[tidy beardParticipant]

Hello,
I’ve just be reading your post and wondered if anyone saw this article at the weekend:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/12/were-humus-sapiens-the-farmers-who-shun-animal-manure

Unfortunately I think it is only available in Greece and Cyprus for now.

[tidy beardParticipant]

Hi,
I also inherited some neglected black currant bushes when I took over my allotment, although not as tall as yours. After a very poor harvest I decided I had nothing to loose so I cut them down to 6” above ground and gave each bush a 4-5” mulch of compost. The following year produced lots of new growth and not much fruit but by the second year they fruited very well. Now I prune and mulch them every year as normal. I am obliged to replace any of these bushes that die because they border the main path through our site. Because of this, when I cut them back I took plenty of cuttings in case the parent plant didn’t recover. Judging by your photograph you have plenty of cutting material so that might be prudent, just in case. Good luck.

[tidy beardParticipant]

This my third year of no dig as well, on a heavy clay soil. I planted first and second earlies 4 inches deep in three rows along a 5ft wide bed. The bed had been top dressed with 2 inches of home made compost the previous autumn. I earthed up by adding more compost along the rows to form ridges. I was able to harvest by pulling up the plants and using my hands to collect the tubers. I also found that the odd one needed help from a trowel, but it was a very easy harvest with very little disturbance below the compost. I then levelled out the bed with a rake and planted my leeks. When I was still digging I could hardly get a fork into the ground at harvest time it was so dry and hard. I find now that it is nearly always moist under the top dressing.

[tidy beardParticipant]

That’s a relief. Thanks Charles.

[tidy beardParticipant]

Thank you all. The seed was sown in a 3″ pot and the seedlings were pricked out into 7cm x 8cm x 5cm deep cells. All this took place on a windowsill. They were then moved into a porch, open on one side, with a glass roof about 10ft tall. I didn’t notice anything amiss before moving them. They have been in the same multi purpose compost, branded by my local garden centre, throughout.

[tidy beardParticipant]

Mmmm. Sorry about that, let me try to upload the image again.

[tidy beardParticipant]

Hi Mickey,
You mention using several water butts. If the gradient of your land allows you could arrange them as in the illustration to get the water to your vegetable plot where you need it.

[tidy beardParticipant]

No, I’m in North Bucks. This autumn I will sow later and if it does get cold perhaps the seed will lay dormant again until it is ready.
I am originally from Lancashire however, and gardening now on heavy clay soil after experiencing the friable soil south of the Ribble estuary is one of the reasons I changed to no dig. This will be the third season my beds have been top dressed and not dug. Crops are better and there are far fewer weeds to contend with. The biggest difference however is that the soil does not dry out and crack anywhere near as much in hot weather.

[tidy beardParticipant]

Thanks very much Charles. I will cover with fleece as you suggest and see how they get on. They were sowed on the 14th October. In Autumn 2014 I sowed some on the same date and a second batch 4 weeks later. The October ones germinated and produced a good crop but the November sowing only germinated in February the following year. They then went on to produce a good crop also.

[tidy beardParticipant]

When my neighbour was having a fence replaced I asked the guys if I could take the old timber. I made a row of three bins, two about 1m cubed and the centre one a little smaller.

I have a row of plastic ‘darlek’ type bins that I use to collect all my compostable material. I fill the first one then move the contents to the second once full. It moves along the row like this then into the the first large wooden bin. Once this is full I start on the second large bin. When the level in the first large bin has dropped a little I move it to the smaller one and from there onto my beds by which time it has been turned at least six times.

It sounds a little tedious explained like this, but doesn’t take very long and I find I have a usable compost much quicker than just leaving it in one container. It’s easy to add water or newspaper as necessary on turning as well.

[Author]

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