Can't remember whether it's 1 year or 2 since the last potato etc. growing escapade, but the soil's sure to be good & fallow by now.
Solstice was 13 days ago so from then on the nights get lighter. I decided to honour the occasion by turning over the spud patch and flinging the empty tyres about a bit to get the stinking rainwater out. Not much point actually doing much yet but at least I'll avoid the usual trick of doing nowt until April then getting tiny marble-sized salad spuds cos I left it too late to plant them.
Previous attempts have gone a bit wrong, usually due to cat activity, sudden 6-week heatwaves and/or blight but each time I learn a bit more. This time next year I'll be someone with some potatoes in a box of sand but may be only one of a handful of survivors from the great 2012 spiritual revolution/possible world-running-out-of-food scenario. This reminds me of that tv show in the 70s. Ooh look its on you tube, all 3 series http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI9p1196WtM&feature=related
So far I've turned over a 8' x 4' patch that got blight 2 years ago, hoping that if I do this every couple of weeks the frosts will kill any nasties still in the soil. I'm using the grass/weed clumps off the top to build a raised bed nearby, but shaking as much topsoil as poss. back into the original patch
Thinking of lining the raised bed(s)for tomatoes, onions, carrots etc. with this weed-proof black webbing stuff, I've got a 3m x 5m sheet of it. Spuds seem to take over from the weeds ok so will try just putting them in the ground. Japanese knot-weed grows straight through some of the tyres, can't get rid of it, but the spuds grow anyway.
Last time, I tried 'no-dig planting', you just poke a hole in the ground and whack a seed-spud in, cover it up & wait. Only got a few very small salad-spuds but given the lack of effort involved, I might do it again on unused bits of the garden, we got a few good meals out of them.
I've been thinning the trees out round the edge of the garden in odd moments, they're quite good for shading on very hot days and they break up the wind, but the climate here is often dull and always damp so I cut them back a bit each year.
Thinking of doing the first planting after the frosts late feb/march but also thinking of looking for some types of seed-spud I've heard of, small and blue or pink coloured skins, apparently crofters etc. grow them right through winter. Anyone got a link? not finding much??
Pictures to come when l get the camera going, advice welcome/needed.
Solstice was 13 days ago so from then on the nights get lighter. I decided to honour the occasion by turning over the spud patch and flinging the empty tyres about a bit to get the stinking rainwater out. Not much point actually doing much yet but at least I'll avoid the usual trick of doing nowt until April then getting tiny marble-sized salad spuds cos I left it too late to plant them.
Previous attempts have gone a bit wrong, usually due to cat activity, sudden 6-week heatwaves and/or blight but each time I learn a bit more. This time next year I'll be someone with some potatoes in a box of sand but may be only one of a handful of survivors from the great 2012 spiritual revolution/possible world-running-out-of-food scenario. This reminds me of that tv show in the 70s. Ooh look its on you tube, all 3 series http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI9p1196WtM&feature=related
So far I've turned over a 8' x 4' patch that got blight 2 years ago, hoping that if I do this every couple of weeks the frosts will kill any nasties still in the soil. I'm using the grass/weed clumps off the top to build a raised bed nearby, but shaking as much topsoil as poss. back into the original patch
Thinking of lining the raised bed(s)for tomatoes, onions, carrots etc. with this weed-proof black webbing stuff, I've got a 3m x 5m sheet of it. Spuds seem to take over from the weeds ok so will try just putting them in the ground. Japanese knot-weed grows straight through some of the tyres, can't get rid of it, but the spuds grow anyway.
Last time, I tried 'no-dig planting', you just poke a hole in the ground and whack a seed-spud in, cover it up & wait. Only got a few very small salad-spuds but given the lack of effort involved, I might do it again on unused bits of the garden, we got a few good meals out of them.
I've been thinning the trees out round the edge of the garden in odd moments, they're quite good for shading on very hot days and they break up the wind, but the climate here is often dull and always damp so I cut them back a bit each year.
Thinking of doing the first planting after the frosts late feb/march but also thinking of looking for some types of seed-spud I've heard of, small and blue or pink coloured skins, apparently crofters etc. grow them right through winter. Anyone got a link? not finding much??
Pictures to come when l get the camera going, advice welcome/needed.
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