New tools for the allotment

Himself has a back problem, as do most tall people, especially those who do a lot of digging! Which is why we’ve invested quite a lot of money in this …

It’s a fork with a spring on it. And if you’re wondering what difference that makes, Himself tells me it makes all the difference in the world. It does have its limitations: you can’t use it to break new ground, for example, it can only be used in already turned soil, and you do have to have a trench dug to start the rest of your digging off, but that apart, Himself is managing to dig large areas of allotment without damaging his back, and all I have to do is dig the first trench that he then sets this special fork into. It’s also a lot faster once you get used to the technique – it’s just about halved his digging time. However, I haven’t mastered the technique necessary to use the clever fork, because somebody still has to dig that initial trench and because 201 is a couple of years away from being classed as an allotment comprised entirely of ‘already turned soil’. If you look away for more than a few minutes our earth compacts itself back into solid clay that needs a pickaxe to break through the crust.

And if you’re wondering how far back this puts us from breaking even on our fruit and veg, let’s just say I could probably have spent six months buying fresh produce in a supermarket for the same price as this clever implement!

Labels: allotment-digging, allotment-fork, allotment-soil