My Allotment

[kristofer Dawson]

Hes a couple of pics of my allotment...when I fist got it and a couple of months later...lots of work to be done

Hopefully it works

[helly]

keep at it , its looking good,hard work always pays off

[kristofer Dawson]

Just a quick question to.

I marked out my plot where i am going to put raised beds. When i dug into it to see what the soil was like I was very suprised to find..........


rotting wood.

The question is....can i try and turn it over as best as I can put soil ontop to fill raised bed and let it rot or do I have to dig it all out?? The wood is almost like shavings. Going to be a real pain to gig.

Any advice welcome

[kristofer Dawson]

This one must be a hard question as no1 has answered.

Please help

[gardenplot]

If its almost rotted away, then leave it and try break it up more to rot and just fill upon top with new soil.

[The Germinator]

Thanks for the advice. dont mind leaving it to rot for a while as have plenty more digging to do.

ps I changed my username

[Snadger]

That's the problem with taking over an overgrown allotment..........you don't know whats been there before!
It sounds to me like the area you have dug into has been a path at one time. These are sometimes made with woodchippings which do eventually rot down and make very good compost. I dug two whole plots over before laying out my bed system and in one place I came across an ash and gravel path about 1 foot thick. I spent weeks barrowing it all out and piled it up to use on my own paths once I ascertained where I was going to put them.

By digging across it you should be able to tell whether its an old path or an old shed floor.
If it is just wood chipping, and especially OLD wood chippings, I think I would just either dig them in or scrape them off and use them on your paths!

PS Welcome to the vine btw!

[The Germinator]

Thanks for the advice. Ill see if it is a path. Like I said before got plenty of other plots to work so in no rush to get it done. Theres alsorts lying about. sleepers will come in handy though.

[Nicos]

Well ....whatever your name- welcome to the Vine!

[The Germinator]

I went to the lottie last nite for 30 mins when still a little light to take advantage of. I had a look at that bed and on second inspection its not as bad as i thought. Should be more concerened with the binweed than the wood.

[Paul Wagland]

Bindweed?! Oh no!

It's amazing the rubbish you can dig out of an allotment when you first get going. There was a double bed and a sofa on one of mine, and a shopping trolley half-buried on another!

I wish the council had a responsibility to dispose of things like this, but I can't even get them to book a skip!

Welcome to the vine anyway

[bluemoon]

We had so much scrap metal (the axle of a caravan being the largest single piece) that we had to ask a scrap metal dealer to remove it. He filled his lorry and we were still left with an equal amount. Why would anyone dump this stuff on a lottie?

[HeyWayne]

Bindweed, my nemesis. I hate the stuff. If I could make it suffer, I would - it's one redeeming feature as someone else has said on here, is that it's quite pretty as weeds go. Still doesn't encourage me to take pity on the stuff.

Welcome aboard by the way.

[jeannine]

Shame the roots aren't edible - they look crisp and crunchy and would be a nice topping to a salad!

[HeyWayne]

Shame the roots aren't edible - they look crisp and crunchy and would be a nice topping to a salad!

Supernoodles.