More Blue sky thinking

[Stevie342000]

Upon reflection and more than a little sleep, it occurred to me that the principle I was using last year before the organics ran out was to cover the plot and to use the No Dig approach to sorting the issues with the plot that I have.

One of the ideas pondered upon last year was to put in a central drainage ditch with feathers running into to it from across the plot.

It looks as though this is going to be more and more the case that this will need to be implemented.

Thinking it through with the reading of the last few days and the discovery that the plot is once again water logged, has resulted with me revisiting this thought.

The current thinking is to follow the No Dig for the 4′ growing strips across the plot and to utilise the paths as the drainage feathers leading to the central ditch which terminates at the water butt with a larger square dug out as a sump area.

But in the meantime if the rain will hold off for the rest of the day, it is time to dig those ditches to a depth of 18″ at the centre point sloping to the sump area. Then to allow the water to collect in that ditch/sup, pump it into my water butt with my handy dandy pump on a drill attachment or into a nearby drainage ditch on another plot which goes straight into the drains.

Then to fill in the ditches (forming the paths)with chipped bark and the removed top soil as a finish, the addition of further layers of chipped bark over the coming years will raise the path. Bark is being used instead of shingle as I can not afford shingle apart from which there is a clause in tenancy which says it is prohibited anyhow.

This hopefully will solve the problem of a lack of drainage of course the drainage ditch is two fold when it comes to watering the 1000 gallon water butt can be turned on and water filters through the plot via the drainage ditch.

However it is my thinking that once the soil has been utilised with the No Dig method that the problem of water logging will disappear, as it is tied in with the hard pan formed in the past usage of the site and the couch grass which interferes with drainage. But the belt and braces method will do no harm, applications of lime to the soil will stop any over acidity, as it is common for manure to be brought to our site when it is not really well rotted, but you have to take it or miss out on your share.

It looks as though it is going to be a labour intensive autumn for me if the plot is to be ready for growing next year. A large 6′ x 6′ composting area will be under construction shortly which should help with creating my own compost for the site in the coming years. Composting is the key to all this; that and the rotted manure but before those can be applied the site needs raising and other than digging it over then applying the top dressings not much is going to change.

Perhaps digging it all over with the drainage ditches being put in place first will go some way and then applying the top dressing, this would raise the level and if the paths/drainage is put in first this would further aid the drainage of the site. But there are some areas which are just so low that there is no other choice than to fill them in with bark chips. One size does not fit all and it certainly will not work on this much neglected site. Onwards and upwards…oh well it looks like rain again now….