Hi
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large
clumps of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.
Thanks for any feedback.
Paul.
--
Paul reply-to is valid

On Sat, 9 Apr 2005 16:31:50 +0100, Paddy
wrote:

Hi
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large
clumps of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.
Thanks for any feedback.
Paul.

I was given a garden claw. I work a clayish soil and the claw is
useless.

Pam in Bristol

"Paddy" wrote in message
...
Hi
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large clumps
of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.

Put a glyphosate-based weedkiller all over the area, then repeat the
treatment 10 days later.

Then hire a rotivator and don't waste your money on a claw.

Straight digging with a fork is more energy-efficient than twisting a claw,
but it doesn't sound like anything less than a rotivator will be up to the
job of the first big dig.
--
Brian
"Anyway, if you have been, thanks for listening."

Paddy wrote:
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.

Complete waste of money, the claw. I've tried about 3. You can't
beat the victorians for inventiveness, and the traditional fork lets you
get a lot of leverage, to lift as well as break, and you can use every
muscle in the body, not just the arms.

Paddy wrote:
:: Hi
:: I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least
:: two years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence
:: large clumps of earth hard to break up.
:: I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
:: easier. At present we are struggling with forks.
:: Thanks for any feedback.
:: Paul.

The claw is OK for loose sandy soil, and even then only the top 2 - 3
inches...pretty much does what a hoe would do - just loosen the surface and
keep small weeds from getting a hold if done weekly....the only difference
between using a claw and a hoe for this is a hoe can be used at almost any
angle, a claw has to be stabbed from above, making it next to useless.

You can hire a large rotorvator either for a day or a weekend and go over it
a couple of times, but be warned - if you have lots of weeds like docks,
thistles and dandelions, they will multiply by about a thousand if you use a
rotorvator before killing the roots, each small piece of root will form a
new weed, my advice would be to do what Brian says WRT to a good dose of
'roundup' now and again in ten days time, leave it for another week after
the second treatment for all of the roots to be killed and rotorvate.


--
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we."
- George W. Bush, 5.8.2004

On Sat, 9 Apr 2005 16:31:50 +0100, Paddy
wrote:

Hi
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large
clumps of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.
Thanks for any feedback.
Paul.

I took one look at the claw in the garden centre, then saw the price
tag! No way was I going to spend that amount of money. I think the
tool is a bit of a gimmick, maybe following a bad batch from a fork
manufacturer who sold them off cheap.

MM

"Pam Moore" wrote after Paddy asked
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large
clumps of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.
Thanks for any feedback.
Paul.

I was given a garden claw. I work a clayish soil and the claw is
useless.


Quite agree, useless on clay soil but then a fork doesn't work that well
either and a spade is useless too.
Except I use the claw I was given once a year for making the soil in our
carrot box nice and friable after it's dug but before planting when I
incorporate old potting compost.
Also useful for aerating the compost bin.
Personally I would get out any perennial weeds with your fork and then hire
a Rotovator which will break it up and get air into it which in itself will
improve the soil. You will then be able to plant. Then as each crop is
finished go over that piece of ground with your fork so you do only bits at
a time, a lot less tiring.
We use a rotovator all the time now having proved to ourselves it causes no
adverse effects, quite the reverse, it gets lots of air into the soil.

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

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

Brian Watson decided to add:

"Paddy" wrote in message
...
Hi
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large clumps
of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.

Put a glyphosate-based weedkiller all over the area, then repeat the
treatment 10 days later.

Then hire a rotivator and don't waste your money on a claw.

Straight digging with a fork is more energy-efficient than twisting a claw,
but it doesn't sound like anything less than a rotivator will be up to the
job of the first big dig.

Don't waste your cash - get a normal garden fork!

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Brian Watson" contains these words:


Put a glyphosate-based weedkiller all over the area, then repeat the
treatment 10 days later.

Why treat the same plants twice in ten days? Surely the first
application would barely have had time to work ?

Ten days later there will be new shoots from offshoots of many of the
original weeds, plus new weeds will coming through.

This "ten days later" system worked for me on an allotment that had been
similarly neglected.

--
Brian
"Anyway, if you have been, thanks for listening."

In message , Bob Hobden
writes

"Pam Moore" wrote after Paddy asked
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large
clumps of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.
Thanks for any feedback.
Paul.

I was given a garden claw. I work a clayish soil and the claw is
useless.


Quite agree, useless on clay soil but then a fork doesn't work that well
either and a spade is useless too.
Except I use the claw I was given once a year for making the soil in our
carrot box nice and friable after it's dug but before planting when I
incorporate old potting compost.
Also useful for aerating the compost bin.
Personally I would get out any perennial weeds with your fork and then hire
a Rotovator which will break it up and get air into it which in itself will
improve the soil. You will then be able to plant. Then as each crop is
finished go over that piece of ground with your fork so you do only bits at
a time, a lot less tiring.
We use a rotovator all the time now having proved to ourselves it causes no
adverse effects, quite the reverse, it gets lots of air into the soil.

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

Ok, so the claw is close to useless on clay soil.
Having heard the disadvantage of the rotivator in multiplying weed roots
we are digging with a fork and taking out the weed roots as we go.
But I have also heard using a rotivator also kills worms which seems to
be not a good idea.
Any opinions on this? True or myth?
Thanks.
Paul.
--
Paul reply-to is valid

In article , Paddy
writes
Ok, so the claw is close to useless on clay soil.
Having heard the disadvantage of the rotivator in multiplying weed roots
we are digging with a fork and taking out the weed roots as we go.
But I have also heard using a rotivator also kills worms which seems to be not a
good idea.
Any opinions on this? True or myth?

I imagine it'll chop them up effectively, just like a spade will do.
But given the number of worms around and the speed they breed, they'll
re-populate.

But you won't kill any with a fork.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

Paul wrote
Ok, so the claw is close to useless on clay soil.
Having heard the disadvantage of the rotivator in multiplying weed roots
we are digging with a fork and taking out the weed roots as we go.
But I have also heard using a rotivator also kills worms which seems to be
not a good idea.
Any opinions on this? True or myth?

May do, certainly chops up a few, but one of our allotments had no worms
when we took it over, now it has lots despite the constant use of the
rotovator.

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

In message , Paddy
writes
Hi
I have taken over an allotment which has not been dug for at least two
years. London, so the earth has a fair amount of clay, hence large
clumps of earth hard to break up.
I was wondering if something like a garden claw might make the task
easier. At present we are struggling with forks.
I bought one when they first came out and returned it to Homebase. It
was useless, especially on London soil.
--
June Hughes