Well done Victoria, I hope your back does'nt ache too much!! Would recommend getting as much organic material dug in ie well rotted horse manure to break up the clay.
Had an hour or so yesterday at my plot, got some more muck down on one of the beds and topped up my paths with wood chippings, got soaked in a rain storm
Sowed aubergines and cucumbers yesterday. Peppers are up and growing and the leeks are now in the greenhouse. Will do some more sowing tonight.
Hi Victoria, buying manure from a garden centre is easy but expensive especially as you have a fairly large plot. If you call in at a local stable yard and ask if you can help yourself to muck, most are more than happy to let you as they need to get rid of it. Its hard work to dig out, but some stables bag it up ready to sell. Some gardeners come to our yard for muck and bring bags of carrots for the horses in exchange! Take your own bags (compost bags are good) or ask the people at the stables if they have any feed bags going spare (thats what I use).
Make sure its the really black stuff under the fresh manure as that will be the most rotted.
You should find your worm population increase and the soil much easier to dig.
A few days later than planned but sowing has begun!
Roma tomatoes, some fiorentina tomato seeds I bought in Greece last year, strawberries I bought in Greece too (just to see what happens), early nantes carrots, early peas, broad beans, PSB, brocolli, sprouts and radish. Which do we think will be first to germinate?!
I really need to ring my local stables and ask them about their manure...
Fruitcake what is PSB? I would say broccoli to germinate first if not tomatoes
There were lots of worms when I collected muck horse manure - need to look if it has rotted more since I collected it last month and sort out veg beds - so my worm population has got bigger
Victoria what sort of things will you be growing? just interested being nosy
I went out today and came back to find that my PSB, brocolli and radishes have sprouted! They definitely weren't before I went out because me and my dad were looking at them. We have spent all day in their garden trying to get rid of a buddliea that was causing trouble. It was like laurel and hardy with some of it. We were in stitches. I have had to order some brushwood killer
And now it's not going to rain for a couple of days, I don't have to choose which allotment I go to, I can go to both!
Gg - the new plot holders all looked eager. Had to smile, think they thought I was showing them round because they all jumped off the wall when I got out of the car. Some were in new wellies. They got a talk at the gate from the treasurer before looking round, most had gone within half an hour though.
Victoria - Farmers often leave bags of muck by the road side to be collected free. Take a few bags from each farm, you'll soon realise which farmers are best to collect from, some only put a couple of inches of muck in the tops of bags and the rest can be straw and bedding.
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Thanks gardengirl will try the link out now.
Well done Victoria, I hope your back does'nt ache too much!! Would recommend getting as much organic material dug in ie well rotted horse manure to break up the clay.
Had an hour or so yesterday at my plot, got some more muck down on one of the beds and topped up my paths with wood chippings, got soaked in a rain storm
Sowed aubergines and cucumbers yesterday. Peppers are up and growing and the leeks are now in the greenhouse. Will do some more sowing tonight.
backs not too bad, I love it that feeling you get at the end of the day when you are completely worn out its a good feeling.
Horse manure do you buy from stables or retailer like BNQ?
Hi Victoria, buying manure from a garden centre is easy but expensive especially as you have a fairly large plot. If you call in at a local stable yard and ask if you can help yourself to muck, most are more than happy to let you as they need to get rid of it. Its hard work to dig out, but some stables bag it up ready to sell. Some gardeners come to our yard for muck and bring bags of carrots for the horses in exchange! Take your own bags (compost bags are good) or ask the people at the stables if they have any feed bags going spare (thats what I use).
Make sure its the really black stuff under the fresh manure as that will be the most rotted.
You should find your worm population increase and the soil much easier to dig.
Good luck
A few days later than planned but sowing has begun!
Roma tomatoes, some fiorentina tomato seeds I bought in Greece last year, strawberries I bought in Greece too (just to see what happens), early nantes carrots, early peas, broad beans, PSB, brocolli, sprouts and radish. Which do we think will be first to germinate?!
I really need to ring my local stables and ask them about their manure...
awesome advice I will ring about.
Fruitcake what is PSB? I would say broccoli to germinate first if not tomatoes
There were lots of worms when I collected muck horse manure - need to look if it has rotted more since I collected it last month and sort out veg beds - so my worm population has got bigger
Victoria what sort of things will you be growing? just interested being nosy
Thanks Edd did not think of that
Thanks Edd, sorry I missed your question GG
I went out today and came back to find that my PSB, brocolli and radishes have sprouted! They definitely weren't before I went out because me and my dad were looking at them. We have spent all day in their garden trying to get rid of a buddliea that was causing trouble. It was like laurel and hardy with some of it. We were in stitches. I have had to order some brushwood killer
And now it's not going to rain for a couple of days, I don't have to choose which allotment I go to, I can go to both!
Gg - the new plot holders all looked eager. Had to smile, think they thought I was showing them round because they all jumped off the wall when I got out of the car. Some were in new wellies
. They got a talk at the gate from the treasurer before looking round, most had gone within half an hour though.
Victoria - Farmers often leave bags of muck by the road side to be collected free. Take a few bags from each farm, you'll soon realise which farmers are best to collect from, some only put a couple of inches of muck in the tops of bags and the rest can be straw and bedding.