The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: martcol on August 26, 2018, 12:15:42 pm

Title: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 26, 2018, 12:15:42 pm
We're moving shortly to our new smallholding. We have about 8 acres total and I want to use about an acre of this as a veg plot, eventually with some polytunnels. The area I am looking at has been grazed up until about a year ago, but is now covered in about 18 inch long grass with a few weeds etc mixed in.

I'd like to get as much as I can dug over this autumn to allow the frost to get at it during the winter. I have no means of ploughing by machine, currently. This is what I am thinking at the moment:

In sections, cut long grass with strimmer/brush cutter.
Mow with petrol lawnmower as short as possible.
Remove turf by hand, and stack The fun part!
Rough dig, section by section.

I'm prepared to buy a rotovator/cultivator if necessary though I'm not sure how effective that will be on virgin ground. The main aim here will be to improve the soil (clay) over a number of years - I'm just making a start at this stage.

Any advice/comments (even, you're mad!) appreciated.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on August 26, 2018, 12:39:30 pm
When we first moved here 23 years ago, we had the same thought - start with an acre for veg.  A neighbour who dropped by with a plough offered to turn over some of it, but got carried away and did the whole acre in one go.  We had an ancient Rotie but by the time I'd gone over the whole lot, the weeds were popping up at the beginning, with lots of thistles blown in on the wind.  We have never since got rid of the problems of thistles, docks and nettles, no matter what we try (except chemicals, we don't use those).  I was in my mid 40s then, but still I couldn't work a whole acre by hand.  We had no money so couldn't afford to buy in covers for the ground, or good manure even.
So my advice is to PLAN - think it over very carefully before you start, and have a system organised to cover the earth as you clear it, and to start in your first year with perhaps a quarter of the plot.  For lifting the turf, you can hire a machine over a weekend for a reasonable cost then make your lovely stack of loam.  I do wish I had done that.
The manure we did get turned out to be from cattle treated regularly with persistent wormers, which continued to be active after stacking - we had no compost worms to break down the heap, and even 4 years later it was still standing, and still only had worms at the very edges.
Oh and expect in your first years to have loads of cutworms, which live mainly in permanent pasture.  One way to clear them is apparently to oversow with a crop of mustard.  When the cutworms hatch, they will fly off as Daddy Longlegs, but will not lay their own eggs on your beds, as they prefer pasture.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 26, 2018, 01:02:25 pm
Some great thoughts, thanks.

I had thought about the turf stripper. I think that will depend on how flat or lumpy the ground is when I finish mowing. I don't want to use chemicals, either, so I'm not expecting miracles. Based on previous experience with smaller plots, I won't see too much improvement for 3-5 years. I think If I can get it dug this autumn, then fill with spuds and beans next year, that should open up the structure. I know weeding will be a constant battle.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: macgro7 on August 26, 2018, 02:36:30 pm
I would either hire a neighbouring farmer with a plough Or buy a large silage type plastic sheet and cover everything for a whole season. All grass and weeds will die out but obviously it takes time.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 27, 2018, 11:49:51 am
I think that's a good idea for the next plot I clear. I'd really like to get this dug over or ploughed, as you suggest, to allow the frost to get at it this winter. I suspect most of the work will occur next year, when I've had a few months to think and plan, so this will be very much a trial or learning experience.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: chrismahon on August 27, 2018, 12:56:48 pm
I'm attempting to kill patches of weeds by covering them with a thick layer of hay- perhaps that would work if you have the patience. The hay is gradually being cut by scythe from the rest of our land.


The idea is to leave it down long enough to kill the weeds then drag it off to another spot, rotorvate, till and then re-seed. Looks a lot better than black sheeting, which in the sunlight here would only last a few months. Hay also lets rainwater water through. Might be a problem with seeds though, which isn't a problem to us as we are only restoring neglected pasture?
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 27, 2018, 04:48:38 pm
Just as a matter of interest, how much success have you had in rotovating the ground once the turf was dead? I'd assumed ground that had been pasture for many years might be a lot of work for a rotovator to really dig deeply into?

Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on August 27, 2018, 10:30:35 pm
We found it difficult to get deep enough with just a rotie, but the plough gets nice and deep, so less likely to have a hard pan under how deep the rotavator goes.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 28, 2018, 09:55:50 am
Thanks, I did worry about that. There may be an option to get a local to plough it, but maybe not in time for this winter. Perhaps when I convert the next plot.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Maysie on August 28, 2018, 12:09:10 pm
Have you thought about the no-dig approach? 

It will take a bit of planning and some time, but will save an almighty amount of hard graft!!

Take a look at Charles Dowding info on his website and YouTube videos.  No-dig really isn't that complicated and yields the same, if not better cropping rates. 

One acre is a very large area to establish and look after in one go, personally I would start smaller and increase the area available as time/energy allows, to avoid being defeated by the overwhelming scale of what you are taking on.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: arobwk on August 28, 2018, 08:55:10 pm
Some very informative experiences and advice so far (for which I offer my thanks also).
 
Based on my own experiences, my thoughts are:
 
Ploughing option  - don’t have all your acres ploughed-over at once.  To really benefit from the ploughing, you will need to routinely “maintain” all ploughed areas subsequently to prevent the old pasture and weeds reclaiming their patch.  Too much work if you are not about to use some of those acres!
 
Natural mulching option (e.g. with old rotten hay/silage or compost etc) – I’m not convinced it helps where the under-lying old pasture soil is fully charged with rooted grass/weeds or lots of seed from the same.  Me thinks plant-material mulches only really work well if underlying soil is pretty much seed/weed free prior to application of mulch.
 
Weed sheets:
 
I will include wads of newspaper and cardboard here, but I would suggest the only effective membrane is the plastic variety (woven membrane or a simple black plastic sheet like thicker guage black silage wrap).  But there are so many pros and cons that are not always in balance.  Paper/cardboard – cheap, but doesn’t last very long and is generally nibbled by slugs and snails (although that might mean they are not nibbling your plants quite so much).  Woven plastic (terram) – cost (I'm still struggling to get below £0.40 per sq m).   Plastic sheet -  not porous (although I have used it and punched holes in it and then placed a stone over the holes to help direct rain-water towards)!!  And all “weed sheets” (or mulches for that matter) will give critters like voles and slugs a heaven-sent cover against predators or the elements.
 
Membranes obviously need to be held down = work. Either dig them in around their edges (= real work in old pasture) or weight them down with whatever - I personally have plenty of stones/rocks/boulders (picked-out and piled-up after I had my own old pastures ploughed), but it’s still heavy work and you need lots of weights/stones from my experience of having strong winds whipping membranes (which I had believed were well weighted down) into a curly wind-billowing mess! 
 
You have clearly been though the loop before martcol (on a smaller scale) and I don't wish to try and teach granny, but you will, without doubt, have a fight on your hands with 8ac of old established pasture.  A very small bit at a time then!
 
Personally, I’m increasingly persuaded by, and adopting, the plastic membrane option (of whatever sort), accepting the work (and cost) that can be involved and the fact that there are some down-sides.

 
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Backinwellies on August 29, 2018, 07:49:36 am
Arobwk ..... Old carpet works well and doesn't need weighing down
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 29, 2018, 08:55:09 am
I wasn't clear enough in my op, I can see! I'm not going to convert the whole 8 acres - I would like to plant an orchard, and keep some as meadows which a neighbour will graze. I'm not even planning on turning over 1 acre this winter, just a plot, the size of which will probably be determined by the state of my back! I'm thinking maybe 30m x 10m to start with, to get a feel for the soil, maybe get some rhubarb in, and then, next spring, start the soil improvement process with compost, manure etc. Next year will very much be a test year, watching the moicroclimate, seeing what likes to grow there and what doesn't and so on. I'm also giving myself next summer to erect and learn to use a polytunnel.

Many of you mention covering the grass with carpets and so on - that seems sensible and I'll do as much as I can.

Thanks for all the replies. Maybe I'll resurrect this when we get in, and report on how we get on.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on August 29, 2018, 10:52:21 am
Arobwk ..... Old carpet works well and doesn't need weighing down


Old carpets may work, IF you can find some which are made of totally natural, biodegradable fibres, with no manmade fibres, rubber backing etc.  Wool will eventually rot down which is what you want - it takes several years but it does go.  But where can you get 100% wool carpets?  The ones folk are chucking out so are available for covering the ground, inevitably have artificial fibres and rubber backing.  These disintegrate rather than breaking down into a useable soil.  Weeds will also grow on top of them, expecially mat forming weeds (no pun intended), so trying to drag off a sodden, partially disintegrated carpet certainly prevents you ever wanting to do that again!


We have tried all sorts of mulches.  The best has been a thick layer of manure (can be raw) covered with old hay or straw, but not sprayed with chemicals, then thick cardboard, with as much sellotape as possible removed, covered with an impermeable membrane, held down with old pallets, bits of wood, breeze blocks and whatever else is handy (we don't have any rocks).  Over the course of a year this turns into a wonderful warm rich soil, weedfree and ready to plant into, just by lifting the plastic cover.  We are not happy about plastic use though so we eventually bought a giant tarpaulin at great expense, which can be reused for several years. Terriers love it though for all the mice and so on living under it, so inevitably it has become ripped and chewed in places for weeds to pop up through.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: arobwk on August 29, 2018, 11:16:02 am
Arobwk ..... Old carpet works well and doesn't need weighing down

True!  and I am collecting whatever I can find including an old genuine persian rug.  Fleecewife makes some good points though.  I am thinking to use in field corners (which aren't easy to keep under control) and then plant trees through.  Inevitably it will be a hassle clearing the carpet out at some point int'  future.  Somehow I can't see me using the persian rug for that purpose!

For martcol:  your fuller account of intentions noted.  One last thought - something I just started looking into - growing green mulch/ground-cover "crops" on plots you might want to use for horticulture in due course.  Mustard looks promising as a soil fumigant and weed suppressor. 
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Rupert the bear on August 29, 2018, 05:44:44 pm
My own thoughts would be to plough to yet the soil broken uo to allow air to get in the n prepare a half decent bed then light proof cover for weed suppression, the re cultivate after the vegetation has died off. You should have a sporting chance against any new unwanted growth.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: clydesdaleclopper on August 29, 2018, 06:13:54 pm
all of my growing areas have started off as waist high nettles, thistles, docks etc. I stamp them down, cover the ground in layers of newspaper or cardboard and then cover with as much unrotted manure, compost, wood chip as I can find. Leave for a year and the weeds are all dead and much of the mulch is rotted down. Then do a pass over the area with a broad fork to aerate. No need for digging and it doesn't leave soil exposed to the elements which is really bad for soil.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Terry T on August 29, 2018, 09:00:14 pm
We turned over half an acre to veg over the past two years.
We used a turf cutter to make beds and then either cultivated with a roti or hand dug. The roti didn't’ work too well and was patchy - hand digging was fine, I just worked through a bed at a time.
I dug, then used a hand cultivator then sowed or planted into the bed immediately. Kept on top of weeds by hoeing and mulching yields were fine, I like veg too much to wait. Year 1 fed ourselves plus farm gate sales, year 2 started a veg box business.
Have tried some no dig but  - it’s difficult/expensive to do this on a large scale and I find the resulting medium is too light and attracts a lot of rodents, as do all types of matting and covering.
Sounds like fun...
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 30, 2018, 11:29:11 am
Arobwk. re: green manure. Yes, I'm investigating. Much will depend on what we can get done before it gets too cold this autumn. The house will need some attention, too, and, even though we've discussed my wife doing that whilst I get the veg plots started, it won't end up like that, I'm sure. What price a long, sunny autumn followed by a frosty winter, I wonder......
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on August 30, 2018, 11:31:50 am
We turned over half an acre to veg over the past two years.
We used a turf cutter to make beds and then either cultivated with a roti or hand dug. The roti didn't’ work too well and was patchy - hand digging was fine, I just worked through a bed at a time.
I dug, then used a hand cultivator then sowed or planted into the bed immediately. Kept on top of weeds by hoeing and mulching yields were fine, I like veg too much to wait. Year 1 fed ourselves plus farm gate sales, year 2 started a veg box business.
Have tried some no dig but  - it’s difficult/expensive to do this on a large scale and I find the resulting medium is too light and attracts a lot of rodents, as do all types of matting and covering.
Sounds like fun...

Reckon this will be me. Plus, taking on board those who suggest covering, do that for the next areas which I guess I'll be looking at converting from late 2019. Thanks again, all.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on January 27, 2019, 01:45:00 pm
Well, We've been in just over 4 months, so I thought I'd post an update for folk. We didn't get much done before Christmas, as the house needed so much doing to get it liveable. A neighbour with a Digger helped us get up and running in the new year, though. Dug out the base for our Polytunnel, currently sitting in the garden waiting for some settled weather. We stripped the turf off some pasture and got a fruit bed in, with raspberries, red, white and black currants, gooseberries and rhubarb with strawberries to follow. We allso planted up a small orchard with 11 apples trees, and may extend that next year.

Currently erecting a shed for tools, and the polytunnel when the weather improves. I reckon I'll need to fence off the fruit and beg areas as I think there may be rabbits about!
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: DavidandCollette on January 27, 2019, 02:52:54 pm
The Poly tunnel Book by Joyce Russel is invaluable. We have things growing in ours the year round. Just sown rocket, early lead, mizuna and carrots in glittering suspended from the roof bars. Stops the meeces eating them when they sprout
 Then water them really well and hold the glittering at 45 degrees to the ground. Crop and compost should do it nicely into the bed
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on January 27, 2019, 03:24:43 pm
Yeah, I have that book. It's going to be somewhat of a trial this year. As you can see, There is a lot to do just to prepare the beds for planting, even after the tunnel is up, which will be a week or two yet. I'm not bothered, though. We'll make a start, and should see some decent returns, whilst I improve the soil and get my composting started. Next year, I suspect, we'll really be cooking with gas!

It's great fun, even in West Wales in January!
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on January 27, 2019, 04:22:05 pm
An excellent start martcol  :garden: .  Keep on with the updates - I love following such stories, and it helps to inspire me too.


I can't remember if I or anyone mentioned to watch out for cut worms and daddylonglegs (which produce them) on old pasture.  They are very disheartening when they chop off your growing lettuce etc overnight. Apparently a sacrificial green crop of mustard brings them all to the surface then they fly off to other pasture.

It's really cold up here in Scotland, bitter wind from the North Pole.  We have 9 more nest boxes to put up, but it's too cold to take gloves off for the fiddly bits.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on January 31, 2019, 06:42:54 pm
I'd thought about cutworms. Might try the mustard. Already had rabbits chomping on the new raspberry shoots, so fence is waiting to go up. I dread to think of the cold up there with you. I was over the field this morning before the snow, working on the new shed. I managed an hour and a half before my hands were too cold to use the tools.

The way i look at this year is that it's a prototype, and any decent produce will be a bonus. If I just get the whole area up and running ready for a problem free 2020, I'll be well happy. It's very much early days, and I'm expecting problems, but they are just teaching aids!
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on February 01, 2019, 12:14:02 am
That's a sensible approach.  You never will have a perfect year in gardening - there's always something which goes wrong, but there's always lots of other things which go right  :garden:
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Briggsy from Gower on February 09, 2019, 11:20:24 am
I love the problem free 2020.

I'll vote for that!

Each year brings it's own set of 'challenges', but I admire your optimism.

The polytunnel is a great idea, if your on an exposed site make sure you get that cover grounded well. When we moved in there were 4 tunnels in a mile radius, now there are only two.

I have a 49' x 18' tunnel and it is invaluable. Best investment ever. The protected environment will give you crops all year round, and really extends the growing season. Get some deep beds going and you can achieve a huge amount from a relatively small space.

We're also in West Wales (well Gower) and this is what the tunnel looks like today...

 
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on February 09, 2019, 01:18:26 pm
Ooh that's well ordered Briggsy.  Mine, which is 21' x 42', has leeks and some motheaten looking kale, psb and sprouts, plus garlic coming up, and half the ground ready for sowing.  But I haven't pressure washed the greenhouse (which is inside the tunnel) or the walls, and I really need to do some drastic housekeeping  to keep the red mite away.  Mr F is replacing the storm battered louvres at the west end - still a couple to go. I suppose it's time to sow the broad beans - ours go in 4" sq pots in bakers' trays, hanging from the crop bars to keep the wretched vermin off.   It's lovely to see pics of how others are getting on  :garden:
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Briggsy from Gower on February 09, 2019, 01:52:20 pm
Wow, a greenhouse inside the tunnel. Not seem that before.

A real good idea suspending those pots for the broadbeans. This autumn for the first time ever mice have taken all the broadbean seedlings from the staging. Up until now I have got away with modules sitting on the soil so the roots can grow through and get them off to a really good start. Strange that they seem to change crop of choice each year. Last year carrots disappeared down holes, but have not been touched this year.

Anyway, thanks for mentioning that, I had not yet devised a new plan before sowing more beans. We should move this thread to the veg section!
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on February 09, 2019, 06:20:02 pm
[member=181331]martcol[/member], would you object to your thread being moved to vegetables?


[member=27764]spandit[/member] could you move this thread to vegetables please?  I don't know if anyone can do it or if it has to be the moderator.


Good idea Briggsy


Somewhere I have some photos of the baskets hanging with beans in - I'll see if I can find them.  I do the same thing for climbing beans, and sometimes I sow peas in suspended guttering with the ends sealed.  The darling little vermin have changed their tactics and now eat the ripe peas directly from the plants, the very morning I intend to pick them  ::) .  Broad beans too, esp the extra tasty ones, so I'm growing MGLongpod which they don't like  ;D


The greenhouse is inside the tunnel because it's so windy up here that if it were outside it would have blown inside out long ago.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Fleecewife on February 09, 2019, 10:48:16 pm


Broad beans suspended above the vermin in my polytunnel.


(sorry the expanded pic is too big for the page. I don't know how to sort that)
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: DavidandCollette on February 10, 2019, 09:49:54 am
Wow, a greenhouse inside the tunnel. Not seem that before.

A real good idea suspending those pots for the broadbeans. This autumn for the first time ever mice have taken all the broadbean seedlings from the staging. Up until now I have got away with modules sitting on the soil so the roots can grow through and get them off to a really good start. Strange that they seem to change crop of choice each year. Last year carrots disappeared down holes, but have not been touched this year.

Anyway, thanks for mentioning that, I had not yet devised a new plan before sowing more beans. We should move this thread to the veg section!
We suspend all our early seeds - broad beans, early carrots rocket mizuna etc in glittering hanging from the crop bars. When they are well sprouted, make a channel in the soil, water the crop in the glittering really well then slide it onto the channel. Works a treat
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on February 10, 2019, 10:41:05 am
No, not at all. please do.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on February 10, 2019, 10:47:27 am
Briggsy, looks like you have the same tunnel as me. Mine is 60 x 16. Well, it's in the garage at the moment, so it's a lot smaller than that. It has corkscrew anchors which are supposed to just simply screw into the ground..... Nope. Too many stones. I spent an hour yesterday digging and using postcrete to install the first one. 25 more to go!

Then I have to prep the beds. I'm on subsoil, heavy sticky clay, as we had to dif out the base to get it level. I think raised beds are the way to go. used them before on clay. I reckon I'm still a month away from planting. And that's if we get some settled weather. I'll keep updating.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Briggsy from Gower on February 10, 2019, 11:09:48 am
Hi Martcol

It's surprising how sparce the kit looks for such a big space.

Not sure where in West Wales you are, however there is a saw mill at St Clears who sell ceder from their own woodlands. It's significatly cheaper than a builders merchant.

I was lucky enough to inherit pretty good soil as there was an ancient tunnel on the same footprint when we moved in, my problem was that horsetail had taken over. I used large amounts of rotted horse manure on the neglected ground for the first couple of years and that really has brought the clay soil back to life. Now I just top up with my own compost. (Thank goodness as the horse manure does come with horsefly larvae which turned the tunnel into a danger zone for a couple of weeks each summer!)

Good luck getting those  ground anchors in. We had the same problem when we tried to dig holes for a pole barn. We hired a machine which just continually hit brick and stone, job had to be done by hand in the end.

Briggsy



Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Briggsy from Gower on February 10, 2019, 11:14:08 am
Thanks veg growers.

I think I am going to try the guttering idea suspended from the crop bars. My set up probably won't allow the second phase of sliding the contents straight into the channels, but for robust plants like broadbeans they can tolerate a bit of manhandling when it comes to planting.

I'll get the better of those critters yet!




Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on February 23, 2019, 09:19:54 am
We're finally getting there. Polytunnel is complete, apart from the cover which is going on tomorrow, wind allowing. I thought A before and after picture might be worthwhile, but it hardly shows the huge amount of effort we've put in in two months of almost daily work. But anyway. Firstly, the plot in early January, just as the man with the digger was starting levelling off the ground for the polytunnel.....
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on February 23, 2019, 09:24:24 am
And this shot was taken yesterday. Polytunnel structure all complete. New shed built. To the right of the polytunnel is the fruit and veg beds, with raspberries, strawberries, red, white and black currants, rhubarb and gooseberries already in. To the far right is the start of our orchard, with 11 apples trees, eaters, cookers and cider apples, with a few old heritage Welsh apple varieties thrown in. It's been a hard slog, but immensely enjoyable. The only job I didn't enjoy was the three days I spent with pick, shovel and crowbar, digging the holes and concreting in the ground anchors for the polytunnel!
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Briggsy from Gower on February 23, 2019, 01:11:40 pm
Trust me, the huge amount of effort is plain to see!

Well done guys, that's a lot to do in two months.

You wait till that cover goes on tomorrow, it will feel like a cathedral in there.

Keep the photos coming.

Briggsy
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on February 24, 2019, 06:58:56 pm
Big grins today. Almost at the end of 'phase one' which is the setup of the growing area and ready to start on the soil and planting. Still have to do final tensioning of the polytunnel cover (You raise the hoops a few inches to tighten it with this model), and doors to be hung tomorrow. then I start the process of turning the sticky muddy subsoil into a growing medium. Found a nearby source of wonderful dark brown crumbly well rotted horse manure, and they fill my trailer with a digger, too!

Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: DavidandCollette on February 25, 2019, 10:09:02 am
Fantastic. You must be very pleased. You will be surprised how quickly the soil dries out
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Briggsy from Gower on February 25, 2019, 10:31:49 am
Yes, in this weather probably a matter of days!

My polytunnel was well over 20 degrees yesterday. The later half of feb always comes as surprise, growth starts a pace, and late sowings that have looked pathetic all winter are now springing into life.

Here we go again...…..
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on February 26, 2019, 08:58:48 am
It was 20 degrees OUTSIDE in Ceredgion yesterday - on the news, too. I'm digging over the ground inside now. It's heavy very stony subsoil/clay (we had to dig quite deep to level the ground). I'm going down a spades depth, digging in loads of well rotted manure (good source nearby) and the topsoil which we kept. In these temperatures, though, it's tough work. I'm not overly bothered, as I can work at leisure now, and prepare the beds one at a time over the next three months before I need room for tomatoes and other warm weather stuff.

It's been a long hard slog since Christmas, but it feels well worth it to have it all ready (or nearly....) for the start of the season. I started this thread at the end of last summer, before we had even moved in, so we are both chuffed to bits to be at this stage!
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on April 15, 2019, 05:19:16 pm
Another update. First picture is inside the polytunnel. First early potatoes, broad beans and salad doing well. Peas, beetroot and spinach further along. I was expecting some pretty big problems, to be honest, but everythng looks great so far. The problems I expected were due to the fact that everything is growing in grey stony clay subsoil. I use a pick and remove stones, and add about 4 wheelbarrows of well rotted horse manure to each bed, from a local stable, working it in to break up the clay. I thought it might take a year or two to form new soil, but there may be enough nutrients in the manure to give me some crops. I'll update later in the season.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on April 15, 2019, 05:24:04 pm
I'm further behind, outside. The fruit beds in the distance have been in since January, but I had to put up a fence as they were getting nibbled by rabbits. water containers behind, and compost sheds. The black polythene is an experiment in no dig - a la Charles Dowding. I only have onions (sets) in so far, as we've been working on the house, too!
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Briggsy from Gower on April 19, 2019, 09:26:33 am
Well done guys, all looking good, healthy and happy.

The manure should ensure some good crops this year. Just because you are aiming for a lovely loamy soil for max yields and plant health most crops will give it their best shot regardless of the clay. Some will even help break things up for you.

Plenty of manure will really move those beds along quickly.

Keep the pics coming.
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: Steph Hen on April 20, 2019, 06:54:31 am
You’ve achieved a huge amount! Well done! I’m envious  :D
Title: Re: Converting pasture to a veg plot
Post by: martcol on April 20, 2019, 07:58:44 pm
Thanks again for the nice comments. I will update this when I can. It may end up with some useful info for others. If I'm honest, I'm just waiting for something to go wrong, because so far, everything has gone perfectly!