No Dig Day - Nov 3rd

[niemeyjt]

Today is No Dig Day -





I have to say for root crops like parsnips and carrots I do wonder but otherwise seems interesting idea (maybe combined with deep beds)

(an interesting juxtaposition with tagh's post)

[Bayleaf]

Everyday is no dig day, as far as I'm concerned! My back hurts just thinking about it!

[Blaze]

The soil is beautifully damp and perfect for removing weeds (which, according the video, you can put in your compost bin, but in limited quantities I imagine.
The mild weather has made the grass grow like crazy, along with all the weeds including daisies. Does anyone know of a way to get rid of them without killing the grass (far too many do remove manually ? Selective weedkillers were banned a while ago and we avoid using "chemicals" including pesticides.
The marigolds in the greenhouse have done a fantastic job of keeping out undesirables.

Interesting about not having any sort of border round the veg patch. We use bamboo or electric fence posts and wire netting to keep the dogs out and as I've said in another post, we haven't had a slug problem at all. Perhaps they don't like marigolds either !

[Hotrodder]

I gave up digging a few years ago for the same reason as Bayleaf. Left the veggie patch to return to grass and what few veg the mrs. fancies are done in the polytunnel. Not seen a slug this year anywhere, we did try marigolds but they didn't come up. The moles are doing fine, counted almost a hundred fresh mounds yesterday when I mowed. This morning there is evidence the boar(s)? are back. Turf dug up in patches.

Weed killing update: Various people have recommended vinegar as a replacement for the now defunct glyphosate. I have been using a propane burner for about two years now but it is difficult dragging the bottle around and I find the burnoff doesn't last. I tried the vinegar-- 5 litres white vinegar (strong stuff, not from supermarket) one cup of ordinary salt, and a tablespoon of dish washing liquid. It works quickly, and the effect stays in the ground for a while so be careful using it near plants you want to keep. I use it for a gravel drive and anywhere the grass is growing up to house walls, etc. Applied with a garden pump sprayer it is easy and cheap.

[exile]

Today is No Dig Day -





I have to say for root crops like parsnips and carrots I do wonder but otherwise seems interesting idea (maybe combined with deep beds)

(an interesting juxtaposition with tagh's post)

I share the scepticism regarding carrots and parsnip.
I have in the past said that I do not (yet) have a no dig regime but have realised that that is not quite true. By its very nature, the asparagus bed is a no dig regime. Deep rooting weeds (dandelion, mullein etc) have no problem establishing but are easily pulled out without using even a hand fork when the soil conditions are right - not too wet but equally not baked dry.
So maybe carrots and parsnips would not be such an issue.

[Polarengineer]

We have been no-digging for years now, it is good if you have an endless supply of farmyard/horse/donkey manure. carrots are doing fine, but parsnips do not seem to germinate. Charles Dowding’s system is OK but we always have to dig when it comes to the spuds.

[Quiksilver]

That has always been my tie-breaker, PE....even Dowding himself admits that you need tonnes of material every year to make it work. If you haven't got an endless supply of manure, by the time you've either made and moved all that compost or had to buy in stuff, it's really no big deal to rotavate or dig. I'm sure it would work for dinky raised beds (assuming someone builds them for you in the first place) but the heavy clay soil here needs de-compacting and fluffing up regularly. It's noticeable that despite tonnes of mulch, manure and anything else I've been able to lay hands on over the last 16 years, nothing has changed the intrinsic nature of the soil.

[tagh]

I gave up digging a few years ago for the same reason as Bayleaf. Left the veggie patch to return to grass and what few veg the mrs. fancies are done in the polytunnel. Not seen a slug this year anywhere, we did try marigolds but they didn't come up. The moles are doing fine, counted almost a hundred fresh mounds yesterday when I mowed. This morning there is evidence the boar(s)? are back. Turf dug up in patches.

Weed killing update: Various people have recommended vinegar as a replacement for the now defunct glyphosate. I have been using a propane burner for about two years now but it is difficult dragging the bottle around and I find the burnoff doesn't last. I tried the vinegar-- 5 litres white vinegar (strong stuff, not from supermarket) one cup of ordinary salt, and a tablespoon of dish washing liquid. It works quickly, and the effect stays in the ground for a while so be careful using it near plants you want to keep. I use it for a gravel drive and anywhere the grass is growing up to house walls, etc. Applied with a garden pump sprayer it is easy and cheap.

Could you put the gas bottle in the wheelbarrow and move it as you go, probably burning circels of weeds around it?

[Hotrodder]

I made a special trolley to sit the bottle on thinking that would be enough. Made from what remained of a steel framed garden chair. I ran out of steel and the handle is too short so I have to bend over to tug it around. One hand pulling and the other trying to keep the bottle from rolling off the trolley. A third hand if I had one, would be used to carry the hose and burner wand. At least I no longer have to lift bottles in and out of the car. And if I could find the original receipts for the bottles (three different brands) I could turn them in for a refund but who can say they know where the damned receipts have gone so many years later?