Do you think anything will grow????

fitzcoff

This is a pic of my veg patch from during the week. Where the water is logged is where we have spuds set, we have, I think, 5/6 drills of them.

Above that we have onions.

Thankfully that's all we have set outside yet, other than that we have stuff in the pots in the polytunnel, waiting to be replanted.

Should we give up hope of anything growing outside this year

NecroSteve

Oof. You need some trees! What's the rest of the immediate area like? Any possibility of digging a drainage trench?

sponge_bob

that view looks strangely familiar.......... grange?

fitzcoff

I know we badly need trees, it is a very open site. It's am open acre to be honest but to put in trees it would cost a fortune.

We might have a look at digging a trench, the water seems to be getting logged in the bottom corner. Looking at the patch today, there seems to be some life, there are some green shoots appearing.

Yea Grange is right

lottpaul

I think you need to take a long term plan and decide what to do, when etc. For now, you could dig a bit of a trench to take away the worst of the water and that should do for this year. You need trees, shrubs etc -- and it needn't cost a fortune. You can get cuttings of olearia, willow, dogwood, escallonia and many more for free in the autumn- Ask neighbours/friends/family etc -- most people are only too happy to help. These grow easily and quickly and are generally trouble free.
Plant them each in separate trenches - about 10cm deep and leave them until spring 2013. They should have rooted by then and can be planted out on your perimeter. Put the willows and dogwoods in the wettest parts, but way from your septic tank. Even if only half of them grow you will have the beginnings of a good windbreak. The biggest mistake people make is planting big expensive trees. If you just plant small little "whips" you wont need to stake them and they will soon overtake the bigger plants -- and be more secure. Keep weeds away from their stems.
Then you can buy some bare rooted "special" trees -- if you want them (apples, plums etc) next winter and plant them too. They will be far cheaper -- and dont forget - small is beautiful.
By 2014 -- seems a good while off I know -- you will have a developing garden which will reduce your flooding problem hugely. By 2020 you will be feeding yourself with fruit and veg grown in a nicely sheltered garden - and investing in a chain saw

shawnee

All depends on how tacky your soil is. Did you add any manure or organic stuff to the soil. It is difficult to grow veg etc on soil that is sticky and wet. Previous advice about getting cuttings etc is excellent and fair play to you for having a go. I would however suggest a few raised beds for this year. If you get a few scaffold boards and nail them together , add some soil or compost and hey presto , you will grow veg. You are still not late and those scaffold boards are only around a 5 a piece. If you want shelter this year try adding some of that green shelter mesh onto those concrete posts.