More wood mulch

We're still using whatever mulch we can source including last autumns leaves, compost and wood chips. Because of the Leylandi content the wood mulch is given a few weeks to begin breaking down before it's used on the beds.

Most of the beds are the same width so hoops and nets fit easily.

Initial breaking down is much quicker if the wood is left in a heap for a few weeks.

Green Manure

Phacelia used as green manure.




After chopping down it was covered with wood chips.

No-Dig Allotment

After their first growing season the wood mulched beds have proven a success. Watering and weeding has been minimal and below ground worms and other critters are returning. Fungal growth too is evident and the soil is softer and looks altogether healthier.

Blight resistant tomatoes

Mountain Magic blight resistant toms are certainly living up to expectations. They're very hardy and although slow to ripen are extending the season.

Have covered a few more experimental beds but in these early stages I'm also scattering chicken manure pellets.
I'm hoping as the wood rots down and the soil balances, nutrients will occur naturally. I'm also hoping natural predators will increase to keep the pests at bay. Have read it'll probably take about three years.

 

Wood mulch

Last year we experimented with a few no-dig beds which were a success, however one of the main stumbling blocks is getting enough mulching material. We're unable to produce that much compost, don't trust municipal supplies and are keen to keep costs down. We bought two deliveries of stable muck but it came with loads of stones (scraped from the stable yard), weed seeds (of types of weeds we didn't have before) and it didn't go very far.
As we have free deliveries to the site I've been looking into using wood chippings .