I think you need to forget about using it for this season and continue with your growbags. Work over the winter will result in a suitable area to restart next Spring.
Agree with leaving them an honest review with pictures on whatever site you can find. They really didn't do what they were supposed to!
I'm quite a hands on gardener so I wouldn't be hiring contractors at all. It is indeed hard work digging etc and that takes a toll on my back, but I enjoy gardening and the result is worth it. If it's stressing you out then maybe you see gardening as a chore!
I don't own a mattock but I've used someone else's to help them remove tough roots etc and they bent the mattock! Get a mattock, it's loads of fun and should help relieve some of that stress...
I must admit, with 3 children under 6, lockdown, a full time job and 140 vegetable plants (about 20 different types) everything else is a bit of a chore at the moment unfortunately As I've not had much experience with gardening, I had to spent a lot of time working out how to grow/look after the vegetables (which were a gift) and to actually go and do it. Just not enough time in the day and energy to do it all myself I guess. Plus the bushes were fairly large (many of the stumps were comparable to those of large trees) so not something I could handle myself hence ended up hiring a company to cut them and dispose of them quickly.
I do have a mattock (I think) that my mum got when she got rid of some tree roots in my strawberry patch. I will give that a go when I get a chance. Thank you for your suggestion TreeFace.
That certainly isn't an easy task to do yourself @ledina, when you have other tasks and responsibilities. I sympathise enormously. If you can't get it into shape soon, it will seem like a huge chore, and then it's very off putting every time you look at it. The ivy will keep growing back too if there's any of it still rooted anywhere. If the ground's really dry - which it looks - that makes it harder.
The people who were supposed to do the job have only done half of it. I'd agree with the others that if you can name and shame a bit, or at least look for some response [and refund] online, that can often be the best way. They've got a nerve telling you to get a rotovator anyway, when they should have returned with other machinery to finish the job.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If it were me, once I'd heard back from the contractors, I'd dump some compost, topsoil, leafmould, old growbag contents, horse manure, soil improver, whatever I could find locally (people are often getting rid of topsoil and manure) on top of the bed and plant veg into it (there seem to be a lot of cheap late season veg plants for sale around at the moment) . The stems and stumps will rot down and disappear eventually, and if they don't, then you can deal with them in the winter or next year. I'd put the growbags with the pumpkins on top and cut some holes in the bottom so that the roots can grow out.
A rotavator used on soil full of roots will break up the ground efficiently, but will also chop the roots into lots of little bits, and each of those can grow into a new plant. You end up worse off than before you started.
Definitely forget getting any veg in there this year. Relax and make a plan.
Definitely ask for a refund and/or firm return date for completing the work as agreed. If that fails, name and shame on every platform you can find - FB, local websites, local paper etc
If you can find some weedkiller specifically for stumps (Brushwood ?) apply it on a dry day as soon as poss. Leave a couple of weeks for it to work. Wait for rain then tackle the stumps with a mattock tho some may wiggle out once the soil is softened and wet.
Tackle this slowly over the autumn and winter and get out as much as you can then, next spring, bung in loads of well-rotted manure and garden compost and you should be able to grow plenty of veg. Good GCs and DIY stores sell soil-conditioner in bags if you don't have another supply handy.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
That certainly isn't an easy task to do yourself @ledina, when you have other tasks and responsibilities. I sympathise enormously. If you can't get it into shape soon, it will seem like a huge chore, and then it's very off putting every time you look at it. The ivy will keep growing back too if there's any of it still rooted anywhere. If the ground's really dry - which it looks - that makes it harder.
The people who were supposed to do the job have only done half of it. I'd agree with the others that if you can name and shame a bit, or at least look for some response [and refund] online, that can often be the best way. They've got a nerve telling you to get a rotovator anyway, when they should have returned with other machinery to finish the job.
Thank you everyone. The company is coming back to try and sort out what's left by hand.
Once they are done I will follow some of the advice from here, move the veg back to their original space and take my time pulling out the ivy and using some strong weed killer to get rid of it for good. We will try and get rid of some of the soil and replace with top soil/old grow bag content so the space is ready for planting next spring.
I would just add maybe concentrate next year on less vegetables as they are time consuming to care for and you seem to have your hands full. What about some miniature fruit trees and maybe some big pots with lettuce, cherry tomatoes and strawberries? Baby carrots are an easy option in a pot as are radishes?
I have an allotment and in the past I have half killed myself growing stuff that I then realised I didn’t really want. Now I stick to fruit bushes and trees, courgettes and rhubarb, tomatoes in the greenhouse and lots of cut flowers plus a little water feature and bee friendly area. All stuff i actually love and lots less work.
Posts
I do have a mattock (I think) that my mum got when she got rid of some tree roots in my strawberry patch. I will give that a go when I get a chance. Thank you for your suggestion TreeFace.
The people who were supposed to do the job have only done half of it. I'd agree with the others that if you can name and shame a bit, or at least look for some response [and refund] online, that can often be the best way. They've got a nerve telling you to get a rotovator anyway, when they should have returned with other machinery to finish the job.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Definitely ask for a refund and/or firm return date for completing the work as agreed. If that fails, name and shame on every platform you can find - FB, local websites, local paper etc
If you can find some weedkiller specifically for stumps (Brushwood ?) apply it on a dry day as soon as poss. Leave a couple of weeks for it to work. Wait for rain then tackle the stumps with a mattock tho some may wiggle out once the soil is softened and wet.
Tackle this slowly over the autumn and winter and get out as much as you can then, next spring, bung in loads of well-rotted manure and garden compost and you should be able to grow plenty of veg. Good GCs and DIY stores sell soil-conditioner in bags if you don't have another supply handy.
You'll be able to get a load of soil/manure/compost on there and get it in good shape for spring.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...