Municipal Green Waste and Raised Beds

[mogs]

Having recently taken a new bigger allotment after getting my previous one totally sorted , I have spent a month in wind, hail and snow lugging a midden, compost bin, shed, beds from one to the other only to find I have inherited serious waterlogging. I've identified land drains put in by the local Council years ago that are only 6-9 inches down. The reason for this is must have been a Friday afternoon job and a redirected river bed underneath, so almost impossible to get any deeper without major work. I'm getting much response from Council. The flimsy plastic drains have also been found to be broken and blocked (discovered from rodding)

After much frustration and feelings of being ignored in the hope I'll go away, have now reached my eventual bloody minded stage and decided I am just going to crack on and 'show em', so to speak.

Plan is: Introduce 8" raised beds, line with thick cardboard to temporarily mulch weeds and fill with municipal green waste or a mix of topsoil and green waste (with a view to double digging totally next year as I'm getting close to the start of the growing season)

I have unlimited access to municipal green waste, so could fill entirely with this, but think (and I hope you can advise me) that I couldn't use it 'neat' but would have to import half top soil to mix it with. As I've calculated I need about 9 tonnes, I'm going to try and press for this to be supplied by the Council who own the site.

Does that sound like a plan or just a total disaster - I can't rotovate because of the depth of the drains and given the size of the plot can't double dig everything before March, although I will double dig where friut trees, bushes and permanent plantings are going to go.

Any hints, tips, suggestions, warnings or cries of 'stop flogging that dead horse' are as always gratefully received!

[Lovage]

Composted green waste is great stuff - especially if you can get hold of it for free!
If it's PAS100 standard it should be completely sterile and free from contaminants
One problem though it does continue to break down slowly and the bed levels will drop and need to be topped up
I would be tempted to take some top soil from the paths in between the beds ( replacing with woodchip on membrane ) unless you can get good top soil for free.

[mogs]

The dead horse has received it's final flogging! I'm not a quitter but 6" of water across the whole allotment this morning - It was a veg patch I wanted not a paddling pool and Council's response was we'll give you the drains and you can dig them down - yeah right with a river bed 9" down and a fork and spade to work with - I've got a life thanks and desperate I'm not to save you money!

Oh well back to the drawing board and I'll think of the heavy labour put in over the last couple of months as exercise rather than work! Positive Mental Attitude

[Creemteez]

Hang on, have you PAID for this paddling pool? If it's part of a council run site surely they have SOME responsibility to rectify things or at least offer you a dryer plot!
It seems totally unfair that they expect you to put in new drains - mind you, BT suggested that we could dig the trenches to lay lay their cables for them across a cobbled courtyard that was a farmyard for two hundred years. I told them to "Hang on - I'll get me trowel...."

[mogs]

Oh yes they have accepted it's their responsiblity, but have said the old Council response - we have no money in the budget!! I could pursue it further with the Local Govt Ombudsman, but to be honest I've spent the last week with sleepless nights worrying about it and as I have a stressful job, the allotment has been my sanctuary where I completely de-stress, so don't want it to become a source of stress!

I've told them I'm going back to my old half allotment, fortunately they haven't re-let it yet, but it's just maddening that I have done all that work, cleared ten years of someone else's rubbish and lugged the entire permanent structures from my plot only to have to lug them straight back and rebuild them.

I should know better - I work for a Council (not this one) and I know their devious, uninterested, squirm out of everything approach if you can't just ignore em - first hand!! I might just dig big pits around my allotment once I get back and catch a few and starve em after serious prodding with a big stick!

What was that I said? Positive Mental Attitude - aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgh

[mogs]

Lend us yer trowel Creemteez

[Snadger]

How do the other allotment holders round about you cope? Or is the plot you've taken on the ONLY flooded plot?

[SarzWix]

Mogs, that is bl**dy awful I really feel for you. Understanding how 'they' work doesn't make it any less frustrating! I'm sure you've made the right decision to go back to your old plot. If I was you, I'd be kicking up some major fuss to get it rent-free for the year though, in light of all the unnecessary labour you've put yourself through. And, make sure that they don't try and fob this plot onto some poor unsuspecting newbie in the spring...

[mogs]

The guy on the plot next to me also suffers from waterlogging, but not to the same extent, as I'm slightly lower than him - he said he's put some manure on top of his beds to try and cure it - now I'm not that experienced but I don't think that will make a jot of difference but I'm not one to teach grandmothers to suck eggs!!

The good thing is I can just put the raised beds back in along with rebuilding the structures and I'm ready to go, having prepared the beds last Autumn. Fortunately I hadn't lifted all my fruit trees and fruit bushes, so at least I will have a productive season this year fingers crossed.

They've said today that if I move off the allotment, they'll just abandon it as unworkable - pity they hadn't done that before I went! Thing is now I've reached the decision to go it's a weight off my mind - it's not been a good experience, and usually I'd fight like a terrier with a rat at an injustice such as this - but the older and slightly wiser I get, I prefer to just avoid the confrontation and let them sit there thinking they've won in the belief that every dog will eventually have their day - one day I'll look in the pit and they'll be looking up at me!

[mogs]

Hey and just to add insult to injury, the Site Secretary totally on the defensive tells me off for going to his house with a letter outlining my complaint and not posting it - say's I've breached my tenancy agreement!! Where do they find these people???

Pity he hasn't tackled the fella with a three year's standing totally uncultivated plot with a 2ft trench right across his allotment - yeah but he's a bit bigger than him!! Mind I'm good for kicking shins - he'd better watch out!

[mogs]

Well, after a weekend of lugging, I'm home sweet home - shed back in place, beds back in place and just compost bins and midden to follow at a later date -camping stove up and running and kettle back in action! Feels like putting on a pair of comfy slippers and never again will I suffer from plot envy - it's true size doesn't matter it's the quality!! Happy, stress free bunny today - Spring - come on down

[FionaH]

Glad you had a good day after all the headaches

[Snadger]

Seems a shame that you've put all that work into a waterlogged plot. Could you not ask to utilise the plot in the summer for nowt......as well as your old plot?
Surely during the summer we will have less rain and with the work you've put in the plot will be very fertile.........especially if we have a drought!

[mogs]

I'm dealing with a jobsworth Site Secretary, who likes to let you know he's in charge. To be honest the experience completely de-motivated me as far as that plot goes, so don't think my heart would be in it. .... and I was just thinking over the weekend.... there are people in Haiti that have lost their homes and children......... so I've had to move a few things back to a plot...big deal..... it's nothing in the big scheme of things, for that I should be grateful

[Snadger]

I'm dealing with a jobsworth Site Secretary, who likes to let you know he's in charge. To be honest the experience completely de-motivated me as far as that plot goes, so don't think my heart would be in it. .... and I was just thinking over the weekend.... there are people in Haiti that have lost their homes and children......... so I've had to move a few things back to a plot...big deal..... it's nothing in the big scheme of things, for that I should be grateful

True, true, so very true!