We were watching Beechgrove on BBC Scotland the other day when Charles Dowling came on to talk about no-dig gardening with Jim (the presenter for 40 odd years!). I have the No Dig book too. I wish we could get to the stage of going no dig! It has taken herculean efforts to dig over our veg bed this year, mostly because the weather kept us off it from October to late March and it just went to weeds.
So here is the last section done this week. We have dug every bit of couch grass, docks, nettles and grass roots out. We have not got enough compost to cover such a large area as Charles Dowling suggests so I am going to cheat. We brought some of that garden fabric to keep weeds down and I am going to cover this whole area between the sweetcorn plants. I will have to take it up before the winter as we get a lot of wind here. I really can't keep up with the weeding any more but can't give up the veg either! We need a plan for next year.
We have about 60 sweetcorn plants ready to go when the night temperatures improve - its been down to 3.5C in the last few days, even though its been 20C during the day.
They are out of the greenhouse and being hardened off a bit in the poly tunnel.
After the joint digging effort my husband pulled out the Rotavator and went over the soil to make it fine and ready to plant. While the machine, his lawn mower and ride on mower were out of the shed I thought I would run a broom round and pick up the soil and dead grass that gets left behind. Mostly it was just dry and dusty then I spotted a strange grey mouldy bit behind the pick axe in the fine corner. YUK. I went to find husband. When did you last use the pick axe? What did you leave there? Puzzled he went to look. OMG. An animal (squirrel?) had got in and died obviously weeks ago. YUK YIKES. I went to make the tea and left him to that.
Your sweet corn are looking really healthy. I don't think I could do no dig, it's instilled in my brain about turning over the soil. I was lucky this year hardly any weeds on the beds at all.
ReplyDeleteYour sweet corn are looking really healthy. I don't think I could do no dig, it's instilled in my brain about turning over the soil. I was lucky this year hardly any weeds on the beds at all.
ReplyDeleteyear of the buttercup im afraid so ive strimmered them everday in the empty beds cardboarded and carpeted over it all , the squash and pumpkins can be popped into holes through it all with plenty of animal friendly slug pellets...job done, no weeding involved ...lol
ReplyDeletedigging is something i just cant do anymore , so no dig has rather come upon me by accident
You are obviously a follower of the Bob Flowerdew method of gardening!
DeleteYour garden is looking really good, as is your sweetcorn. Any work we do now will reward you later in the year with harvest.
ReplyDeleteI will probably moan when I am knee deep in sweetcorn cobs!
Delete