No Dig/ Organic

[no ideas man]

Hi Fellow Members
                           some time ago I posted my intention to go organic and to try the no dig method of gardening, well it's working quite well at the moment and believe it or not I decided to try my hand growing veg, at the present time the wife and I are eating our way through the 3rd row of lettuce spring onions and radish there is a row of dwarf french beans winter cabbage and something called oriental leaves and rocket I never realised how tasty home grown produce is, at the present time i am preparing ground to extend the veg patch

happy gardening

harry (no ideas man)

[ideasguy]

Its good to see gardeners doing what gardeners USED to do - growing vegetables!
The good thing is, you know whats been done to them in the growing process - care and attention, no nasty sprays.

Did you actually grow the veg on the no-dig plot?

Happy eating!

[no ideas man]

Hi George
              I did grow them on the no dig raised bed I have and I must say the lettuce radish and chinese cabbage were really tasty the problem is I started growing the veg to late in the season, can't wait for next season I have 3 varieties of spring cabbage and a winter lettuce planted out, at the present time I am making a new border organically to be able to grow a bigger range of veg.

Happy gardening

Harry

[ideasguy]

Do you have any problem with couch grass in the no-dig bed Harry, or any other type of perennial weed? 

[no ideas man]

Hi George
              No problems so far but I need to be vigilant as the lawn as quite a lot of couch in it's make up, in the flower bed the odd piece comes up but is easily dealt with do you have a problem.

Happy gardening

Harry

[ideasguy]

I'd need to be very vigilant with the couch grass in a no-dig plot. Its a big problem in my garden.
Like you, I dont spray. My dad sprayed an area in our previous house when I was a lad. We lived in a remote part of the contry.
We had a well in our garden as our main water supply. The weedkiller soaked through the ground and polluted the well.
It NEVER recovered. I had to carry drinking water in buckets from a well about quarter a mile away.
That left a pretty indelible memory of the effect weedkiller can have on the environment, and a remarkable tolerance for nettles!.
In our case, we could taste the effects.

Keep us informed on your result Harry. Very interesting indeed!

[no ideas man]

Hi george
              Let me tell you about my latest project (ha ha) I am in the process of turning a small border into an organic raised bed the bed in question is 25' long and 4' wide so far I have dug it over and hand weeded it then I spread the entire contents of a compost bin (7 builders wheelbarrows) over the entire area and dug that into border to a depth of 12" then spread 300 litres of composted farmyard manure (bought in) over the same area I raised the bed 6" with the plastic lawn I found at my local GC. What do I do next, well sit back and let the worms and the soil organisms do the work for me more composted material will be added as and when as I will not be planting anything until next spring by then the border should grow almost anything. the small border I am using at the  present will hopefully be used to grow fruit.

Happy gardening

Harry

[ideasguy]

Hi Harry
With all that compost added, you definitely will be able to grow practically anything next year! Those worms will show their gratitude!

I used to have access to Farmyard manure - the real thing. I'm not sure if that heap is still there as I havent visied the farmer in a while.
Anyway, I used to bag it up and transport it home. It was always full of worms! That was a great bonus, I'm sure. I wonder how they get there, and in such numbers. I suppose I could do a bit of surfing and find out!

I wonder how long it would take for them to get to work on the composted FYM which you bought it. Do you think it would have the same attraction to them? (whatever that may be!)