Kitchen Garden Forum

A man’s work is never done, Clive….

Just cut the grass over the allotments….also cut on setting 5…

Don't think I'll be cutting grass for a while. I'm having a modification to my septic tank system done to make it compliant with the latest legislation. Been an absolute nightmare with all the rain and the stuff the digger has been unearthing, highlight probably the blades off a hay mowing machine. Then there's the -2.8°C frost.

That’s very annoying, Geoff, a mess and having to pay for it….

Let the dogs out into a white back garden this morning.
North facing and downslope.

The gremlin that looses your post when someone else posts at the same time was in evidence tonight, so lost my post. It must be there somewhere though as wrote it & pressed submit. Any ideas how to retrieve it?

Second frosty morning!

Frosty here for several nights now, we were out chasing the Aurora last night, but the moon was so bright it was hard to see it, you can just see green curtains in the centre of the image
Aurora by tigerburnie, on Flickr

Intrigued by your comments about septic tank legislation changes Geoff. We have a friend who has one who I suspect may be blissfully ignorant on this topic. Is there a deadline by which any updates have to be compliant and was this info widely published?

There are things called the General Binding Rules that are an absolute nightmare to follow, the way they are applied varies according to how long your tank has been installed. Whether you have to make your system compliant is also vague but what seems to be definite is that you either have to be compliant to sell a property or have a costed remedial solution to present to prospective purchasers as a discount but it seems nobody will ever check that they've spent the money. At this stage of going round in circles your head explodes! Our only son is emigrating to New Zealand and we are toying with the idea of joining him although NZ don't really want wrinklies and make it quite hard. So it seemed to us sensible to remove obstacles to a smooth sale, we are also getting properly entered on the Land registry, even if we don't move it will make it easier to administer the probate one day. If your friend has theirs emptied from time to time those contractors will usually advise for a price.

Thanks Geoff , althiugh I rather suspect our friend & immediate neighbours might possibly have a very informal arrangement with a nearby farmer who empties the tanks on nearby field and uses it as free fertiliser., Old country ways and all thwt !
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I think it,s very sensible to get these things sorted while you can. Leaving things to the last minute just adds to stress although it sounds as if you,re already battling with a lot of uncertainties. Not sure we want to lose another of our faithful few forum members though.

We used to have ours emptied by farmers but that is now definitely illegal and if caught the farmers can lose subsidies / farm payments so the ones round here won't do it any longer. I think I would carry on reporting but six months out of sync if it happens. Blame the state of the health service, he's a GP and just can't cope with the hours and stress any longer.

Feel for your son Geoff. We have a nephew who,s a GP who,s in the same situation. Combined with trying to trying to cope with a young child and a long job commute the pressures get overwhelming. I suppose the public don't always help either with the way some of them deliberately abuse their health but than still expect miracles to be performed.

Sorry to read things are tough at the moment, Geoff, life isn’t easy at times!

Lost my post again tonight, I don't think I've been naughty, so trying full editor this time not quick answer.

The debrief is:
*I'm not allowed to channel a run off out to the front, so went for individual channels around each bed.
*I dug these & then did a big fork stab in to allow deeper drainage & lined these with collected stones so the holes would't fill in.
*I have mixed my compost with some Strulch to loosen it, as although OK I'm half way through it & it's a bit compacted from the weight of the compost that was on top of it. I just twizzled this into the top as already laid some of the compost on it.
*I covered it with black plastic & curved the edges of the plastic into the channels to collect rainfall. I will find a way of emptying this somehow without covering myself in cold water!

Of course this is only going to be a solution to improving closed beds, not got a solution for filled beds that flood yet. The railway have set up a HQ behind now with lot's of cabins but these won't be as heavy as that crane & if we warming instead of flooding next year it won't be a problem. Feel free to add any suggestions!

You seem to have planned as best you can given the site restrictions under which you,re working. It's just a pity that all this surplus winter water can't be stored on site somehow against summer rainfall shortage.

Is there any way an old galvanised tank or similar could be acquired from somewhere to store on your plot with some kind of battery or foot pump & hose which could be used to pump the surplus floodwater into it?

Other than growing winter crops which are a little more tolerant to surplus water I don't see what more you can practically do Westi .
How many plots are affected?