[Rupert the bear]

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.

[clydesdaleclopper]

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.

[Terry T]

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...

[martcol]

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......

[martcol]

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.

[martcol]

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!

[DavidandCollette]

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

[martcol]

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!

[Fleecewife]

An excellent start martcol  .  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.

[martcol]

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!

[Fleecewife]

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 

[Briggsy from Gower]

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...

 

[Fleecewife]

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 

[Briggsy from Gower]

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!

[Fleecewife]

[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 


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.