Just taken on a new allotment, 10 rods (or 10 metric lettings = 250sq
metres), as we have been evicted from our old site. The new site is about
half used and is tucked away, so they tell me no vandalism except for a few
beer cans from the fishermen on the River Bourne once! It runs alongside the
site.
After the goings on at our last site that's sheer joy to our ears.

Had to mark out the plot ourselves, 12.5 metres by 20 metres, and it will
need rabbit fencing, about £140. as there obviously aren't any foxes locally
which is strange considering the position between a village and farmland
(and the M25/M3 Thorpe interchange!). Be cheaper to persuade them to stay on
the site with a ready built den but never mind.

Strimmed it off on Tuesday only to notice a few bricks showing in the soil.
Started digging on Wednesday and found a 3ft wide brick path running the
length of the plot (20 metres) buried under at least 4 inches of soil, so we
are now the proud owners of a huge pile of old bricks and sore arms. :-(

Went down there to start digging properly today and the soil is like rock
below a few inches, I can just get the fork into it, the rotovator won't
touch it due to the large stones we keep finding. Whoever had the plot
before obviously didn't dig a spit deep, ever; and why did they not remove
the large flint stones to make it easier the next time they dug, strange.

Still it will be nice when it done and the soil looks good. Somewhere to
grow stuff again, joy. :-)

And some friends arrived from Toulouse yesterday with plants and seeds of
Albizia julibrissin and Campsis radicans from plants in their garden. :-)

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005 16:33:21 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:



Went down there to start digging properly today and the soil is like rock
below a few inches, I can just get the fork into it, the rotovator won't
touch it due to the large stones we keep finding. Whoever had the plot
before obviously didn't dig a spit deep, ever; and why did they not remove
the large flint stones to make it easier the next time they dug, strange.


I had a similar problem, compounded by a several buried broken
concrete paving slabs and hefty tree roots, when I recently converted
grass into a vegetable plot. My rotovator (old 4HP Mountfield) was
struggling a bit so I ran it without the outer tine set, concentrating
the full power into a narrower area. Very strenuous as it kept trying
to fall over and leaping in the air, but it lifted out most of the big
stones and identified the location of those it didn't. Biggest
problem was when one paving slab, buried on end, got jammed between
the tines and the gearbox. That stalled it and I had to knock it out
with a club hammer. As far as the thick roots were concerned, it was
more a matter of holding the rotovator back and letting it smash
through them, then pulling them out by hand. It jumped around a bit
but did the job. Cruelty to a rotovator, yes, but as I say, it's an
old one and it survived it. Next run with it to dig in the compost I
spread was a piece of cake. I've got a huge pile of flints and stones
now, wondering what to do with them. Maybe make a path.

In message , Bob Hobden
writes
Just taken on a new allotment, 10 rods (or 10 metric lettings = 250sq
metres), as we have been evicted from our old site. The new site is about
half used and is tucked away, so they tell me no vandalism except for a few
beer cans from the fishermen on the River Bourne once! It runs alongside the
site.
After the goings on at our last site that's sheer joy to our ears.

Had to mark out the plot ourselves, 12.5 metres by 20 metres, and it will
need rabbit fencing, about £140. as there obviously aren't any foxes locally
which is strange considering the position between a village and farmland
(and the M25/M3 Thorpe interchange!). Be cheaper to persuade them to stay on
the site with a ready built den but never mind.

Strimmed it off on Tuesday only to notice a few bricks showing in the soil.
Started digging on Wednesday and found a 3ft wide brick path running the
length of the plot (20 metres) buried under at least 4 inches of soil, so we
are now the proud owners of a huge pile of old bricks and sore arms. :-(

Went down there to start digging properly today and the soil is like rock
below a few inches, I can just get the fork into it, the rotovator won't
touch it due to the large stones we keep finding. Whoever had the plot
before obviously didn't dig a spit deep, ever; and why did they not remove
the large flint stones to make it easier the next time they dug, strange.

Still it will be nice when it done and the soil looks good. Somewhere to
grow stuff again, joy. :-)

And some friends arrived from Toulouse yesterday with plants and seeds of
Albizia julibrissin and Campsis radicans from plants in their garden. :-)

All the best, Bob. Enjoy!
--
June Hughes

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
Just taken on a new allotment, 10 rods (or 10 metric lettings = 250sq
metres), as we have been evicted from our old site. The new site is about
half used and is tucked away, so they tell me no vandalism except for a
few beer cans from the fishermen on the River Bourne once! It runs
alongside the site.
After the goings on at our last site that's sheer joy to our ears.

Had to mark out the plot ourselves, 12.5 metres by 20 metres, and it will
need rabbit fencing, about £140. as there obviously aren't any foxes
locally which is strange considering the position between a village and
farmland (and the M25/M3 Thorpe interchange!). Be cheaper to persuade them
to stay on the site with a ready built den but never mind.

Strimmed it off on Tuesday only to notice a few bricks showing in the
soil. Started digging on Wednesday and found a 3ft wide brick path running
the length of the plot (20 metres) buried under at least 4 inches of soil,
so we are now the proud owners of a huge pile of old bricks and sore arms.
:-(

Went down there to start digging properly today and the soil is like rock
below a few inches, I can just get the fork into it, the rotovator won't
touch it due to the large stones we keep finding. Whoever had the plot
before obviously didn't dig a spit deep, ever; and why did they not remove
the large flint stones to make it easier the next time they dug, strange.

Still it will be nice when it done and the soil looks good. Somewhere to
grow stuff again, joy. :-)

And some friends arrived from Toulouse yesterday with plants and seeds of
Albizia julibrissin and Campsis radicans from plants in their garden.
:-)

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London


Conratulations on your perseverance --I would just give in and use raised
beds--the cowards way out.