On Jan 31, 10:13*am, mogga wrote:
We've been told we can't go on until after contractors have been back
in February. We've already got a good idea that the soil is clay so
what's the best plan of action?

I've read that digging clay in spring is a waste of time as it'll dry
out and turn to bricks on the surface ... and that mulching is the way
to go...

So what would you do with a clay allotment for the first year assuming
we get on in March.

(And there's no water to the site at the moment)

--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.voucherfreebies.co.ukhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

If you don't like pigs, the other way is to get someone in with a
tractor and spray equipment & spray the whole area off. This however
needs to be done in Summertime in non-drought conditions (ie weeds
growing actively). Then it could be ploughed and rotovated with
tractor equipment. The walk behind rotovators are toytown stuff. If
you don't spray it, stuff like brambles, thistles and docks grows up
more strongly than before.
The other problem you will experience is wireworm and other
underground pastureland pests. They don't like being dug up.
This is why the pigs are so good, all of the above costs money. There
are people here who will be outraged, but this is the only way to get
rapidly established. Otherwise it will take years. Time and money are
interchangeable in nearly everything.

On Jan 31, 10:13*am, mogga wrote:
We've been told we can't go on until after contractors have been back
in February. We've already got a good idea that the soil is clay so
what's the best plan of action?

I've read that digging clay in spring is a waste of time as it'll dry
out and turn to bricks on the surface ... and that mulching is the way
to go...

So what would you do with a clay allotment for the first year assuming
we get on in March.

(And there's no water to the site at the moment)

--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.voucherfreebies.co.ukhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

How wet is it ATM?
How weedy?
If yes to either of the above I'd not be in too much of a hurry. When
the weeds are growing well spray them off with Roundup or one of it's
clones. At least a week after spraying (if it's not terribly wet) I'd
hire a micro digger, you can get them small enough to fit through an
80cm gate. Use the machine like a big spade to dig over the whole
plot, leaving it rough. Take a smallish area for sowing/planting soon
and cover it with as much well rotted manure and compost as you can
afford - let it dry a bit if neccessary and then get it rotavated. The
rest if poss I'd leave fallow for the rest of the summer (still rough
and lumpy) and repeat the spraying as required. Then grit your teeth
and buy lots more muck. Areas you want for planting overwintering
crops can be rotavated, otherwise leave the rest and hope we have
another winter like this. Come next spring you'll be able to do
anything you like with it with very little effort, you won't believe
the change in the nature of the soil. Now you can go organic if you're
of that persuasion.
To save costs and you can do deep but not raised beds, ie no sides are
needed. Just mark out your beds and prepare as above so all the work
and muck goes into to actual cropped areas rather than the paths.
These beds should be narrow enough to be worked without walking on
once they are prepared and will hardly need any digging ever again
apart from a light forking between successive crops.
The only muck you'll need after this can be concentrated on things
like your potatoes.
It is well worthwhile to give the time and money to get this right
from the start and thereafter weeding and digging will be so easy as
to be a pleasure.

Rod

On Jan 31, 5:13*am, mogga wrote:
We've been told we can't go on until after contractors have been back
in February. We've already got a good idea that the soil is clay so
what's the best plan of action?

I've read that digging clay in spring is a waste of time as it'll dry
out and turn to bricks on the surface ... and that mulching is the way
to go...

So what would you do with a clay allotment for the first year assuming
we get on in March.

(And there's no water to the site at the moment)

--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.voucherfreebies.co.ukhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

Mulching seems like the way to go. Clay is no bueno. Water is
essential. I say go with the desert theme.

On Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:00:44 -0000, "'Mike'"
wrote:



"Pete" wrote in message
...


"'Mike'" wrote in message ...



There is of course the matter of deeds and permission to keep pigs. It was
in the deeds to may last house which had a large garden, well, half an
acre
which as everybody has been informed is a lot larger than the postage
stamp
MY WIFE has now, that we could keep 1 pig to the acre ;-))

Mike

One pig to the Acre --- unenforcible.
You can either keep them or not ---- enforcible
(Snippo please btw0

Pete

That was the stupid thing. 1 pig per acre. We had half an acre. I guess it
was from the original plot which was one acre and had two houses on it, but
one fell down. The plot was divided years later to two plots and a new house
built.

Mike


How about a very small pig?


An acre is the total site area... so I was thinking about bulk of
materials - but I suspect it'd be the sheer cost of getting lots of
stuff.
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

"mogga" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 31 Jan 2011 22:00:44 -0000, "'Mike'"
wrote:



"Pete" wrote in message
.. .


"'Mike'" wrote in message
.. .



There is of course the matter of deeds and permission to keep pigs. It
was
in the deeds to may last house which had a large garden, well, half an
acre
which as everybody has been informed is a lot larger than the postage
stamp
MY WIFE has now, that we could keep 1 pig to the acre ;-))

Mike

One pig to the Acre --- unenforcible.
You can either keep them or not ---- enforcible
(Snippo please btw0

Pete

That was the stupid thing. 1 pig per acre. We had half an acre. I guess it
was from the original plot which was one acre and had two houses on it,
but
one fell down. The plot was divided years later to two plots and a new
house
built.

Mike


How about a very small pig?


http://www.just-pooh.com/piglet.html


An acre is the total site area... so I was thinking about bulk of
materials - but I suspect it'd be the sheer cost of getting lots of
stuff.
--

Our Council do the 1 tonne bags of compost, but you would need quite a few
at nearly £40.00 each :-((

Mike
--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................

And the bits that aren't getting piggified, you can use to keep bees