Thread: Getting back to living off the land.....

A new garden going into the old duck enclosure; that was always going to be a berry cage. The ducks were in there for over 12 months so the nitrogen levels will be through the roof.
The idea is to plant it up with leafy green veges for quite some time to suck as much up as possible. Cardboard down over the bare earth to suppress any weeds and straw on top. I'd prefer to use compost; but when breaking in a new garden straw is cheaper.

Straw can harbour slugs, whereas compost doesn't, but I don't want to add more fertility and hopefully the carbon from the straw will help with the nitrogen.
I'll make "pockets" in the straw, pierce the cardboard with a knife to allow the plant roots to penetrate the cardboard at the bottom of the pocket, fill the pocket with potting mix and plant the vege seedling

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

A new garden going into the old duck enclosure; that was always going to be a berry cage. The ducks were in there for over 12 months so the nitrogen levels will be through the roof.
The idea is to plant it up with leafy green veges for quite some time to suck as much up as possible. Cardboard down over the bare earth to suppress any weeds and straw on top. I'd prefer to use compost; but when breaking in a new garden straw is cheaper.

Straw can harbour slugs, whereas compost doesn't, but I don't want to add more fertility and hopefully the carbon from the straw will help with the nitrogen.
I'll make "pockets" in the straw, pierce the cardboard with a knife to allow the plant roots to penetrate the cardboard at the bottom of the pocket, fill the pocket with potting mix and plant the vege seedling

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Greetings Bumblefoot,
In the 1970's I planted cabbages in the floor of what had been an old chook house. From distant memory they were OS cross or Jubilee Hybrid. They were the largest I have ever grown. Our family of four scarcely put a dent in them so the balance were spread around the neighborhood.
Regards Grandpamac.