Soil matters.

[Pa Snip]

they might be going to return with their violent mates....

Oh Goody..............................gloves

[Ricard with an H]

After digging-over the bed that still has carrots, did have beetroot, chard and a row of climbing beans the mole does appear to have caused any disturbance to the roots. As I turn the soil to the depth of my adze-type digging tools (I rarely use a spade) I can see where mole has been and it looks as if mole avoided roots by going around or under.

Can anyone else confirm this ?

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Richard, i don't think moles actually damage many of the roots by their tunnelling, it's the damage they do to seedlings and very young plants, when they are pushing up just below the surface of the sol. This leaves the plants very prone to drying out, where their roots aren't in good contact with the soil. This is more of a problem if ones soil is on the light side.

[Ricard with an H]

Richard, i don't think moles actually damage many of the roots by their tunnelling, it's the damage they do to seedlings and very young plants, .

Of-course, and thanks. I have to remind you that whilst I'm certainly not helpless I am still novice in so many ways I have yet too explore and I don't have even one person locally I can share with and bounce-off so you-all are my only hope.

Ok, I have books and the Internet though first-hand experience with a specific problem is more likely to come from this forum.

I want to grow potatoe, but just one type. After three years of working on my soil I'm ready to start researching and no doubt eventually asking you for help with particular problems. Or maybe not and I can share my positive experiences.

The people who live at the main farmhouse would love to grow more than the perennials they have in their garden but they worry about just one herd of sheep being moved from A-To-B might escape then trample their efforts. Just two or three escapees doing an overnight nibble could wreck your efforts overnight. That's the acceptable price I pay though it's not always accepted by other country-wannabes.

I have a stock fence around most of my plot, they think if the sheep escape the farmer has to pay. I think it's my responsibility to help myself and to help the farmer when he's moving sheep.

You getting the idea on this ?

We live in a farming community, people move from the city bitch about farming. Right now we have new-born lambs and the fox is often seen with a headless body. People walk into the fields, the mothers leave their young and bunch-up against the danger then the fox moves in. Sheep do appear to be stupid, they seem to more afraid of people than the fox.

Oh-hell, I wandered off-topic a little. Eh ?

[Pa Snip]

Wandering off topic, very easy to happen
But it is a very graphic scene you conjure up Richard.

Spent some time up my plot today, may put another thread up with one or two pictures of my labours, but whilst up there noticed that just off the front of my neighbour two plots up were three molehills.

There was also evidence of what hopefully will be a natural deterrent, a fox had left its business end calling card right slap bang in the middle of the top of the molehill.
Moley might get a whiff and skedaddle

[Ricard with an H]

Back to the soil then, I just realised now might be a perfect time to place the double skin plastic covers on one of the cold frame raised beds and the mini poly tunnels on another. The soil is cold but it is dry so it'll warm up more quickly if I cover it whilst it's dry.

I have lots of garlic cloves to get into the ground but I need an idea about soil temperature and cannot find what I want yet.

[Westi]

Best get those garlic in soon Richard. They need a good cold snap to form bulbs full of cloves I believe. I put mine in end November. They were a bit of a worry at first as slow to take off but got nice green shoots sitting proud in the frosty ground now.

Westi

[Pa Snip]

Westi is right about some types of garlic needing a cold snap to get it to form cloves

As long as the ground is not excessively wet, so the cloves don't rot, they can be planted out from late autumn/early winter right through to March/April.
As is the usual proviso this is subject to variety and location.

.

[retropants]

I planted most of my garlic (Solent Wight and Picardy Wight) in November, but have held a few back to plant in March, to see if there are any differences in yield & quality. So far, only the Picardy is showing. However, my plot neighbour, who shares the garlic with me, and who planted a couple of weeks before I did, has both varieties showing.

[Ricard with an H]

The garlic I have was sold to me as winter planting garlic but I decided not to over winter garlic this year for a number of reasons, one being that I have this idea that the wet ground may have been responsible for all the rotted garlic bulbs.

I'm just about to cover some beds before it rains so I can warm the soil. Then I'll put a box of cloves of garlic in the fridge for a week or two until they sprout and then bung them in the ground.

What do you think?

[Pa Snip]

Nothing Ventured...................
as they say

Never tried it myself and not sure if garlic does sprout or not if kept in chilled conditions in the fridge with no soil warmth or surface sunlight to encourage it

Await to hear your results

[Geoff]

I've said before I doubt this chilling requirement for Garlic, where does most of it grow?

[Ricard with an H]

I've said before I doubt this chilling requirement for Garlic, where does most of it grow?

Geoff, the reason I spend so much time on this forum is that I don't believe everything I read in publications.

My garlic is in the ground under mini poly tunnels, I didn't bother putting the garlic into the fridge because some of it is already sprouting and I have a hint that your research is closer to the ground than that of those involved in completing X000000 words for an agreed sum without anyone checking the details..

We'll see, won't we.

My soil was cold but dry and very loose, three rows of garlic under mini poly tunnels. 7. cloves to the row and I still have masses of garlic.

[AdeTheSpade]

Well I'm definitely in the camp of 'no dig', and this is my third year . I'm pleased to say it really does work for me, and unless this changes I'll be continuing with this method. My soil is beautifully friable, not compacted at all, and my yields are just as good as before when I used to dig. Every autumn/winter, I cover all my beds with a couple of inches of well rotted manure, or own compost, and when that runs out I use bags of soil conditioner with some poultry manure pellets added for good measure. I honestly love this method of growing.

[Ricard with an H]

I honestly love this method of growing.

When I started on my plot I had a barrow of stone to a barrow of soil so even though I wasn't aware of the no-dog method I figure I needed to get rid of a lot of stone. Right now it all seems sensible, let the worms do it and they do.

In the next few seasons I'll adapt the no-dig method though I reserve the right to a bit of hacking. It's good to do a bit of hacking and prodding and some of those weeds need a full fork length so don't get me if I transgress. When I buried my cow-poo it was for a reason, I didn't want it on top. To be honest, if it's on the bottom it's a lot of extra work but the worms still mix it.

What about the grazing rye ? I grew grazing rye in three beds, it has to be dug in so it rots under the soil unless I managed to get acres of cardboard and old carpets to lay over it.

What I did with my soil just before covering it was, I kept an eye on the weather forecast for a dry period, just ahead of a dry period (Usually includes a frost at this time of year) I turned my soil so it was open for drying out. This means less moisture so warmer when it's dry.

It worked, within a few days the clumps broke up and turned into seed sowing soil.

The old school gardeners use to dig to stop the soil going scunky, I suppose they were talking a lot of tosh and why do the farmers turn their land every March ? It costs a lot of money to do what farmers do and they spread the cow muck just before plowing it in along with the grazing rye. (They use Italian that grows at -3 degrees)