Preparing never-cultivated clay for sweet corn, or 2 or 3 "sisters"

[dforrest]

Hello, I’ve got a patch of ground that has presumably never been cultivated before and has just been opened for use. The weeds have just been cut down to perhaps 1-2 cm long, mostly grasses and a few nettles. I need to plant now and don’t have the luxury of preparing the ground over winter. The soil is fairly heavy clay with quite a few stones. It is at a relative high point and adjoins a bit of oak forest, getting sun from mid-morning on.

I’m intending to plant sweet corn, an American “crookneck squash” variety below it, and perhaps an American bush bean called a “butter bean.” I will make a small block of corn plants, probably 5×5, and whatever number of the others fit between.

How would you suggest I fertilize and plant? What should I use for ground cover to help with weed suppression? (Note I’m in a community garden where no plastic ground cover is permitted) I will be seeding directly unless anyone tells me otherwise (i.e., no germination has started yet!). I’m in green northern Spain so have a slightly longer season than in the south of the UK.

In another very small plot adjoining, I plan to plant a bit of wheat, just for fun, plus buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa. Of these I have only grown amaranth before. I suppose I can broadcast the wheat and buckwheat but again, I wonder about preparing the ground and fertilization. All I really want to do with this is yield about a kilo of wheat flour and a kilo of gluten-free, just so we can say we did it.

I wish these plots had been made available 6 months ago so theycould be prepared properly, but this is what I’ve got. All good ideas kindly received!

[charles]

An interesting challenge to start so late. Even a month ago would have been much better, I am unsure that you can sow wheat in June and have a harvest though perhaps a long Spanish autumn makes it possible. Most wheat in Britain is forming its heads already.
Unless you have access to much compost, and being unable to use polythene, I would dig: to bury weeds and enable your immediate sowings. Firm the soil after digging to conserve moisture.
Meanwhile I would sow corn and squash and beans in pots/trays of compost, to plant in about 3 weeks, when you will have prepared the ground.

[dforrest]

Hello again,

Thanks so much for your advice. I’ve followed it more or less. I’ve given up on the summer wheat idea, and am adding the extra tomato and pepper plants currently crowding my balcony into the mix.

My sweetcorn, squash and lima bean starts are in their little newspaper pots ready to be planted out.

I have come into a good amount of well-dried-and-shredded but quite fresh cow manure, so I’m going to try a fairly standard sheet mulch instead of digging. (I have forked the soil a bit and cut down the grass and weeds). My question is, what can I mix with the too-fresh manure to take the edge off a bit and keep from cooking my plants? I do have access to almost free and unlimited fresh pine sawdust and was thinking that might do as it has a reputation for hoovering up excess nitrogen. Perhaps 50-50 by volume? I also have small amounts of biochar, straw (partially rotted and fresh), and grass clippings in various states of decay available. More straw could be bought in if necessary.

I have already started the sheet mulching but wanted to see what you or others thought of the idea of combining the fresh manure with sawdust. Of course, until I put the plants in later in the week, there is still the possibility of digging it all in.

I really am looking forward to having the luxury of preparing soil for NEXT year’s garden, and not to plant into right away! But for now, I’ve got what I’ve got! Thanks

[charles]

Sounds good.
Manure “freshness” is difficult to quantify, it depends how fresh! Cow manure is I think unlikely to burn your plants, you say it is shredded and I wonder if it includes straw, as manure normally has bedding which soaks up the nitrogen.
If no straw, maybe add one third sawdust.
Absolutely no advantage to digging it in, quite the opposite.

[Author]

Posts