Comments on: Dig Life into Your Soil http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/dig-life-into-your-soil/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:16:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Dave http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/dig-life-into-your-soil/#comment-37989 Dave Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:41:03 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=240#comment-37989 Congrats on your article. Just found your blog through top100 gardening sites. I really am surprised I haven't found you before. Nice photos. Congrats on your article. Just found your blog through top100 gardening sites. I really am surprised I haven’t found you before. Nice photos.

]]> By: Philip Voice http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/dig-life-into-your-soil/#comment-37978 Philip Voice Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:36:59 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=240#comment-37978 Nice one Gill - Unfortunately, I cannot get the Mail on Sunday (or at least I will not pay the prices the news agents want to charge here in France) so I hope it will be on their website? I will also recommend the 'no dig' method. All of my borders in the uk were pretty much maintained on a no dig regime. I would hand pull weeds and mulch a lot. I also tried to merge plants to reduce light at the roots. I also have a no dig regime here in France - the reason being I am yet to form anything to dig lol! That will change one day though and I am looking forward to getting the veg patch going again as the weather warms up. http://www.perigordvacance.com/2005/02/the_veg_patch.html Best Phil Nice one Gill – Unfortunately, I cannot get the Mail on Sunday (or at least I will not pay the prices the news agents want to charge here in France) so I hope it will be on their website?

I will also recommend the ‘no dig’ method. All of my borders in the uk were pretty much maintained on a no dig regime.

I would hand pull weeds and mulch a lot. I also tried to merge plants to reduce light at the roots.

I also have a no dig regime here in France – the reason being I am yet to form anything to dig lol!

That will change one day though and I am looking forward to getting the veg patch going again as the weather warms up.

http://www.perigordvacance.com/2005/02/the_veg_patch.html

Best

Phil

]]> By: vegmonkey http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/dig-life-into-your-soil/#comment-37977 vegmonkey Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:10:57 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=240#comment-37977 I think digging is only really important if you are digging something in or have hard soil. Our beds are filled mostly with garden compost, sand and manure. The soil is so light that it doesn't really need digging over as it isn't walked on. I added horse and cow manure at 2 different times this winter and dug in the top layer yesterday. The green manure will follow. Won't say anymore as this is pretty much what i was gonna post this week! Happy digging ! I think digging is only really important if you are digging something in or have hard soil. Our beds are filled mostly with garden compost, sand and manure. The soil is so light that it doesn’t really need digging over as it isn’t walked on. I added horse and cow manure at 2 different times this winter and dug in the top layer yesterday. The green manure will follow. Won’t say anymore as this is pretty much what i was gonna post this week! Happy digging !

]]> By: VP http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/dig-life-into-your-soil/#comment-37976 VP Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:17:08 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=240#comment-37976 PS Congratulations on your new found celebrity - I look forward to reading the results! PS Congratulations on your new found celebrity – I look forward to reading the results!

]]> By: VP http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/dig-life-into-your-soil/#comment-37975 VP Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:15:29 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=240#comment-37975 Happy New Year! My plot in Chippenham's really clayey, so I'm spending lots of time rough digging in the autumn using my lovely terrex autospade (saves a lot of backache), so that any frost we get can break the clods down. I spread a layer of compost or muck on the top, depending on what's going to be grown there the next year and let the worms do the work over the winter. I don't rotovate in the spring (too much couch and bindwind to spread around if I do that) and end up nearly crying in frustration with how hard the ground is to dig, especially when planting potatoes. However, each year is getting marginally easier :-) Last year's digging was awful as the dry spring turned the plots to concrete. Ruthie 2 plots up from me was breaking up massive clods with her bare hands to try and get something a bit more friable covering up her spuds. I also use green manures on post harvest patches. I prefer phacelia as it has attractive lilac flowers, which the bees love. Fred, 4 plots up complained once that he'd not seen many bees that year - I think I nicked pretty well the lot as there were plenty on my patch! Happy New Year!

My plot in Chippenham’s really clayey, so I’m spending lots of time rough digging in the autumn using my lovely terrex autospade (saves a lot of backache), so that any frost we get can break the clods down. I spread a layer of compost or muck on the top, depending on what’s going to be grown there the next year and let the worms do the work over the winter. I don’t rotovate in the spring (too much couch and bindwind to spread around if I do that) and end up nearly crying in frustration with how hard the ground is to dig, especially when planting potatoes. However, each year is getting marginally easier :-)

Last year’s digging was awful as the dry spring turned the plots to concrete. Ruthie 2 plots up from me was breaking up massive clods with her bare hands to try and get something a bit more friable covering up her spuds.

I also use green manures on post harvest patches. I prefer phacelia as it has attractive lilac flowers, which the bees love. Fred, 4 plots up complained once that he’d not seen many bees that year – I think I nicked pretty well the lot as there were plenty on my patch!

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