no dig potato bed for christmas
If you are a very busy person, as I am, or if you are sometimes lazy (like me) then it should be great news that not digging your soil can be more beneficial than digging it every year. But on the other hand if you are more like Monty Don who says “Digging a rich loam is one of life’s great sensual pleasures”, then you may want to ignore the rest of this post
The benefits of a no-dig system:
Your back and your time are saved by avoiding the repeated seasonal digging.
Soil structure is preserved - Digging disrupts the soil structure and worms can be harmed whilst digging, if the digging is left to them your soil structure is preserved and in time, enhanced.
Beneficial soil organisms are undisturbed and so flourish leaving you a fertile soil that is teeming with life.
The moisture and organic matter content is preserved which means needing to waste less water which seems to be fast becoming a dwindling resource here in London!
Fewer dormant weed seeds are brought to the surface and once the seed supplies on the surface have been exhausted you are left with a greatly reduced weed problem, especially if also using raised beds, green manures and mulches!
Disadvantages:
Soil borne pests are not exposed to predators so you may prefer to mix dig and no-dig. I intend to dig over one bed a year in my rotation. I read somewhere to do this after the brassicas, which enjoy a firm soil and before the carrots which prefer a looser soil. This will give you a chance to check on any build up of soil borne pests that may need dealing with.
What do you need in order to put a no-dig system into operation?
raised beds help enormously as they avoid compacting the soil by walking on it.
Organic mulches also help by adding humus and nutrients to the soil and suppressing weeds, avoiding disturbance of the soil in order to remove them ( saving you even more time).
A good spade and fork! ( I prefere to use a fork, just cant get on with a spade)
Although a no-dig system can be set up right away using light excluding mulches to kill off the weeds, it is a good idea to dig soil that has been uncultivated for a while or if there are perennial weeds present or if the soil is compacted. Also if the soil is poor it is a good idea to dig in some organic soil conditioners such as compost or rotted manure.
No-dig potatoes
Potatoes can be grown on the surface but should be planted slightly earlier in frost prone areas as the mulch tends to reduce the soil temperature and the tubers are less protected.
Soak the ground well if dry
Spread rotted manure over the soil
Lay out the seed tubers on top of this mulch at the required spacing (using block planting spacings rather than rows if you have narrow raised beds).
Cover them with a 3″ layer of hay or old straw. I am using black plastic over some clods of soil I threw on top
Mark their positions so that you can check for emerging shoots and ease any through that are pushing up the mulch rather than growing through it.
Top up the mulch as the plants grow, creating a similar effect to ‘earthing up’. Using black plastic eliminates the need! and hopefully will keep them snug and warm until i harvest at Christmas…
Once the plants are close to meeting one another cover the mulch with a thick layer of grass mowing’s in order to exclude light and prevent the tubers from turning green.
( no need with black plastic)
To harvest the potatoes, pull back the mulch and pick as many tubers, which will be sitting on the surface, as you require. Then replace the mulch to leave the rest to keep growing. If you want to harvest the whole crop simply rake off the mulch entirely. The top mulch can then be removed to the compost bin and the manure left in place to be taken down by the worms and further nourish the soil.
I have just planted some carlingford tubers ( late croppers) that i got from from E bay, 2.50 for ten tubers. Hopefully ill have some new potatoes freshly dug up for Christmas
Tags: allotment gardening, Growing Tips, How to store, no dig potato bed, organic gardening
