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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 18 11:42 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

Looks as if it is going well. I tend to try to dry roots out by putting them on top of something so they can't get the soil. In the interests of having room, I would just put the roots in a bucket to drown them.

roots, seeds and unkillable stuff dissolves in a couple of weeks in a mixture tub and the sludge added to a compost heap now and again.

a 50 gallon plastic drum with a loose lid is ideal

ps it also sorts the problem of what to do with a dead rat or glut of pig heads (nowt but teeth and a mineralised liquid feed in a month or two

pps also an ace way to use nettles, comfrey etc to extract minerals and turn em into plant food.

mixture is a bit smelly but tis one of the best ways to make nutrients available, convert wastes and provide a stunning starter culture for green compost

billfromlachine

Joined: 08 Jul 2018
Posts: 26
Location: Montreal Canada

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 18 8:41 pm Post subject:

sgt.colon,

Your garden is coming along nicely, I haven't read the entire thread so I'll add a few idea which may or may not have been covered already.

Try to add mulch between the plants to suppress weeds and retain moisture. Interplanting helps such as planting onions, garlic, leaf lettuce and various herbs between the larger plants in your garden.

Quite a few of those plants also help deter some of the harmful insects also.

Regards

Bill

sgt.colon wrote:

Thought I'd give you guys an update on how my allotment is coming on.

I've planted runners, beetroot and sweetcorn. I've finally got myself a bucket to be able to drown roots, which on that note, do I just drown the roots or can I do the whole plant? I've got a greenhouse I need to go and pick up, which I should be doing next month. Still no shed yet though. I'm hoping one comes up on Freecycle soon.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15998

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 18 6:05 am Post subject:
I had a lot of rather coarse compost this year and left some on the surface of some of the beds. Something, birds or small animals, has been scraping around in it and has dug up some of the plants while doing so. One problem with mulching.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 10:17 am Post subject:
I think next year when I get into the swing of it properly, I'll have a look at companion planting. I'm not overly bothered about mulching at the moment as I just pop down with my hoe and keep on top of those pesky weeds. Did my first harvest at the weekend. 4 beetroot and lots of runners. The corn is coming on a treat as well. Hopefully be harvesting some ears in September.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 11:26 am Post subject:
not companion planting as such but when beans/peas have finished cropping snip em off at ground level and plant the next stuff among the stumps. the root nodules that have the nitrogen fixing bacteria will continue to feed the soil and next crop long after the beans are eaten.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 12:13 pm Post subject:
Thanks for the top tip DPack.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 12:31 pm Post subject:
it can be a cornerstone of crop rotation which is good for reducing pests and diseases as well as gaining the advantage of nitrogen fixation.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 2:13 pm Post subject:
If I don't plant anything else once my beans are done, is it still advisable to leave the cut stumps in the ground for a while?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 2:16 pm Post subject:
Yep.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 3:46 pm Post subject:
Thank you.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 18 4:28 pm Post subject:

get some winter greens germinated ready and replanting is a doddle

next spring that patch then becomes the corn bed . next yrs beans go in the ex corn bed etc etc etc .

salads are best between stuff that gets big later after the salad is eaten.

even prepping new beds can be made easy with such tricks as the straw/pumpkin gambit for compacted , organic fibre depleted soil or the catering pack kilo of coriander seed from mr gohar ( other emporiams are available ) which will make some nice trading herbs and a weed suppressing green mulch in a few weeks

this option can be used now if you can water a few times to get things going.

no dig, broadcast and rake in then water.it interdicts weeds topside and most of the seed will take.

there are a couple of beds in the snaps where that might be a good start.

a good effort /return ratio is best

have you decided where the compost heaps go?
if so the "run off" side is where to locate rhubarb and asparagus. do it this winter and in a couple of years the benefits will be obvious.

thinking of compost , water it ( personal is good ) as damp is a vital part of the job .

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 18 8:55 am Post subject:
Thanks for all that DPack. There is soooo much I still have to learn. You don't fancy moving over this way do you?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15998

Posted: Wed Jul 25, 18 6:59 am Post subject:
The only problem with no dig is if you have any persistent weeds. Things like ground elder, couch grass and bramble love no dig.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Wed Jul 25, 18 9:19 am Post subject:
Well I'm digging plenty at the moment MR. I'm slowly going through trying to remove as much Horsetail root as possible. There's loads of the bloody stuff. A guy did tell me to buy something called Kurtail Gold but I don't want to use chemicals on my little plot.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15998

Posted: Thu Jul 26, 18 5:54 am Post subject:
We don't use chemicals more than we have to, but with things like horsetail I am afraid it might be the only way. See how you get on over a few years without it, then if all else fails... Not a week I have had thank goodness, but I think it is one of those that is very persistent.

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