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Hi, I have been told by a pest control officer that it is illegal to kill field voles as they form an important part of the natural foodchain. I also understand and know from experience what an annyoing little pest they are, I have read that they dislike the smell of quinnine and castor oil. Quinnine can be found in tonic water and I have made investigations at my local chemist to find that castor oil can be ordered. Apparently a small amount of these products soaked onto cotton wool and placed in the tunnels of said pest will deter them, emphasis on deter. I have not tried this method yet but would be very interested to hear results from anyone who does. Attracting owls also seems sensible and placing upright wooden stakes at intervals in an area can help the owls to perch and observe. Good luck.
In fertile soil phacelia can grow very large, consider competion with other plants. Best sown thinly near crops that benefit from bee/insect pollination, don’t forget to save seed for next year.
I have tried this in large drainage pipes under cover of a polytunnel, however I have previously changed the soil/compost mix every year. Begining to think this was a lot of effort this year I have over wintered a crop of parsley and chard,which I have now moved on. No problems so far with previous crops although 2012 was not great for tomatoes, I would suggest trying Swift potatoes as I have found them quicker to harvest than Lady Christl without too much foliage. Good luck with ‘orla’ will be interested to learn your results.