Really fighting over the last couple of weeks to keep things watered here in the South East.
I have three new hedgerows, and have tried to mulch when and as I can. Much of it appears to just disappear. Even some top dressings of horse manure (I read suggestions of putting this on in subsequent years, rather than the first year, but I ignored that), just to bulk my soil up a bit.
The shadier places don't suffer so much. I remember reading on the web, about someone that was trying to turn an old agricultural field into a garden. And they had to introduce some nursery trees first before they could get going with the garden.
In woodlands you get lots of leaf litter and some shade.
I've loads of piles of old garden waste, that I turn and hand clip, jump on etc. Over years this rots down. I don't actually get that many bags of compost back in return and those bags don't go far. On chalk it disappears quickly.
I'm thinking how I can improve matters. Perhaps with some green manures.
We added about three car loads of horse manure to the garden, and it's a mystery as to where that went! Seems you can never have enough.
I have some rocks as mulch, but then I'm not sure how you go about top dressing with other matter, do you rake up the rocks, top dress and then throw back the rocks?
Life seems to be abundant in the shadier parts of the garden.
I'm interested in green manures that I can grow on a minimal amount of soil.
It seems like no one can really get hold of enough mulch unless they go down the Monty route of having literally tonnes delivered! I thought I'd have a look at what's available and came across Mr Muck - anyone used them? I suspect they're too expensive but there do appear to be some good reviews on other forums.
There is a stables not too far away but I don't have my own transport and it's not really the sort of thing one can ask a friend for a lift for!
Maybe I'll just get as far as I can on the neediest bed and see how it goes from there.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Anyone who lives hear the sea could use seaweed which is supposed to be an excellent if under used fertilizer. Many years ago the farmers and keen gardeners would use a horse and cart and a lot of muscle to collect this on our shores - one of those old traditions that is no longer carried out.
The obvious answer to the question is do as I do, mulch round the root ball of each plant, why waste good compost on area's that will only have bedding plants in which last a month or so whether you mulch or not. I have access to rotted horse manure though follow the same process, round the plant and any left over then spread it on a section of the border or better still mix it into my compost containers. A long handled hoe as I walk around the garden acts as walking stick resting pole and and? "oh yes weeding" you can get right to the back of the bed with a long handle a couple of times a week deals with weeds. Digging some fresh compost into a planting hole is the best way of using the compost and gives most plants a good start some do not need the soil to be too rich. Rotating properly in the veg patch can give you free fertiliser naturally from the previous years plantings, sometimes the old ways are the best.
Thanks for all the advice everyone. One last question - does bark mulch do anything for the soil at all or is it purely a weed reduction / moisture retention thing? Does it break down and have to be renewed yearly?
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Any organic mulch improves the soil eventually. Bark clippings may begin by depleting some nutrients but over years it will improve soil structure. I think they are replaced each year for decorative effect.
Posts
Really fighting over the last couple of weeks to keep things watered here in the South East.
I have three new hedgerows, and have tried to mulch when and as I can. Much of it appears to just disappear. Even some top dressings of horse manure (I read suggestions of putting this on in subsequent years, rather than the first year, but I ignored that), just to bulk my soil up a bit.
The shadier places don't suffer so much. I remember reading on the web, about someone that was trying to turn an old agricultural field into a garden. And they had to introduce some nursery trees first before they could get going with the garden.
In woodlands you get lots of leaf litter and some shade.
I've loads of piles of old garden waste, that I turn and hand clip, jump on etc. Over years this rots down. I don't actually get that many bags of compost back in return and those bags don't go far. On chalk it disappears quickly.
I'm thinking how I can improve matters. Perhaps with some green manures.
We added about three car loads of horse manure to the garden, and it's a mystery as to where that went! Seems you can never have enough.
I have some rocks as mulch, but then I'm not sure how you go about top dressing with other matter, do you rake up the rocks, top dress and then throw back the rocks?
Life seems to be abundant in the shadier parts of the garden.
I'm interested in green manures that I can grow on a minimal amount of soil.
Last edited: 18 August 2016 10:38:55
It seems like no one can really get hold of enough mulch unless they go down the Monty route of having literally tonnes delivered! I thought I'd have a look at what's available and came across Mr Muck - anyone used them? I suspect they're too expensive but there do appear to be some good reviews on other forums.
There is a stables not too far away but I don't have my own transport and it's not really the sort of thing one can ask a friend for a lift for!
Maybe I'll just get as far as I can on the neediest bed and see how it goes from there.
Anyone who lives hear the sea could use seaweed which is supposed to be an excellent if under used fertilizer. Many years ago the farmers and keen gardeners would use a horse and cart and a lot of muscle to collect this on our shores - one of those old traditions that is no longer carried out.
The obvious answer to the question is do as I do, mulch round the root ball of each plant, why waste good compost on area's that will only have bedding plants in which last a month or so whether you mulch or not. I have access to rotted horse manure though follow the same process, round the plant and any left over then spread it on a section of the border or better still mix it into my compost containers. A long handled hoe as I walk around the garden acts as walking stick resting pole and and? "oh yes weeding" you can get right to the back of the bed with a long handle a couple of times a week deals with weeds. Digging some fresh compost into a planting hole is the best way of using the compost and gives most plants a good start some do not need the soil to be too rich. Rotating properly in the veg patch can give you free fertiliser naturally from the previous years plantings, sometimes the old ways are the best.
Frank.
Thanks for all the advice everyone. One last question - does bark mulch do anything for the soil at all or is it purely a weed reduction / moisture retention thing? Does it break down and have to be renewed yearly?
Any organic mulch improves the soil eventually. Bark clippings may begin by depleting some nutrients but over years it will improve soil structure. I think they are replaced each year for decorative effect.
Thanks Tetley :-)