Isn't sand worn down rocks? Wonder how the mineral content of sand compares or will a lot have been washed away and it be mainly silica? Sand is mainly silica and no use as a nutrient. The rock dust that is marketed by Seer is crushed volcanic rock and has many essential trace elements in its make ...

I believe it's something to do with ripening fruit giving off small amounts of ethylene gas which can trigger sprouting in things like onions and potatoes.

Well, we wanted an expert reply and we certainly got one! It is good to know that anyone can successfully use this method and not just those of us on clay soils. I would say to those wishing to try it that you should make sure you can get a regular supply of as much organic matter as you possibly ca...

JB's logic is impeccable (as usual) and it makes a great deal of sense. All the gardens I've ever worked were on fairly heavy soils and it never really occurred to me that there could be such a thing as free-draining land where worms might be in short supply. Up here in Cumbria we can only dream of ...

I've been using no-dig for three years but on a quite heavy soil although I can't see why it would be impossible on a light soil. If you follow the principle and add thick mulches of organic matter your light soil will soon develop a decent structure and body.

I grow a lot of veg. in containers and make most of my own compost and this year I added rock dust to the potting mix as a bit of an experiment. Results were excellent with best ever parsnips/carrots and some superb large onions, despite the awful weather. I also use seaweed in various forms so I ca...

It won't do much now but come next spring it should be off to a flying start and give you an early crop. Once the days start to really lengthen around mid February you could give a high nitrogen boost to it and it shouldn't be too bitter and stringy. In addition to the lettuce and salad leaves I'm g...

I now grow all my carrots in containers and never get forking because the growing medium is finely sieved. It's not so much manure that causes forking but the root hitting an obstruction. Obviously fresh manure has lumps in it and that is usually what causes the problem. JB is quite right about raki...

Hi Johnboy And it's not just DEFRA. The Forestry Commission used to be staffed by people who actually knew something about trees but now their primary concern seems to be building cycle tracks and picnic areas. I'm not saying people shouldn't be allowed to enjoy our woodlands, just that it has becom...

Shallot Man wrote:What is the point of DEFRA.

The point of DEFRA, like so many government agencies, is to give well paid and pensioned jobs to people who are so bl**dy useless they couldn't possibly survive in the real world.

The thing about micro-greens is that they should be harvested when very small, ie. no more than a few inches high, and then they should not be tough. I start them off indoors in trays of MPC then put them into the greenhouse before they get 'leggy'. It's a good way to use up old seed that you don't ...

I leave them on the plant where they have two choices: ripen or stay green. Either way I can still eat them and, as primrose says, you are likely to better quality fruit by leaving them to ripen on the plant.

We had the last of our home grown spuds tonight

Leeks are looking OK but not the bulk there should be. On the plus side we've had a fantastic year for parsnips so I guess it's going to be parsnip soup in the hungry gap.

I agree with Ken about kale spacing. After harvesting the potatoes from some 40l polypots I put 3 kale plants in each one and they are going great guns. Mind you, they are dwarf green curled which doesn't make a big plant anyway.

Thanks for the comments. I wish more people would realize that you don't actually need a garden or an allotment to grow healthy food. Although I do have a good sized garden what started as an experiment has taken over and I now grow well over half of my produce in containers, including 170lbs of spu...