Wet garden.

[sharonr]

My garden is waterlogged and I want to go out and start work on my gardening and to start work on my raised beds.
Is it ok to go and start, or should I wait until it dries out a bit.
My dad says you can do more harm than good if its to wet.
Help please.

[Two_Sheds]

Listen to your dad

[zazen999]

What are you doing with the bits in between the beds? Basically the paths...

[sharonr]

The paths will hopefully be made out of some of the thousands of bricks that are lying around the garden.

[lynda66]

mine has been saturated since last spring, if i didn't do anything i'd not be able to plant anything.

i' dug it all over last year, so the soil is pretty loose, so i've used a plank to kneel on (to spread the load and not compact the soil too much) and just pulled/dug the weeds up, for now, am just going to make a small hole for each plant and not bother digging this year unless absolutely necessary

[sharonr]

I did manage to dig it over last year and hopefully we will be expanding it again to. We expand it a bit each year and this year I want to make the beds more perminant and I want to be more organised out there.

[bridget mc laughlin]

Your best bet is to wait till it dries out cause if you dig it when its wet or frozen you can destroty the soil sctructure

[zazen999]

If what you are doing is building raised bed sides, and paths with bricks - then that's fine. If you are doing to be digging any actual soil then I'd leave it until it dries out a bit.

I'm in the process of building sides for mine, and moving soil from one garden to the lottie to fill the raised beds, and the sooner it is done the better - wet ground or no wet ground.

[King Carrot]

I'm going to cover some areas with cloches, some made from plastic and some glass - this will at least keep the direct rain out and then hopefully, I get a few early crops in under cover, over the next few weeks when the ground under them is dryer and warmer. Other than these areas there won't be any digging anywhere else until things dry out alot

cheers,

KC

[lynda66]

i had my polytunnel up since summer, the ground under it is still sodden, so i wouldn't hold my breath that it will dry out king carrot.

[FionaH]

I thought your poly tunnel emigrated in the gales?

[lynda66]

well yeah, but it was up until the gales planted it on the shed roof lol

[King Carrot]

i had my polytunnel up since summer, the ground under it is still sodden, so i wouldn't hold my breath that it will dry out king carrot.

It will dry out...............








eventually, just might not be this year

[Beanie]

My allotment's on heavy clay soil - the paths are sodden & squelching but the raised beds I have, are all OK. So they're definately worth making. However, if you're going to dig over the soil underneath before making the raised bed (which I think is recommended), then probably best to wait till it dries out a bit. But once they're in place, you'll be flying, & if they're permenant, then you won't have this problem next year!
Raised beds rock!

[lynda66]

It will dry out..............
eventually, just might not be this year

lol, i'm not holding my breath either, but at least nothing will die from lack of watering lol ..... and think of all that water i saved last summer not having to get the hose pipe out.