My kitchen garden is being foul to dig this year, because it is
badly compacted. It seems that everything that was bare ground
was compacted by the rain nearly as badly as if I had walked on
it. A couple of questions:

Has anyone else encountered this?

What green manure can I sow (late in the year) to reduce this
effect?

I would like something that is dense enough to discourage grass
etc. from growing and setting seed.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message ...


My kitchen garden is being foul to dig this year, because it is
badly compacted. It seems that everything that was bare ground
was compacted by the rain nearly as badly as if I had walked on
it. A couple of questions:

Has anyone else encountered this?

What green manure can I sow (late in the year) to reduce this
effect?

I would like something that is dense enough to discourage grass
etc. from growing and setting seed.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
===============================================



Nick we never have this problem because we cover as much spare/vacant ground
with a thorough dressing of compost. This is taken down by the worms or
whatever and any weeds which do grow are in the soft stuff and pull out
quite easily. Of course you do need lots of compost and to this end we make
a lot ourselves, take in the neighbours trimmings etc and put it through the
shredder and even though my daughter's garden is about 2 + acres, as it is
landscaped, mostly with lawn and flowering beds etc, they don't use much of
their compost heap so we have access to that too ;-) A deep compost mulch
makes gardening so easy.

BUT, as everybody on this forum know, we only have a small garden, but the
deep mulch works.

Mike

---------------------------------------------------------------
www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk

"'Mike'" wrote:


What green manure can I sow (late in the year) to reduce this
effect?

I would like something that is dense enough to discourage grass
etc. from growing and setting seed.

Is buckwheat grown in the U.K.? It used to be used for weed control here
in the U.S., because it crowds out most weeds. I use it in empty patches in
the summer, and winter rye in the fall, so be tilled in the next spring.


--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

In article ,
Gary Woods wrote:

What green manure can I sow (late in the year) to reduce this
effect?

I would like something that is dense enough to discourage grass
etc. from growing and setting seed.

Is buckwheat grown in the U.K.? It used to be used for weed control here
in the U.S., because it crowds out most weeds. I use it in empty patches in
the summer, and winter rye in the fall, so be tilled in the next spring.

According to the RHS, it won't grow here in the autumn. Rye sounds
worth a try, though.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote


My kitchen garden is being foul to dig this year, because it is
badly compacted. It seems that everything that was bare ground
was compacted by the rain nearly as badly as if I had walked on
it. A couple of questions:

Has anyone else encountered this?

What green manure can I sow (late in the year) to reduce this
effect?

I would like something that is dense enough to discourage grass
etc. from growing and setting seed.


Yes, our Thames clay/silt went like concrete when it dried out after the
tempest and we had to wait for it to rain again before it could be dug.
Earthing up the potatoes shows it is still saturated a few inches down.
I don't use green manure after a disaster using it, it made things worse,
but one of our plot holders (he has 6 plots!!) uses a lot of it, this year
he used which has interesting properties ...
http://www.sowseeds.co.uk/store/cali...-manure-seeds/

This may be of interest too ...
https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/files/...ures_final.pdf


--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote


My kitchen garden is being foul to dig this year, because it is
badly compacted. It seems that everything that was bare ground
was compacted by the rain nearly as badly as if I had walked on
it. A couple of questions:

Has anyone else encountered this?

What green manure can I sow (late in the year) to reduce this
effect?

I would like something that is dense enough to discourage grass
etc. from growing and setting seed.


Yes, our Thames clay/silt went like concrete when it dried out after the
tempest and we had to wait for it to rain again before it could be dug.
Earthing up the potatoes shows it is still saturated a few inches down.
I don't use green manure after a disaster using it, it made things worse,
but one of our plot holders (he has 6 plots!!) uses a lot of it, this year
he used which has interesting properties ...
http://www.sowseeds.co.uk/store/cali...-manure-seeds/

This may be of interest too ...
https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/files/...ures_final.pdf

Thanks. It turns out that rye and many clovers inhibit seed
germination for up to 6 weeks after being dug in, which rather
conflicts with what I want them for!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Mustard is the answer, sow anytime March-October and it grows fast. It also suppresses weeds and repels a lot of pests. I have even over-wintered it and it really protect the soil from damage. Also adds masses to organic matter to the soil.
Only downside is that it is a brassica so you can't follow with cabbages or swedes in a rotation system.
I haven't tried buckwheat yet, but it has a smaller window in which it can be sown.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

My kitchen garden is being foul to dig this year, because it is
badly compacted. It seems that everything that was bare ground
was compacted by the rain nearly as badly as if I had walked on
it. A couple of questions:

Has anyone else encountered this?

What green manure can I sow (late in the year) to reduce this
effect?

I would like something that is dense enough to discourage grass
etc. from growing and setting seed.

I got in a ten ton lorry load of sharp sand & dug it in.
Fixed the problem permanently.