Ooooh, my back!
By annidavison
16 comments
Okay, so we (me, hubby, parents, brother) are having a few days where we basically dig up the rock-hard garden, including the lawn, shift several tonnes of gravel, mark it all out, try and make the paths as best we can…you know, all that stuff. Only problem is, the diggers can only do about an hour each (it’s about 20 hours worth of work) and only three can dig, so that’s, you know, a weeks worth of digging. Add to that the need to dig and line the path (it’s gonna be gravel, about 12" deep and lined, purely to use the damned stuff up) which will take another day or three, and the fact that I’m already getting to the point where I need to put some stuff out (130 greyhound cabbages, 35 pepper seedings, 120 leeks, 12 radishes, 6 strawberry bushes, 3 raspberry canes, a redcurrent bush, a blackcurrent bush, a rose bush and now 30 or so pumpkin and squash seedlings too) and I have a full workload this month. I’m two days in and my back already hates me!
I guess the trick is to pace ourselves; after all, if we work 1 hour a day it might take two weeks, but it’ll take even longer if we do our backs in and have to rest for a month without doing anything.
8 Mar, 2009
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Comments
I'm sure. :-)
8 Mar, 2009
Do you have any 12-15 year old neighbors who would like some extra pocket cash? Of course, you have to pay for it but sometimes they will do an hour or two before getting bored with it! : )
8 Mar, 2009
Take care and enjoy getting to have helpers...sounds like it might be fun if no one gets hurt..!
8 Mar, 2009
Just a thought - how about hiring a rotavator for a day? It would speed up the task and save your poor back!
8 Mar, 2009
Wow, that sounds like a massive project. Look forward to seeing the end result - or even work in progress.Hope it all goes as planned.
8 Mar, 2009
Oh gosh Anni.....just be careful of your back. You have a big job ahead of you....use all the latest back safe techniques....
Hope it all goes well.
8 Mar, 2009
You'll get there eventually :o)
8 Mar, 2009
Don't push till it hurts..it is too late then..be gentle with yourself...
8 Mar, 2009
just think of the end result. and all your own work too. but as every one says dont over do it.
8 Mar, 2009
Well, I've found a good technique, at least for me; basically, digging with the fork, and only ever digging like, 1 or 2 inches at a time. This automatically breaks up the soil as I go, and 'cause there's so little there, it put up no resistance, so it's easy for me to do. Yesterday I dug up about 6ft square in an hour and barely broke a sweat, and my back's fine. I don't know if that's a decent rate or not, but it's getting done at least.
9 Mar, 2009
Slow and steady wins the race Anni. Who cares if you are slow or not. You are getting it done. That's the main thing. :o)
9 Mar, 2009
Be careful of your back Anni, you have to heft your little lad about as well - I well remember the toned biceps that car-carrier weight lifting gives you - but I did strain my back when we were putting the gravel down on our drive, we had 9 tonnes to shift into place between me and hubby and that was just shovelling and raking for a day.
Gilli is right you will get there eventually - and you will know that its all beautifully dug over by your own fair (calussed, chapped, bruised and battered) hands !
10 Mar, 2009
Good job with the fork..no matter, take your time...plant as you go if the plants are beginning to look forlorn...or bed them in temporary beds...don't over do and lay yourself out..
10 Mar, 2009
Well, I've had to earth up my leeks in the tiny 4cm seed cells that they were sown in, lol; a lot of them have two leaves now and are started to look a little unhapy that they're not outside yet.
12 Mar, 2009
Anni plants are very forgiving ~take care and take your time
12 Mar, 2009
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8 Mar, 2009
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I guess you could try a few 'bendy' warm-up exercises before you start digging.
Might ease the back ache.
You've taken on a huge project, but you'll be delighted with the end results. Good luck. Don't work too hard ! :o)
8 Mar, 2009