Veg for damp area of allotment?

[JimmerG]

The lower strip of my allotment does get very wet indeed.

Its about 3m x 2m. I've stuck a couple of comfrey plants at one end, they seem to be able to thrive with a bit of damp. Are there any vegetables/fruit that can cope with these conditions? Of course its not always damp - its dries out in the summer, and gets waterlogged in winter.

What do we think?

J

[taff]

spinach, beet spinach, celery, celeriac.

[organic vic]

Rhubarb,celeriac

[Pumpkin Becki]

You could build raised beds and grow ontop of the wet ground?

[womble]

3m x 2m? I'd just take some comfrey root cuttings and fill the whole area with it.

[piskieinboots]

A pond? Encouaging wildlife (for slug eating) isn't just for gardens

[JimmerG]

All excellent ideas - I wondered about a pond but we've got rather a lot of children to worry about... 5, 3 and 1 year olds plus one due in October (God help us!) BUT they would love to be able to look out for frogs etc. I guess its not THAT hard to keep an eye on them, and I DO like the idea of having slug eaters on-site (the frogs - not the children... although they have tried!)

Raised beds is another excellent idea, I need to use the area as best as I can. I took on half an allotment 2 years ago, and already I'm blimmin' well running out of space!

I'll have a think....

Thanks for your help.

J

[Paul Wagland]

You can make the pond shallow - it will still be great for wildlife. Or build a fence around it with old pallets?

Otherwise you could grow an enormous crop of horseradish - yum!

[piskieinboots]

go for a shallow pond and a very small bucket of horseradish

[Flummery]

Well, having recently attended a willow weaving course I'd bang in some willow slips! They'll drink up the excess water and if you are coppicing them for basket making you can plant them between 12 and 18" apart.

However, for edibles, would celery like it? (Not sure, as I don't like celery!)

[chriscross1966]

Celeriac?... it loves water

[Paulottie]

What about blueberries?

[teakdesk]

You can make the pond shallow - it will still be great for wildlife. Or build a fence around it with old pallets?

Otherwise you could grow an enormous crop of horseradish - yum!

go for a shallow pond and a very small bucket of horseradish

I may be wrong but I seem to remember reading that young children die in shallow ponds because they don't have the strength to lift their mouth out of the water and the panic splashing does nothing more than tire them out quickly. With their mouth in the water they can't call out and get help.

However, if a child falls into a deeper pond then the panic splashing causes it to spin upright and keep it's mouth out of the water enabling it to breath and shout for help.

I'm not too sure about it all now and I only mention it so that anyone thinking of a pond can do more research of their own. I built my pond 5 feet deep with some sections at the edge about 6 inches deep - but I don't have young kids.

[Paulottie]

Well, having recently attended a willow weaving course I'd bang in some willow slips! They'll drink up the excess water and if you are coppicing them for basket making you can plant them between 12 and 18" apart.

However, for edibles, would celery like it? (Not sure, as I don't like celery!)

Not entirely sure that coppicing willow could be considered 'primarily for the purpose of feeding one's family' ...bout as difficult to shift as the horseradish idea for the next plotholder too.

Celery...I can't stand it either Flum and the one time I grew it 'twas a slug nibbled disaster for a great amount of fiddling about.
...don't think it would be that happy as the trenches would be like canals!

Celeriac though is a different thing altogether!...certainly loves the wet and is a great addition to any stew or mash.

[taff]

Celery...I can't stand it either Flum

Heathens,the pair of you....

the leaves all chopped up are really good in veg soup....