn]

Now if only you could get some chooks.... and keep moving them from spot to spot, you'll clear an area in no time flat!

[shepp726]

Heavens! Still, mine looked a bit like that when I got it, but on a much smaller scale. It's doable and you'll only need to worry about your own patch not the whole field

very true, 'little often' me thinks........no point killing myself.

[shepp726]

Now if only you could get some chooks.... and keep moving them from spot to spot, you'll clear an area in no time flat!

dont even know if we can keep any animals yet as have not got T+C's yet.

[out in the cold]

Hi Shepp.

Welcome to the forum.

My first though on looking at the pics was "has he considered some petrol and a match?"

Hire a strimmer, chop the grass down and put it on your compost heap (get some pallets from local shops and nail em together, or a big dalek).

You could always look at covering "beds" with weed control fabric, which is reasonably priced online at places like amazon or ebay. That way you can let the weeds die off a bit before you get to that section.

[shepp726]

hi, thx,
am hoping the PC will get someone on to cut it, because they haven't marked out the plots as yet.
good idea for the dalek.
wanted to get at least one bed in the first 2 weeks, put a load of spuds in to help break the soil up.
at least that way i have something on the go as i get on with the rest.

[Florence Fennel]

Hello and a very warm, if somewhat belated, welcome to the Vine

[snohare]

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK

I think that's a capital question !

It strikes me that half the question of what will you do, is what will you do it with ? What tools do you have ? If you have a mattock - particularly a grubbing mattock - then digging drainage ditches and cutting back hawthorn roots will be a lot easier, a little drainage can go a long way; if you have only a spade and a digging fork, then it may be another matter entirely.
Hmm...Witham...is that anywhere near Horncastle ?
And more importantly, have you named yourself after a Blue Peter dog ?

[binley100]

I'd strim, rake then cover areas with cardboard. Tatties only break up the ground cos you have to keep earthing them up so I'd plant as them through cardboard along with as much else as I could. If its strimmed and raked you could make some lazy beds which you can sow into ...
oh yeah and welcome from me ......

[iam]

Hi, and welcome . Why dig all your plot try covering with black poly. and planting through it, I have also heard of planting onions through white poly. to give you larger onions, again no need to dig.
best of luck whatever you do.