Selfsufficientish.com

red wrote:oh me too. I only did an hour tho - before the light went, and that cleared a teeny amount of ground!
you put the leaves in bags? how does tht work? mine went on compo heap

If you tie a bag up full of old leaves, it takes a while but they have enough in them to rot down but it may take a year upwards. good thing is they are in a bag and out of the way!
We just had a load dumped by the local municipal guys so I topped the compost heap with a layer about 4" thick. If there is still some left by thursday I wil fill some binbags. Took some pix of the present state of the plot,including the pile of broken asbestos the site managers have been promising me they will shift..for the last 12 months!

you put the leaves in bags? how does tht work? mine went on compo heap[/quote]

I pack them tightly in the bag and wet them well then fasten the top and : stab holes all over the bag. After about a year you`ve got lovely leaf mould.

went down and did some more digging as some bad weather coming thought let nature break up soil
dave

ooooops multi posting mist got inpatient with button sorry lol

ooooops multi posting

And heres me thinking you were really keen and gone to your allotment three times in a minute

went down 7.30am it was wet wet wet me onions arnt waterlogged but the path is, i now have about 30 of me 100 broad beans are through yippee at last, i picked some leeks , a cabbage and a few nice size parsnips.i managed to get it done when it wernt raining.
regards dave

Good one Dave! Sounds like you are doing well!

Nev

Re: Leaves
I posted this tip on the 'potatoes in tyres' strand - but here it is again.

Bloke who has FOUR allotments (!!!) told me to fill compost bins (made from pallets) with leaves and plant potatoes in them next year, when they've partially broken down. He reckons it works a treat and saves the sheer backache of digging them from the soil. After lifting the potatoes, the leaf mould can be added to compost or simply topped up.
I've done as he suggested and will let you know how it goes next year.

How do you put quotes from other people in those cunning little boxes, by the way?

I've changed my avatar to a pic of my allotment now the brambles are cleared and the privet is half gone - I've decided not to cut any more down until the weather is suitable for bonfires, as I spent so much time lugging the 20foot lengths that I cut down last year around the allotment as I cleared/dug it till I could get a day off work to burn it while fewer people are around to be subjected to the smoke.

thanks nev looks like you have won the ashes lol

bought a mushroom growing kit today.
I've got some spores somewhere to grow them, but i needed to get a haybale and rot it, whereas this kit has the right compost stuff in it, so i can sow the spores in it after the impregnated ones are finished growing.

I hope

It was only £5 though, so it won't be too much of a loss if it doesn't work out.
Just need to find somewhere to put it now...

Christine wrote:Bloke who has FOUR allotments (!!!) told me to fill compost bins (made from pallets) with leaves and plant potatoes in them next year,

thats a good idea. we have a lot of leaves - as we have hazel trees bordering the garden, so this might be a good thing to do.

How do you put quotes from other people in those cunning little boxes, by the way?

there is a quote button on the right hand side. hit that and cut out the bits you dont need.

[

there is a quote button on the right hand side. hit that and cut out the bits you dont need.[/quote]

Oh thanks, I`ve always wondered how you did that!

No - still didn`t do it right

gunners71uk wrote:thanks nev looks like you have won the ashes lol

Yup! Not that I contributed, you understand.........

Nev

No doubt about it... Our boys opened a can of whoop-arse on your mob.

... Sad and sorry lot the ol boys... Will have to come over here for lessons I think...