STARTING an organic allotment
Rule number 1 - DO NOT USE WEEDKILLERS
Rule number 2 - DO NOT BURN OR DUMP
any vegetation/turf/weed roots.
There is no point in removing valuable nutrients. The plants have spent a season converting the sun’s rays into complex organic molecules that you can and should use for ‘soil food’.
Either - 1/. Leave under the covering (see below)
or 2/. Compost (if making a pile, it is important not to let the sun and wind dry it out - you're making compost, not hay !) A few seeds and small bits of the roots of perennials will survive, but most won't.
Rule number 3 - remove ALL perennial weeds.
This can be done by digging (carefully forking out the roots – you will find that this has to be done more than once) with a fork, not a spade.
Many people prefer to use the technique of covering the land (1 year minimum, 2 year preferably) with light-excluding material such as carpets to kill/weaken the weeds. I prefer big sheets of cardboard which avoids disposal problems (the cardboard rots down and feeds the soil). Weight down with clods of soil.
Advantage - when uncovered, the soil structure is excellent since any of the actual green matter that was covered will have been incorporated into the soil .
Disadvantage - takes a lot of time - Preferably 2 years , and 1 year means 'One growing season plus winter', and not 'One winter' – 1 year will only weaken and not kill (at best severely weaken)the well established plants.
Rather than leaving this covered area totally plant free (any sign of weed growth must be removed; those weeds will not die if green leaves are allowed to send food to their roots), it is a good idea to plant through holes made in the covering. But beware of SLUGS, and there will be plenty - you have just created ideal conditions for them.
DO NOT USE SLUG PELLETS.
Ensure -
1/. The plants that are planted are as large and as healthy as possible – and therefore best able to withstand 'slug attack'.
2/. You have spare plants.
You should not be concerned about providing any 'plant food' for the first season, since the rotting vegetation will provide sufficient nutrients.
An excellent compromise is to actually remove perennial weeds by digging for only a few yards (maybe 6 or 7). I recommend that the deep/double digging is left until this area has gone for a whole season without perennial weeds and then convertion to the Bed System(see details below) should take place at the same time.
The next 10 to 30 yds should be covered in order to kill the weeds, and your weed free* vegetable growing area is expanded when you have time - but not before you've had a whole growing seasons experience.
* free of weedgrowth from roots, not seeds.
Rule number 4 - thorough Deep/Double Digging
- to break-up the inevitable compressed layer that will have been created below the depth that the previous gardener dug to.
Such a compressed layer greatly restricts root growth and the subsequent water extracting capacity of the plant, and the result is that the potential crops are much smaller. Many experienced gardeners remain unaware of the benefits of careful deep digging until they see the results ('careful' means avoiding inverting the top and sub soils, yet ensuring a slight mixing of the two).
Although 'soil food' is best restricted to the very top/surface of the soil, when double digging, I like to add manure (NOT Garden Compost - it's far too valuable) to the lower layer, in order to artificially increase the depth of soil.
Double digging is very heavy work, and therefore the adoption of the bed system is recommended. Not having to dig the paths is a saving worth making
The double (or 'trench') digging of a 4ft wide bed is easier than you might think. The important thing to remember is to work off a 3-4 ft board between two garden lines that will have been put down to mark the edges of the bed (see section below on design of Bed System).
Rule number 5 Do not clear any more land than you will have timeto maintain.
The biggest and commonest mistake that virtually everyone (including the experienced) make is to initially clear too much land. There is a very real danger that you will spend so much time looking after the allotment that you will not have time for -
a/. Life.
b/. Growing your food.
Prior to the first growing season, only an area of a size that you will be able to keep weed free during the growing season (no more than 10-30 yds) should be prepared (ie made weed free)for the coming vegetable crops.
Rule number 6 TIME is needed for the 'natural balance' to be
achieved
You must realise that in the first year that you try gardening without using the 'crutch' of pesticides, you will most probably get problems with pests. This is because the natural population of Predators and Parasites will have been greatly reduced by the sprays. Provided that you don't use any pesticides – and allow a population of Predators and/or Parasites to build up (it may be that your allotment is not sufficiently close to a population of 'goodies' and so you have to introduce some), then this pest population should remain at a level that can and will be dealt with by the gardens resident 'goodies'.
LAYOUT and DESIGN of an Organic Allotment
USING THE BED SYSTEM
As well as the advantage of there being far less digging, the other major advantage of the 'Bed System' is that there's no time of the year when you are not able to walk into the centre of your plot.
Despite what many people think, the permanent paths do NOT take up more space, and since the overall yield can be so much greater, then a smaller area is required. The biggest problem likely to be encountered will most likely to be caused by incorrect use of the system (for example – not understanding the principles and making the beds too wide).
Before turning your allotment over to a bed system, it must be realised that the removal of perennial weeds from an area of beds would mean a lot of unnecessarily complicated work, and so I strongly advise you NOT to make beds until all of the perennial weeds have been removed, and there has been a seasons growth to prove it.
The Bedsshould be about 1metre to 4ft wide (a width that means that all the soil surface can be reached for any weeding etc. without standing on the beds), and alternate with Permanent paths about 1ft 9ins wide (adopt a width to suit yourself – width of wheelbarrow supports ?).
This means minimum soil damage by
1/. - utilizing minimum soil cultivation techniques.
2/. - NEVER standing on the bed.
When beds are created in an area of grassland, it is tempting to simply mark out and cultivate the 4ft beds, leaving the existing grass as the paths between. DON’T DO THIS. The grassland of most Allotment sites usually contains a lot/some creeping grasses that will move into your cultivated plots at a frightening pace and make a lot of work.and seriously reduce crop growth and yields.
If it is decided to have the main path as grass (which will require regular cutting), then the wisest course would be to remove the old grass and resow with a lawn mix.Any vegetation on the paths will be taking water and nutrients, therefore a regular hoeing of the side paths will be required.
Such beds are often called ‘Raised Beds’ and it is often recommended that they should be 6 or more inches (15+ centimeters) above the height of the paths. I don’t agree with this advice since I have observed that such beds have tend to suffer from a lack of water ie the plants wilt more frequently.
If it is decided to use boarding for supporting the beds, then the ground MUST be totally free of perennial weeds – since the boards will provide cover and protection for the roots and the complete removal of the plants becomes very difficult. Not only do boards require purchasing and the labour of being put in place (both initially and then replaced as they rot) ; as well as providing shelter to couch roots, they also harbour slugs and snails.
To construct the beds, first mark out the ends of the alternating beds and paths between one side of the allotment and the path. Next remove the top two inches of soil from of the 'path', putting it onto the 'bed'. Now rake the paths level and rake the beds level. ( a tip - make use of the back of the rake.)
‘THE PATHS ARE FOR BOOTS, THE BEDS ARE FOR ROOTS
PROVISION OFCOMPOSTING SITES
You will most probably be making 2 different types, and may want 2 sites.
- a site for shorter term HOT compost bays – consisting of 3, 2½ft x 2½ft bays used in a 3 year rotation.
One bay being filled with 1 years worth of compost material.
One bay full of last years compost, composting for 1 year.
One bay of mature compost,being used.
It is important to always keep the compost in these bays covered.
-a site for a long-term compost heap - for the woodier materials.
(For further details see article on Composting.)
Personal Note - I also have 2 'wormerys' in steel oil-drums (anti-Rats) for kitchen waste.
PROVISION of SITE for MANURE (and LEAVES?)
Most of the better organic allotments have an area reserved for the rotting down of a heapof manure, or now that Farm Manure is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, a heap of Municipal Compost.
Usually Municipal Compost is not nearly as rich as Garden Compost (technically speaking, it has a far higher Carbon/Nitrogen ratio) and it is best used as an autumn mulch/top dressing protecting the soils surface through the winter and then incorporated in the spring.
To order the excellent Stafford Municipal Compost – telephone 01785 850722.
Many people also like to have a pile of rotting leaves to supply leaf mould.
FLOWERS AND POND. The encouragement of as much wildlife as possible.
It is very important to have as many flowers that are attractive to insects as possible. Many perennial garden flowers are useful and Herbs are particularly good.
Personal Note - My own allotment is a mixture a 'wildlife garden' and a 'vegetable garden'
MAINTENANCE of an Organic Allotment
Rule number 1 - DO NOT USE SOLUBLE FERTILIZERS
Soluble fertilizers dissolve into the soil water and are taken up by plant s(whether needed or not ) without benefiting the soil organisms.
Rule number 2 - FEED THE SOIL AND LET THE SOIL FEED THEPLANT
The addition of Bulky Organic Matter (F.Y.M.[Farm Yard Manure] and/or Garden Compost) to the soil contributes greatly to its structure and other positive qualities and in so doing, greatly enhances the growth potential of the soil. It is the breakdown (decay) of this Organic Matter by the soil organisms that provides the minerals used by the plants for growth.
Whenever F.Y.M. is used, it should not be used fresh, but should be allowed to stand for a
year. It’s important that during this time it's covered with something that lets in neither light
or water . This
- prevents the leaching of Nutrients by rain
- prevents the growth of weeds
- prevents weed seeds from blowing in and contaminating the manure.
ADDING FRESH (UNROTTED) MANURE DAMAGES THE SOIL .
Composting for a year allows micro-organisms to not only thoroughly breakdown and mix the straw, animal dung and urine; but also breaks down 95% or more of any unpleasant residues from chemicals that the farmer may have used (antibiotics etc.). This doesn't mean that nasty/toxic elements ( Cl,Na, Cu etc.) are removed.
For this reason, try to use manure from an Organic Farm (very difficult to obtain), and don't use manure from an intensive pig unit (toxic elements are used as a food additive).
It is highly unlikely that there is ever 'too much straw' in in a delivery of manure. The straw has been used by the farmer as bedding for the cattle and since it costs money, no matter how big-hearted the farmer is, it is highly doubtful that he would have put down too much. This straw will have soaked up a lot of the cattles urine and having an uncovered manure heap results in a top layer of unrotted straw from which the nutrients have been leached by the rain.
Make and use as much Compost as possible.
Compost is best used -
as a top-dressing applied in Spring and Early & Late Summer (on the Legumes
the Brassicas and A.Y.R. in the Greenhouse).
as a component of the potting compost (I use 33% compost, 33% sandy-loam,
33% leaf-mould )(and for brassicas, a little lime)
The timing of the spreading of your rotted Manure or Compost is important.
Putting the manure/compost onto the surface of the plot in the autumn means that the winter rains will leach out a lot of the nutrients and they will be wasted since plant growth is minimal. This advice does not apply to Municipal Compost – see Page 4. Many people apply their manure/compost in the autumn because they see farmers doing this. What is not seen is that the manure is either ploughed under and a winter growing crop is then sown, or it is applied to a growing crop – ie grassland.
Rotation.
When planting use the standard 4 year rotation (Legumes-Brassicas-Onions- Potatoes).
I also combine what little soil cultivation is necessary into the 4 year rotation. Soil cultivation causes the mixing into the soil off an excess of oxygen. This causes loss by oxidation of valuable organic matter. Therefore cultivation of the soil, should be minimised. Manure is covered with just a couple inches of soil on the potato beds just before planting. When the potato crop is dug up, the soil is deeply dug at the same time, - once every 4 years. This is followed by the Legumes (Peas and Beans) for which the bed is cleared of weeds by hoeing if necessary. The legume crop is followed by the Brassicas. Again, the only soil cultivation is hoeing of the brassica beds, and lots of Lime is lightly raked in and lots of my coarsest compost is put on the bed. The plants are planted through this, and given another top-dressing of compost 4-6 weeks later. The following seasons crops are of the onion tribe (leeks, onions, garlic), again with minimum soil cultivation, and these are then followed by potatoes once again.
In between these 4 crops are grown Green Manures whenever possible.
Make use of Leguminous Green Manures as much as possible.
A green manure is a crop that is grown in order to be incorporated into the soil, and in addition the roots of members of the Legume family of plants add Nitrogen to the soil (among leguminous green manures are Alfalfa, Clovers, Beans, Lupins, Trefoils and Tares).
Plant big, healthy plants.
- better able to withstand attack from Pests & Diseases.
Horticultural 'correctness'.
Although it sometimes seems as if Organic Gardening is all about doing things differently just for the sake of doing things differently, hopefully by now you will have realised that this is not the case.
Organic Gardeners recognise that a great many (but not all) standard Horticultural practices (in particular the older ones -Victorian and Edwardian) are done for very good reasons that an Organic Gardener would approve of.
ie Pruning. On allotment sites I see some awful pruning; it's often as if the gardeners concerned are trying their best to promote disease.
The same is true about Garden and Greenhouse Hygiene – most of the so called 'compost' heaps' are simply 'organic rubbish heaps' (‘organic’ only if you ignore the content of glass, plastic and wire) and are excellent plant disease breeding grounds.
ADDITIONS MADE 2011
1/ Adding Powered Charcoal to the soil
It has recently been discovered that before the Europeans went to the’New World’ (pre 1492), some of the Amazonian Indians enriched the poor sandy soils by the addition of powered charcoal (aka ‘Biochar’ or simply ‘Char’) and organic matter.
(Any one interested in the background can read the relevant chapters in ‘1491: the Americas before Columbus’ - Charles C. Mann (2006) ISBN 978-1-86207-876-5
I especially recommend ‘The Biochar Debate’ (Schumacher Briefings 16) - James Bruges (2009) - ISBN 978 1 900322 67 6 And/or
‘The Biochar Solution’ - Albert Bates (2010) - ISBN 978-0-86571-677-3
This method was so successful that these soils, known as Terra preta d’indigo, are still, over 500years later, non-acidic and more fertile than the acidic, infertile soils that they were derived from. It is now sold in bags as potting compost or used by local farmers for its amazing ability to revive exhausted soils.