No-Dig Update from Easton Grey

[alex]

Hi Charles/everyone

It’s been a while since I posted, so here’s an update on the No Dig project.

During the summer last year, by far the most successful crop were the lettuces, which we had in abundance. The funny thing was that I followed your advice Charles and only sowed half the width of a seed tray with my four lettuce choices and even that was too many, they were so successful! However, that said, we, our neighbours, family and the chooks enjoyed them all immensely.

I think my layers of manure in places need to be deeper as I didn’t see the amount of growth on some veg that I had expected and also, one of the beds particularly I think was a little too dry, being very exposed to the sun but with a large old Smoke Bush branch stopping the rainfall getting through, so the Smoke Bush had quite a trim towards the latter part of the year.

We’ve had lots of Chard – there’s still a lot out there, plus other veg that’s still there for picking, but I’ve got a mammoth job coming up in that I am going to have to move my greenhouse to the other side of the garden as it’s getting too much shade from the old Hawthorn and as much as I have chopped the Hawthorn back, it’s not enough, but I won’t take it out as it is years old, plays host to all the local feathered population, including the robin who nests there every year and I love it.

The other challenge I have is the resident mole, though he is tending to stick to the chicken coops and runs mainly and terrorises my chickens every day – I thought he’d given up for the winter but no, he’s been popping up out there again and has ruined some of my grass (grrrr).

So it’s really early days for my No Dig project – without the greenhouse in it’s final position I’m missing out on getting a lot of things going early, but I’m hopeful that once it’s been moved, future No Dig years are going to be wonderful.

Alex

[charles]

 Thanks for this update Alex, all good to hear.

It is so true that when seeds germinate well, you need only a few.

And that vegetables like full sun! 

[Author]

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