[Richard WebberMember]

Tess – I had delivery of some pony manure last Winter/Spring (the second batch was much delayed coming) – some of this was very wood shaving rich. I spread it all out over the veg patch nevertheless. It does seem to have taken time to “compost” but it’s on it’s way and doesn’t seem to have done the veg any harm at all! When I get some more pony manure this Autumn I will mix up the bags more than I did this time to spread any concentrations of shavings around. Some of the best soil in my garden is a mix of leaf mould and rotten wood so I guess shavings are fine – eventually. Richard

[Richard WebberMember]

Ben – must have the same postman I’ve got sets to plant Sat 20th too! Thanks for asking the question and getting Charles to reply – I’ve only just had a delivery of well rotted stable manure so it will be quite bulky when I’ve spread it out. I now know to plant the sets in the soil rather then on top of it but pushed through the manure.

Last November I put in some sets in some other areas with similarly new but well rotten compost. Now these are showing through a much more level and reduced manure/compost layer. They look like they’ve not been disturbed by the birds as my sets have in previous non-no-dig years.

Good luck – let’s hope the rain stays away!

Richard

[Richard WebberMember]

My eye will certainly be caught by anything that says “heritage”. I feel I’m getting something true, original and needing me to help preserve it. It’s almost as if buying heritage seeds puts you in a special club.

BUT – Charles is absolutely right – unless you trial a heritage variety alongside a modern one you’ll never know which is best for your beds, your climate and your own taste-buds.

HOWEVER – to a certain extent growing things simply for the sake of it is part of the joy and inquisitiveness of gardening.

Richard

[Richard WebberMember]

This week-end I removed the polythene and found that under one large area a mole (or moles) had been busy for months and had left a wonderfully soft and friable tilth! A quick rake and I could have planted in it! No digging on by behalf but not quite what you meant by”no dig” I think Charles!

A goodly layer of Shetland pony compost applied.

I’ve also used the brown paper sacks the compost came in to cover more weedy areas and mulched these.

Bring on Spring planting!

Richard

[Richard WebberMember]

Ray – thanks – and there was I feeling I shouldn’t mention the rat traps I’ve been using! Yours is an interesting idea – luckily the runs are nowhere near the wooden shed! Richard

[Richard WebberMember]

Charles – thanks for the comments. I used the polythene to suppress and kill the annuals that had grown due to poor weeding and hoeing on my behalf. Could I get away with just a good layer of manure instead – spread in October? Richard

[Richard WebberMember]

Picking just the outer leaves of lettuce – I tried this first in 2008 and again last year – inspired by Charles’ Salad Leaves book. It worked a treat and gave me lettuce from May to October. No gluts as I’d had before.
Does anyone have any good varieties for this – the best for early on and then for later sowing and to take you into Autumn? Many thanks – Richard

[Richard WebberMember]

Charles – with your potatoes do you “plant” them chitted or unchitted? And when you do do you just place them on top of the soil but beneath the manure layer? If this is the case aren’t you having to manure them up very regularly to keep the tubers covered? Richard

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