My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and lime in
the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure mustn't be added just
before planting carrots and onions, and digging shouldn't be done just
before planting brassicas.

I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is it too
late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing and planting in a
couple of weeks.

Thanks.

Mel wrote:
: My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and
: lime in the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure mustn't
: be added just before planting carrots and onions, and digging
: shouldn't be done just before planting brassicas.
:
: I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is it
: too late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing and
: planting in a couple of weeks.
:
: Thanks.

You can still do both but you general advice is not to manure and lime the
same piece of ground in the same season as the lime will reduce the manure's
effectiveness. I would manure it all and save the lime for brassica planting
holes, or for next autumn

On 17/3/07 18:09, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:

Mel wrote:
: My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and
: lime in the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure mustn't
: be added just before planting carrots and onions, and digging
: shouldn't be done just before planting brassicas.
:
: I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is it
: too late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing and
: planting in a couple of weeks.
:
: Thanks.

You can still do both but you general advice is not to manure and lime the
same piece of ground in the same season as the lime will reduce the manure's
effectiveness. I would manure it all and save the lime for brassica planting
holes, or for next autumn


And - says the non veg grower - you don't want TOO much lime on land for
potatoes or you get scab - do I have that right?
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/
(remove weeds from address)

Sacha wrote:
: On 17/3/07 18:09, in article ,
: "Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:
:
:: Mel wrote:
::: My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and
::: lime in the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure
::: mustn't be added just before planting carrots and onions, and
::: digging shouldn't be done just before planting brassicas.
:::
::: I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is
::: it too late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing
::: and planting in a couple of weeks.
:::
::: Thanks.
::
:: You can still do both but you general advice is not to manure and
:: lime the same piece of ground in the same season as the lime will
:: reduce the manure's effectiveness. I would manure it all and save
:: the lime for brassica planting holes, or for next autumn
::
::
: And - says the non veg grower - you don't want TOO much lime on land
: for potatoes or you get scab - do I have that right?

That's right

g'day mel,

no need to dig to have great gardens.

ever thought of raised beds 'no-dig' method of gardening also 'no-weed
& water-wise'.

we have pics and description on our pages on how we do our gardens.



On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 16:43:58 GMT, "Mel" wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote
Sacha wrote:

: And - says the non veg grower - you don't want TOO much lime on land
: for potatoes or you get scab - do I have that right?

That's right

Well you might not, but the spuds might.

--
Sue

"Mel" wrote
My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and lime
in the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure mustn't be added
just before planting carrots and onions, and digging shouldn't be done
just before planting brassicas.

I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is it too
late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing and planting in
a couple of weeks.

What we do is to divide our veg plot into 4 so we have a 4 year rotation.
In year one section 1 gets lots of manure and then is used for spuds,
section 2 is limed and used for brassicas, section 3 is used for peas and
beans* and section 4 is for onions and rootcrops*.
The next year sees it all move round one so that last years manured potato
plot is limed and used for brassicas etc.
Basically only a quarter of the plot is manured each year and only a quarter
is limed.
* we do chuck on some Chicken manure pellets on these years.

Having re-read that I do hope you can understand what I mean.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

On 18 Mar, 00:11, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Mel" wrote My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and lime
in the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure mustn't be added
just before planting carrots and onions, and digging shouldn't be done
just before planting brassicas.

I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is it too
late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing and planting in
a couple of weeks.

What we do is to divide our veg plot into 4 so we have a 4 year rotation.
In year one section 1 gets lots of manure and then is used for spuds,
section 2 is limed and used for brassicas, section 3 is used for peas and
beans* and section 4 is for onions and rootcrops*.
The next year sees it all move round one so that last years manured potato
plot is limed and used for brassicas etc.
Basically only a quarter of the plot is manured each year and only a quarter
is limed.
* we do chuck on some Chicken manure pellets on these years.

Having re-read that I do hope you can understand what I mean.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

I was always taught that with crop rotation you followed your
leguminous crops with a leafy crop such as cabbage etc as they
benefited more from the nitrogen fixed into the soil by the legumes.

David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

"Dave Hill" wrote after
"Bob Hobden" wrote: in reply to
"Mel" wrote
My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and lime
in the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure mustn't be
added
just before planting carrots and onions, and digging shouldn't be done
just before planting brassicas.

I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is it
too
late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing and planting
in
a couple of weeks.

What we do is to divide our veg plot into 4 so we have a 4 year rotation.
In year one section 1 gets lots of manure and then is used for spuds,
section 2 is limed and used for brassicas, section 3 is used for peas and
beans* and section 4 is for onions and rootcrops*.
The next year sees it all move round one so that last years manured
potato
plot is limed and used for brassicas etc.
Basically only a quarter of the plot is manured each year and only a
quarter
is limed.
* we do chuck on some Chicken manure pellets on these years.

Having re-read that I do hope you can understand what I mean.


I was always taught that with crop rotation you followed your
leguminous crops with a leafy crop such as cabbage etc as they
benefited more from the nitrogen fixed into the soil by the legumes.

There seems to be as many variations as there are growers. I've seem what
you say and a 5 year rotation 1 potatoes, 2 onions, 3 peas/beans, 4
brassicas, 5 roots etc.
Personally I feel the cabbages benefit more from the last year's manure
whereas the peas and beans don't need it so much because as you say they
make their own, which in our rotation then helps next years onions/roots.
Pays yer money..........

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 17/3/07 18:09, in article ,
"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote:

Mel wrote:
: My gardening books advise digging an allotment and adding manure and
: lime in the autumn or winter. The books also say that manure mustn't
: be added just before planting carrots and onions, and digging
: shouldn't be done just before planting brassicas.
:
: I didn't have any manure in the autumn but I do have some now. Is it
: too late to dig, manure and lime now? I'll probably be sowing and
: planting in a couple of weeks.
:
: Thanks.

You can still do both but you general advice is not to manure and lime
the
same piece of ground in the same season as the lime will reduce the
manure's
effectiveness. I would manure it all and save the lime for brassica
planting
holes, or for next autumn


And - says the non veg grower - you don't want TOO much lime on land for
potatoes or you get scab - do I have that right?

Talking about potatoes, how the hell can you stop the slugs getting at the
tubers, but nothing expensive!

Alan

"Alan Holmes" wrote
Talking about potatoes, how the hell can you stop the slugs getting at the
tubers, but nothing expensive!

As I've said many times before... choose a slug resistant variety, that's
the cheapest and most effective method.
Kestral (SE) is well known for it's slug resistance and is a good spud and
keeps longer than you expect.
It's offspring Spey (MC) is also good and very similar, although can get
spraing.
Romano (EMC) red is a nice spud too and keeps well.
There are others.


--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Alan Holmes" wrote
Talking about potatoes, how the hell can you stop the slugs getting at
the tubers, but nothing expensive!

As I've said many times before... choose a slug resistant variety, that's
the cheapest and most effective method.
Kestral (SE) is well known for it's slug resistance and is a good spud and
keeps longer than you expect.
It's offspring Spey (MC) is also good and very similar, although can get
spraing.
Romano (EMC) red is a nice spud too and keeps well.
There are others.

Thanks, must try to remember those varieties, but will I be able to just buy
8 of each, or will I have to buy a huge bag full?

Alan

"Alan Holmes" wrote after

"Bob Hobden" rambled on after
"Alan Holmes" wrote
Talking about potatoes, how the hell can you stop the slugs getting at
the tubers, but nothing expensive!

As I've said many times before... choose a slug resistant variety, that's
the cheapest and most effective method.
Kestral (SE) is well known for it's slug resistance and is a good spud
and keeps longer than you expect.
It's offspring Spey (MC) is also good and very similar, although can get
spraing.
Romano (EMC) red is a nice spud too and keeps well.
There are others.

Thanks, must try to remember those varieties, but will I be able to just
buy 8 of each, or will I have to buy a huge bag full?

If you go to a Potato Day (too late for this year) you would be able to.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK