This topic contains 21 replies, has 10 voices, and was last updated by greengene 6 years, 1 month ago.
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Much will depend on the relative position of your plot; is it in a hollow?, at the lowest point of the allotment?; Survey the available drainage on-site. If the allotments are little used, maybe maintenance of ditches etc has been neglected.
Its been a relatively wet winter here in N E Hampshire, where are you?. Your local Environment Agency will put data for groundwater on their website. This will enable you to find the nearest borehole and follow the trends; maybe you can sink a hole in an odd corner and dip the water level to corrolate their findings.
In this area, where I’ve had three seperate plots, the winter level is high, causing difficulties in leaving carrots in the ground-they rot off 3″ down, and PS broccoli died due to roots rotting away.Typically in March, weather becomes more open and things can be planted out.
However, the gradual build -up of raised beds (second year) has reduced issues, the lower paths act as surface drainage ensuring the woodchip covering floats! The underlying London clay retains moisture for almost every season.
If it was easy, then anybody could succeeed!Hello AJ
The waterlogging might well be temporary.
I went to my plot today to find lots of standing water and my greenhouse path, slightly sunken, was 2″ deep in water! My plot is on free draining pebble beds but, for the first time in 4 years, ground and weather conditions have caused the flooding. I know that all will be well very soon so my advice is to not judge the drainage on current conditions but chat to other plot holders and see what is like after a less wet spell.
I use 120cm wide beds and 60cm wide paths so skimming 5cm off the paths and putting the soil on the beds raises the soil on the beds 75cm above the paths. This may be effective and much easier and cheaper than constructing raised beds.
Good luck with the new plot.
John
Thank you all for your replies, latest update, I spoke to the previous plot holder over the weekend, he told me the reason he had given op on the plot was because of the water, apparently the only things he was able to grow were onions and beetroot even in the raised beds, everything else he planted rotted in the ground.
Even though it has been a long wait for the allotment, I feel that it is not really worth the effort to continue as there is also a problem with mares tail. The search continues.
Unless you can get another plot directly,one presumes you have paid rent already?, then why not see if you can succeed. I am sure further analysis of your location/site appraisal will provide some options. Your committee chairman may give a little supportive help; I am sure Charles &/or forum members would be pleased to see photos/Streetview/googlemap, even Ordinance survey details to assertain the options.
There would be no harm in DIGGING(!) a trench across a section to examine the soil strata and observe water table movements. If its a historic allotment, one feels the local conditions are probably caused by bad practice/neglect and could be resolved with effort.
I know how difficult it is to get an allotment, in most areas there are waiting lists, and in this Local authority, they are in deficit of provision against new builds, of some 400 plots.
I resolved by gaining an ‘odd corner’ on agricultural land from a ‘contact’.I started on a new small allotment this year. The soil is heavy clay, compacted by vehicles building houses next to it and full of building rubbish.
There are ten of us and most are diggers. The site is now waterlogged after the snow and rain of the last weeks. The grass (weed) paths between plots are wet mud or standing water.
I followed a no dig approach and included a couple of small hugel mounds and a straw bale area. I also did a ‘lasagne’ bed (not so successful!) I covered weeds with cardboard and put compost on top and planted into it.
Had a lovely year, except for the rats eating all my sweetcorn just before I was about to pick it.
The best is now, however. None of the beds are waterlogged, the pathways are chippings and though soft have no standing water and I am still harvesting – kale, PSB, chard, spinach, pea sprouts, lettuces, romanesco caulis, Kallettes, spring onions, spinach beet, none under cover. I had a poly tunnel, but it ripped in the last storm, our site has wonderful views but is very open.
Many thanks Charles for all your inspiration. One other plot holder has gone to no dig now.
Hazelkey that is such a wonderful endorsement for no dig, thanks for sharing your experience.
I find it fascinating that changing one simple thing (omitting soil cultivation) has such a dramatic effect.
Also I wonder why all the other plot-holders would not follow your lead!Before you invest a lot of effort into this plot have a chat with the committee and decide whether they are likely to support site improvement and maintenance going forward. I took on a plot in 2012 and every year the plot floods. We were led to believe 2012 was a one off so we carried on gardening, built a shed and invested time and money. We trenched the beds and the perimeter of the plot lifting the soil to raise the beds on the higher ground.
Currently we can grow non root crops on the upper third and have fruit bushes and containers on the middle third. The bottom third is dead. It is a sunny plot so we view and treat it has a garden. Our back garden is very shady so OK and we retain it for as long as no one mentions cultivation rules.
There is one plot on lower ground than me that has not been cultivated during my time on site. It is let regularly but the new tenants give up after a couple of weeks allowing the committee to relet it.
The original committee has now retired and we there is a new committee chairman who has, in the last year, allowed the site landlords onto site and I understand that they are now drawing up a drainage plan for the site. Why the landlords had nothing to do with the site before 2017 I do not know.
I could suggest if you are on a local authority site it could be worth your while contacting them to find out if they have a record of your sites drainage issues for remedial work if budgets ever allow. It is certainly worth discovering if your committee have any interest in keeping the site well maintained. If they are they will probably offer you a better located plot when one becomes available. From bitter experience I suggest it is far better to cut your losses early and get your name down on another site. Do strongly consider retaining the plot until next rent day though. It will give you time to understand the sites topography and wind patterns. Container growing can be your friend and give you opportunity to get some fruit bushes established ready to transplant into your next plot.
The ground on the neighbouring plot has flooded so much the ground level is as much has a foot lower than the surrounding paths. No dig would be the only way to go but the committee still prefers to burn the oak leaves I do not manage to squirrel away before they can get them.
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