How to help an allotment recover after floods

[Chestnut]

I almost hesitate to raise this just now, because I know many people are still dealing with flooding to their homes and schools, which certainly puts temporary submersion of an allotment into perspective..... However, I’m sure I won’t be the only one here who has found their growing space underwater in the last few weeks!

Does anyone here have any practical experience of how to help an allotment get back to full working order after it’s been submerged?

[Scarlet]

I grow in my garden - I have a huge space but we are in an area that sees a lot of water every year. My veg area is the worst. I just leave it. It eventually drys out and it's good to go. Over the years I've had to make sure nothing gets planted in certain areas if it's to stand over winter...but I have had garlic sitting in water for weeks in the past and it's been edible at harvest time.

[veggiechicken]

Sorry to hear this, Chestnut.
Here's an old thread https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ter_96989.html

[Chestnut]

^^^thanks for the link VC
Fortunately there’s not much still in the ground at this time of year, and I’m not overly fond of swede so don’t mind waiting until next autumn for the next batch ;-)

[rary]

There was a bit on Beechgrove Garden about allotments in the Perth area where they are in the middle of a river and get flooded quite regularly so try and download that for information, personally I would start making raised beds (without any wooden sides) to allow the soil to dry out quicker

[broadway]

There was a bit on Beechgrove Garden about allotments in the Perth area where they are in the middle of a river and get flooded quite regularly so try and download that for information, personally I would start making raised beds (without any wooden sides) to allow the soil to dry out quicker

Hi Rary

Without wooden sides??

[Chestnut]

^^^^ yes, I have come across those semi raised beds before. I think they called them lazy beds, which sounds like the one I had as a teenager when I didn’t want to get up on a Saturday ;-)

[rary]

Hi Rary

Without wooden sides??

Yes the easiest way of doing it is to lower the paths around each bed by throwing the soil you remove onto the bed, which raises the level of the bed and lowers the path which means as water flows to the lowest area the bed will dry out quicker, depending on the surrounding area it might be a good idea to dig a drainage sump which will act as a soakaway (and might give more soil to raise the hight of the beds)

[ecudc]

mine used to get large amounts of standing water on a regular basis and was solid clay and at the bottom of a slope but after three years of working the soil but also incorporating huge amounts of organic matter it is gradually improving. I'm gradually working towards no dig but at the moment the soil is just still a bit too heavy after a failed experiment last year.

My paths are about 5 below the level of the soil but are heavily mulched with wood chip so you can still walk on them after rain. The wood chip seems to really help with the rain as well.

I don't have many raised wooden beds but am moving over to them more for neatness than any other reason.

[broadway]

Yes the easiest way of doing it is to lower the paths around each bed by throwing the soil you remove onto the bed, which raises the level of the bed and lowers the path which means as water flows to the lowest area the bed will dry out quicker, depending on the surrounding area it might be a good idea to dig a drainage sump which will act as a soakaway (and might give more soil to raise the hight of the beds)

Oh ok makes sense. Think they did that on my plot as there are ditches everywhere!!

[rary]

mine used to get large amounts of standing water on a regular basis and was solid clay and at the bottom of a slope but after three years of working the soil but also incorporating huge amounts of organic matter it is gradually improving. I'm gradually working towards no dig but at the moment the soil is just still a bit too heavy after a failed experiment last year.

My paths are about 5 below the level of the soil but are heavily mulched with wood chip so you can still walk on them after rain. The wood chip seems to really help with the rain as well.

I don't have many raised wooden beds but am moving over to them more for neatness than any other reason.

5in below the level of the soil will allow the bed to dry out, you could try putting lime onto a section of one of your beds to see if that helps open up the clay or better still wood Ash if you can get it, as for the wood chip paths (which many on here will advocate is a good thing) when I tried that as ground covering for a path I found it to be too slippy for safe walking, so made wooden raised beds and chipped the paths

[Gordon the gardener]

Mounds

Hi Rary

Without wooden sides??

Lazy beds or mounds are very popular all over the world, I have 15 on my plot, they certainly drain quicker. I’ve been putting peas and stuff in this week, everybody else is still waiting.