Kitchen Garden Forum

As we would all expect, the panelists are always going on about this "lots of well rotted organic matter" and I agree with them.

But when I was looking for some, it took a while to find a livestock farm. The one which supplies the allotments is in the opposite direction to the gardens where I volunteer. They said it was too far, understandably. So I drove to a number of farms before I got lucky.

Then I needed to work out how to transport a decent ammount from them. Any farmer would have a trailer but as I drive a Caterham, this isn't an option!
I have managed to beg a small dropside truck so everything is in place!
Wish me well for Thursday!

Well done tracking it down & a truck to boot. It looks like the weather is holding as well so you indeed could be very lucky & get the job done without issues.

Slight hiccup - the farmer has about 100 pumpkins to sell so doesn't want to see me before 1 November.

Oops! They should be ready & he could crop them & just put them out to harden the skin. I do note though that the 'Pick Your Own' down the road is really busy so can see the £ signs in his eyes for doing nothing & letting them clear the lot! Nov is still fine though as still a few months to let nature do it's thing!

Westi
He's done that, they are all on shelves to be selected and bought.

Today I got lucky, Mr Westi finally got fed up with my moaning & contacted the dairy farmer who is just the other side of the railway line behind - well that's the crow's journey anyway he might need to do a few more miles. Technically it was his wife he chatted to but either Saturday or Sunday I have a tractor trailer load of cow muck being delivered for £40! (The price is why I ask Mr Westi to do this as my quotes are not as reasonable)! Hmmm? Anyway she said they were just getting ready to advertise & we are the first enquiring so hopefully my tractor load being first, is off the old pile in the corner of the field before a bit more fresh is added to meet the future demand - either way I have organic cow muck on it's way! Happy Days as they say!

Only us gardeners can appreciate getting excited about a gert big pile of muck.

Some years ago, a huge pile of manure was my very best birthday present, Diane!!!

And mine once too Monika! Some of my friends think I have really weird preferences. Manure or a bottle of perfume both smell, but I know which is the most useful, although a nice pile of really well rotted manure shouldn't smell as strong as the perfume !!

I have been distracted but motivated to get today over with & await the phone call. Quite productive actually as my office buddies were strangely uninterested! Heathens!

Quite productive actually as my office buddies were strangely uninterested!

Strange that, when I worked I thought a lot of colleagues talked s**t!

Not coming until next weekend now. Farmer's trailers are all full of corn which they managed to harvest but can't get into storage as too much rain and lanes are flooded which won't stop him, but he's not willing to churn up his fields getting to the storage for 1 trailer of manure. Fair enough - I'm sure I can survive & it will give me another week to clear some other beds ready.

I am scheduling work with manure for most of next week - I have had other things to deal with over the past fortnight, so I have some catching up to do.

I hope the farmer doesn't want to deliver tomorrow - have plans for the morning (whatever you ask)? And we have gales expected so could be all over the site, not just my patch. Sunday looking better for us both. Let's hope the farmer likes Rugby!

Quite a load!

good stuff.