Kitchen Garden Forum

Thought this was worth a new topic??? I've been reading, hard work with dyslexia but I think I've got a grasp of the theory.

Promoting drinking roots in the ring and feeding roots in the soil on which the ring is placed? . . . Put a problem in my mind, the soil in the green house I suspect is poor, there is the established vine growing in it, it has been for 'years', I doubt it has had to much added to the soil in its time, the vine could even be original, late 1800's, do vines live that long???

So as the vine is the least important part of my plan. I have Aubergines, peppers, yellow, green and to day two red, there are is also a couple of courgette plants. Hoping to find a melon plant during the next week?

Its seems logical to dig an appropriate shallow hole, fill with compost, sieved from my own heap, set the ring on top and fill that with 'Arthur Bowers' multi purpose growing compost. Got a great deal on this today at Macro, two 100lt bags for £6+vat!

The idea is not to enrich the soil to much but to promote the theory. Am I talking out of my ****? The final touch is to spread a good thickness of bark mulch around the rings to retain moisture, benefiting all?

This is my first attempt at anything horticultural, am I making things to complicated, I tend to do this, I'm told . . . they tell me, 'keep it simple stupid'

Oh yes, off subject, but a friend gave me 10 'Greyhound' cabbage plants today, they went out side in the border . . .

Any help or pointers gratfully received

CJS

Hi there, Following on from my message about making ring culture pots by cutting up drainage pipes - "your rant", ring culture is a good way to raise plants without using up too much compost in the border too. Your plants get clean fresh compost in the ring culture pots and their roots can roam in the borders and so don't dry out as quickly.

I flood the borders with water once a week in hot dry weather so there is always a reserve of moisture. I suppose my method is not pure ring culture as I also plant lettuce, parsley, beans, tagetes, basil etc. in the borders between the tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in their bottomless pots.

Because I grow other plants in the borders I top up the existing soil/compost with fresh compost from the compost heap in spring to put a bit of life in it, and also give it a sprinkle of blood fish and bone before the main growing season. When the tomatoes etc have finished I take them out and remove the rings, leaving the compost to top up the borders. If they get too full of compost I borrow the surplus and mix it with a bit of soil and new compost to fill tubs etc for ornamental plants.

Thanks Plumpudding, great advise, full usage and all that This year I'm sticking to rings in the green house, but next year, new veggie bed . . . the world is my lobster

Have a look, if you have not already, at my post 'Simple suggestions please':

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7148

Picies there will give you an idea of the hill I have to climb, and what I'm trying to do with the green house and garden?

CJS

I know you are considering a number of issues here. However it's worth bearing in mind that it's believed that tomato plants feed from different parts of their root system than they take up water.

If you're thinking of growing tomates, then devices like Growrings are useful as you can add liquid feed to the soil around the base of the stem, and apply straight water to the surrounding ring, which drips directly to the lower roots (which are designed to take up water).

Growrings are not exactly the same as Ring Culture rings and don't initially appear that cheap either. However they will last several years. If any of this is different from what you wanted to know, please accept my apologies!!

Colin_M, thanks for that, just showes my lack of knowledge and generalisation is off target? But I seem to understand that 'grow rings' are still OK in the situation I have. Old established vine, poor soil, lat in the season, I just want to get something moving. Then reappraisal in the Autumn/Winter, might have learned a little more by then as well.

Your help is most valuable, perhaps, as I suggested to Plumbpudding, my post and pics:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=7148

might help to see where I'm going, disappearing up the proverbial . . . !!! perhaps?

Thanks, CJS

What was that greenhouse date again?