The advice from the soil expert who gave a talk to HRAA members back in 2009 (I think) was “Put four inches of compost on and dig it in.” I did manage about 10% of my totally new plot from a local source but it was time consuming so I decided to get on with it by buying two lorry loads from Donarbon at Alconbury. They can be contacted on 01487 834288. The cost of £20 per lorry load was well worth the money.
A lorry load seems enormous but it didn’t take that long to spread and dig in. I am 71 and not that big so almost anyone who is reasonably fit can do it. The hard work was turning over and breaking up the clay that had previously been turned over by the council. That job was made easier by the arrival of rain in August. It was just enough to aid the break up process easier without turning the plot into a quagmire. I would say that two lorry loads is not quite enough for my plot size but it is certainly a lot easier to work than before.
Before the rain in late August the hot weather killed off quite a lot of the couch grass once I had turned over the clay. So far I have not had too much bother digging up the rest. Time will tell with the bindweed that showed itself after I had dug in the compost. Rather late in the year I painted it with Glyphosphate and that seems to have done the trick.
More photos below.
Colin Saunderson
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