pottager garden - wk 14

We are back in the pottager garden today for some getting our hands dirty prac work. A few weeks ago we did some soil renovation on some of the beds and now we are turning our attention to the rest of the beds. We start with a general tidy up, raking up leaves, trimming edges, and weeding between the hedging plants.

Time to don the tools.

Over on the lawn area to the side we set up lines of leaf litter topped with the yellowed celery cuttings. The idea is then to use the mower to cut it all up and collect it in the catcher with the grass cuttings to make a lovely blended nitrogen layer to add to the compost. This is another good opportunity for everyone to run through the correct start up procedure of the mower and think about right PPE for the job - earmuffs, and safety boots a must.

Our rows of leaf mould and green waste
before we attack them with the mower.

Back in the pottager Marcus takes us through building a no dig garden. We have buckets of spent grass hay soaking in water and first step to building the garden is making lovely wet twisted hay ''sausages to line the outside edge of the bed. 

Hay sausages!

After filling in the centre of the edges with a fluffed light layer of hay it's time for the nitrogen layers. A sprinkle of fertiliser in the form of chicken manure or 'Seamungus' pellets, then some rock dust before a light layering of compost, taken right up to the edges and evenly across. A good watering in is next.

Pav adding the rock dust whilst Jane neatens the edges with the rake. 

First layer complete.

After this we repeat the layer again to finish with a second compost one. All done. These will be planted out later with broad beans in the centre and parsley around the edges. We mark the holes out to fill in with a little compost for planting. Marcus is very happy with our efforts, so it's time to move on to the other beds. In one of the larger triangular beds we do a thin strip around the edge and leave the centre free for a flower display.

Sarah sprinkles some compost on the second layer of hay.

Same procedure here, start with the sausage edges then fill in with fluffed hay, sprinkle of fertiliser, rock dust and compost - repeat and we are done! It's looks fantastic and we are all pleased with the results of our efforts. You can just tell the plants will thrive and the worms will rejoice. Good job team.

The last compost layer on the last bed for the day is almost complete.