[NigelB]

Hi Nigel,

Poo is the key to the way I have done things, the only thing I did not use it on was the Carrots for which I used potting compost into a 2" wide trench lined at the sides with plastic to keep the weeds out.

Hi Nash,
Yes indeedy, That's another thing I'll be copying. My soil is very dense, heavy clay, and stony with it, so I've not bothered with carrots in the past.
Having a trench filled with compost would be ideal, and there's usually a steady supply of used compost coming out of the greenhouse after potting-on or planting out. It just needs some blood-fish-and-bone granules adding along with some home-made compost and it's good to go...





P.S.

.... Haven't found anyone with a trailer yet....  .. But when someone does happen along, I'm going to start the negotiations with a string of onions and garlic, and some lovely dried chillies... If that don't help to sway it, I'll eat my hat... 

[compostqueen]

I've grown carrots very successfully in homemade compost mixed with leaf mould and some grit sand I had lying about.  I didn't use any soil at all,.  I was turning out my compost bin and using it to make a smallish raised bed so it was just an experiment really but I'm pleased to say it yielded some lovely carrots

i mix my carrot seed with spring onion seed in an attempt to deter carrot fly. 

[Salmo]

Compostqueen - does mixing carrots and spring onions work?

[compostqueen]

Well I think it does. I picked some beauties today. The rabbits had nibbled most of the foliage but the roots were fine, and no holes. 

[NASH]

Update on my Onions, most were put in the bin today as they had rotted, I think due to the amount of rain we had in the summer, the leaves were rotting when I picked them two months ago so I am not surprised at the end result.

[NASH]

But my Swedes are still doing well, cant wait for a frost to improve the flavour even more.

[polly nator]

I've really enjoyed watching this sequence of no dig photos and reading the discussions. You have such a good photographic record that I think you could produce a great feature for one of the gardening mags.

[NASH]

Thanks for your kind reply Polly, I hope to have more control next year as everything was a bit rushed this year.

[nipper31]

I don't do digging either, or rotovating. My plot is still full of veggies though. The soil gets better year on year as you plant and harvest more crops. As long as you keep adding home made compost, manures, green manures etc.  Spuds, leeks and celeriac are good as their invasive roots systems help break up the soil

I don't use black plastic like yours though, I use the heavy duty sheet mulch as it lets rain through. Slugs don't invade it either as it's rough.  You need to get it pegged down though with no lumps and bumps or it won't do its job  

What sort of heavy duty sheet mulch do you use compostqueen? and where can I buy it from?

[NASH]

Here are some more pictures from today.

[NASH]

I am not sure about this Cabbage as I bought  a strip several months ago which had no variety on it so might it be an ornamental type !

[NASH]

And here is my Lunch.