Dead Soil
 

For 2 seasons now, an area of the allotment : 2 x 1 metres, refuses to
produce anything - not even weeds. I transplanted some brasica seedlings in
Spring. Outside the dead area, these grew to full size. Within this area,
they withered and died (took about 4 months and they didn't grow higher than
4 inches).
Prior to my taking the allotment over - it had been overgrown for about 7 or
so years. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Pete.

Pete wrote ...
For 2 seasons now, an area of the allotment : 2 x 1 metres, refuses to
produce anything - not even weeds. I transplanted some brasica seedlings
in Spring. Outside the dead area, these grew to full size. Within this
area, they withered and died (took about 4 months and they didn't grow
higher than 4 inches).
Prior to my taking the allotment over - it had been overgrown for about 7
or so years. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Does anything grow on that spot Pete? Weeds?
If nothing, then you have some seriously contaminated soil and your Council
should be told about it, they should do some tests and get it changed for
you if it's only a small area.
Maybe it was the site of a shed and the chemicals got into the soil, or
someone used their plot for dumping something.
Recently there was a problem with an allotment site in Chertsey where the
Council wanted to built but found contamination, panic, panic, I understand
it turned out to be a previous gardener that poured his old engine oil onto
one spot of his plot. (but don't quote me on that)

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

In article , Janet Baraclough.. writes:
| The message
| from "Cumberpach" contains these words:
|
| For 2 seasons now, an area of the allotment : 2 x 1 metres, refuses to
| produce anything - not even weeds. I transplanted some brasica seedlings in
| Spring. Outside the dead area, these grew to full size. Within this area,
| they withered and died (took about 4 months and they didn't grow
| higher than
| 4 inches).
| Prior to my taking the allotment over - it had been overgrown for
| about 7 or
| so years. Any ideas would be appreciated.
|
| Tis the last resting place of the previous owner's first wife, who
| disappeared so sudden-like all those years ago....

And whose body could be exhumed intact, because that quantity of
arsenic is a most powerful preservative ....

The normal reason for small patches not growing anything is a
near-total lack of water or a near-total lack of drainage. Since
both sound implausible, I quite agree that getting a sample of
the soil analysed is a good idea. There aren't many things so
nasty that they will prevent all plant growth for several seasons,
in soil exposed to the rain.

However, I am assuming that it had been dug over to a spade's
depth, so that the common problems are implausible.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

Pete wrote ...
For 2 seasons now, an area of the allotment : 2 x 1 metres, refuses to
produce anything - not even weeds. I transplanted some brasica seedlings
in Spring. Outside the dead area, these grew to full size. Within this
area, they withered and died (took about 4 months and they didn't grow
higher than 4 inches).
Prior to my taking the allotment over - it had been overgrown for about 7
or so years. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Does anything grow on that spot Pete? Weeds?

Nope, not even weeds.

If nothing, then you have some seriously contaminated soil and your
Council should be told about it, they should do some tests and get it
changed for you if it's only a small area.

Just to be safe, I will give the Coucil a call. Perhaps they'll swap it for
a ton of John Innes No.3.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
The normal reason for small patches not growing anything is a
near-total lack of water or a near-total lack of drainage.

Nope, loadsa rain in Cornwall and the slopes 1 in 12 and the soil is well
drained.


both sound implausible, I quite agree that getting a sample of
the soil analysed is a good idea. There aren't many things so
nasty that they will prevent all plant growth for several seasons,
in soil exposed to the rain.

However, I am assuming that it had been dug over to a spade's
depth, so that the common problems are implausible.

Yes, well dug last season and this. Sounds like something nasty and it's at
the top of the slope. I would hate it to spread, so as per Bob's post,
sounds like a Council jobbo.

Pete