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Hi Sausage, I’ve a similar problem and have adopted the following:
If planting perennials, then dig out all bindweed roots.
If planting annuals, mulch regardless, but remember to put down extra layers of Amazon cardboard boxes! (it will always pull out through the compost once the cardboard disintegrates) …
BR
NeilfrazermI kept mine in a greenhouse for a year (2017-18) before planting out. They never died down and I was able to continue feeding /potting on to build up the crowns. Great use of winter greenhouse space…
Greengene,
we just threw in what we had. If it helps bolster your confidence, the wood shavings we used were exclusively hardwood. I’m guessing you have softwood so should rot quickly, especially if the fresh stuff is spread over the rotting stuff so that the fungi doing the rotting is in close contact with the fresh material..Hi Eliza,
Many years ago my father (unknowingly) practiced a kind of no-dig with his raspberries in shade. Any green waste he had was thrown into his fruit cage. The result of this over the years, other than raising the soil level by 6 feet, was the production of rasp canes 8 foot tall. One of the summer jobs was bending over the canes and tying them down to a manageable height. The secret was, without doubt, water retention in the organic matter.
In Scotland I’ve seen raspberries thrive in the wild growing through gorse which shades the canes all year.Do you want to meet? Please drop me a line at neilfrazerm@hotmail.co.uk
Could do Sutton or central L.Shane,
Given your circumstance i.e lack of time, lack of good compost available, yes I think that is a great start. I’ve done exactly the same as you, as I’ve suffered exactly the same constraints.
Okay, its not real compost as a purist will quickly point out to you, but you have a living to earn, taking you away for long periods from your allotment. However, have a peak under your cardboard in 4 weeks time and I will guarantee it is still reasonably damp. Only today i saw one of my neighbours busy digging his allotment, and he felt really good about it, not realising that all he was doing was drying out the top 200mm of soil! You, I guess are not in a position to water on a daily basis. This time last year we had no rain in london for at least 6 weeks, so for this reason alone you are on to a winner!
I am working on my committee to try and get a petrol driven shredder to chop up fresh staw / manure so it composts quicker….
BR
Neil PS where in London are you?G’day Shane, welcome to the forum!
I feel that many new people at my allotments (SE London) come with pre-conceived ideas of knowledge involving the old ways, though I have converted a couple of working people who realise the benefits of no-dig and are benefitting already; if for no other reason than their plots are instantly no longer covered in weeds and do not get the dreaded warning letter from the allotment chairman!
It looks to me you are further down the path though (no pun intended….)
Ist job for you, I humbly suggest is to crop your rhubarb and make a pie.
As you are (I guess) desparately trying to maintain order whilst trying to become productive, is to go for crops which a) you eat and b) require little maintenance, so, I humbly suggest you leave those which need caging and spend a little money on some ready made plants which can be planted through the mulched cardboard. They shouldn’t need too much watering as we’ve had masses of rain (for London) this spring and the ground should be quite wet under the covers… mine are here in Bromley.
I guess some of the sages on these pages will give some better guidance..
BR
NeilNo insinuation what-so-ever Sir!
Just never seen or heard of the like. Sorry, did not notice date of original post. I’ve been growing broad beans in SW Scotland (before moving to London) for many years, but never achieved anything like this.
Did you plant them in the Autumn? and was any protection afforded them? Mine were in a sorry state by February (2018) and had to be replaced in their entirety..
BTW, what variety do you recommend?
Thanks,
NeilPS, when did you apply the feed?
Broad Beans 6′ High! … Rhys, you have to upload a picture…. please….
Thanks,
NeilAl,
I refer you to p.50 in ‘No Dig Organic Home & Garden’.
Depending on your circumstances you can either try and block is as per Stringfellow or harvest it to make fertilizer or products as listed…
Personally, when I previously had it I threw it in a bin of water with nettles and comfrey for my own tomato and pepper feed…BR
NeilNot sure where you are Dalesman, but In SE London I got a crop last year…. just.
Likewise, the supplied slips were too late, and, likewise, I’ve overwintered my own which is very easy to do. They just sit in a state of suspended animation on the windowcill until March when they start to wake up.
An Asian chap on our allotments advised me that the tubers only form very late in the season and continue to swell up to a week after the top growth may have been killed off.
So this year I am:
1) starting them off early, pinning down the growth to encourage a bigger root ball.
2) starting them off in the greenhouse in big pots until they start going beserk, and
3) going to fleece them at the back end of the year to extend the season as long as possible.Hi Folks,
Just to add to the corporate body of information my Kings Boltardy (fresh this year) worked fine!
Interestingly, I did a tray of Kings Boldor F1 as well. It was a large tray which hung over the windowcill in an relatively unheated room in the house a fortnight ago. The part of the tray overhanging the windowcill (getting heat from the radiator) was fine, but those on the windowcill never showed even 3 weeks hence. Just mentioned to suggest temperature may be critical for some varieties.
Real Seed varieties were perfect..
BR
Neil Bromley, kent