Hello, I've recently started up a plot and I'm thinking of installing some raised beds. I was wondering if it is worth digging the ground over or not before installing the beds? the soil is very clayie and has poor drainage.

Personally I would dig over the ground underneath where the beds are going and add as much compostable material (ripped up cardboard, leaves, organic waste) as possible.

If you leave it set hard the invasive weeds and grass may come up into the raised bed and also there will be poor drainage - especially if you're on clay

Hope this helps

Hi,

I have recently heard that there is what they are calling the "no dig" technique.

I believe that Harrow Councils Allotment Strategy pertains to this so called 'technique'.

The idea is to cover the ground with organic matter and all the worms etc. will come up to the surface and carry down all the matter, aerating the soil along the way.

Personally I think this ‘technique’ is a load of balderdash - as far as allotments are concerned.

Firstly you must cover the whole plot with waste material – and then wait….. For exactly how long are we supposed to wait? Do we have time in our busy allotment calendar to hang around “waiting for the worms to do their bit?

Also – my lawn is covered in worm casts at certain times of the year – this hasn’t stopped my lawn growing. If I don’t look after my lawn for months and leave old grass cuttings on top then I have found that new grass grows on top of the old grass creating these tufts and mounds. I can’t see that leaving compost on top of say, couch grass, or whatever, will kill it off sufficiently to stop it coming up through to the surface.

I agree with the previous comment – you’ll need to dig it over first. There’s no gain with out a little pain – and let’s face it, it is a great way to keep fit.

I am afraid that I don’t agree with Goggy, although he does have a point with some of what he says.

I have used this 'no dig' technique and although it does seem to work it does not give an easy way out. I would say that it works best on an organic plot where all the 'creepy-crawlies' can get stuck in and do some of the work for you.

In the autumn, annual weeds are hoed off the ground and perennial weeds dug out. Then a thick layer of compost, well rotted manure or other organic matter is put across the surface.

To cover 10 square yards with 2 inches of compost would take a minimum of 15 cubic feet of compost. A standard 10 pole allotment plot would require nearly 17 cubic yards to cover. That's an awful lot of compost!

The mulch over the surface helps to keep the soil warm and this keeps the worms active, drawing the compost down, into the ground aerating it and breaking it up.

In 1967 the HDRA  reported on the theory in some depth and the conclusions thay came to were interesting. Initially soil fertility was higher, giving better crops, but after 7 years there was a crash and fertility plummeted.

Bob Flowerdew, from BBC Radio4’s Gardeners Question Time, claims to have used the No Dig technique quite successfully for many years, without the fertility crash. He contends that the digging required for root crops, especially potatoes, is enough and he finds that no additional digging is required.

In the Harrow area the soil tends to be heavy clay soil with an underlying solid 'yellow' clay. Where the soil is not compacted by traffic (such as walking on) the No Dig Method seems to work - for me at any rate. The ground does get dug as root crops etc. are cultivated.

I am sure that heavy clay, compacted and regularly waterlogged, would be a different story. I would imagine that digging in matter to build up the soil structure would be necessary in this instance.

Whilst the 'No Dig' technique works for me at home, as far as on the allotment goes I cannot realistically make enough compost to cope with the needs of my entire plot. I will continue to dig the most part of my plot each year and take heart from the fact the exercise must be doing me some good!
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Ian

I say - give it a go.

It's worth testing the theory, I suppose there could be something in it, and if it does work then let us all know. I know I could do with doing a bit less digging!