Soft Fruit and Waterlogging

magpie

Hi,
I have just been given an allotment, however the bottom end of it becomes waterlogged in winter. I have blackcurrants, redcurrants, white currants, rhubarb and raspberries to plant and would rather not use the part that stays dry throughout winter. My question is whether any of the soft fruit would be able to withstand waterlogging. If not, can anyone suggest what I can use it for. I will be building it up eventually but not for a while. Many thanks for any advice.

Kay_Peel

What kind of soil have you got, Magpie? Is it clay, loam, sandy or what?

I've got loamy soil and about a third of my garden is waterlogged in winter. It's the place where I grow blueberries, dwarf apples, blackcurrants, redcurrants and tayberries! I know that all the gardening experts say that you can't grow soft fruit in waterlogged soil, so I don't really know why they thrive there. Raspberries and strawberries, with their shallow roots, seem to do particularly well. Don't ask me how - I just planted them and left them to it.

One thing that definitely doesn't like ice cold water and frozen ice in winter is Rhubarb. It rotted.

I also grow comfrey (to make liquid manure and to add the leaves to the compost heap), and a patch of nettles in bottomless buckets plunged into the ground (for liquid fertisliser and to encourage wildlife).

The things that do really well are squashes, in summer. I build a mound on top of the watery soil and plant the squashes in the top. They really appreciate having to dig deep into the reserves of water, keeping their necks dry. After they've finished, I sow green manures over the plot.

I'm not saying that these things will work for you - it will really depend on how heavy your soil is.

:beer:

magpie

Thanks for your advice. My soil is somewhere between clay and loam. You have given me a lot to think about. I will try the some of the soft fruit in that part and see how it fares. Take your point about the rhubarb as well. I have sowed some squashes so will try a few there as well. Good advice about green manure too. Great advice.