My soil contains sufficient clay to form these smooth shapes

KEEP OFF SODS & SOIL

This week has brought a lot of rain. With lower temperatures 'to boot' the garden has reached that 'tipping point' where the soil is too wet to work on. Any work with rake or cultivator turns it to mud.

I can only hope for an extended spell of drier days that may allow me to do a few outstanding jobs. I can now look forward to jobs like pruning fruit, moving a few shrubs, paving stones and putting in a few posts.

The wormery is very active!

Photo shows a small part of a mass of tiny baby worms and worm eggs

Note: while many garden centers promote herbaceous perennials and shrubs during their summer blossoming, that is in not a good time to move bare rooted plants. But now is a good time to plant new shrubs. See transplanting shrubs on the Organic Gardener.

LEARNING TO SWITCH OFF

Hello again. Today there have been more reminders in the news about how to reduce energy demands. This is necessary to slow the sharp rise in 'greenhouse gas' that is threatening our environment. While switching off electrical appliances that are on stand-by, and battery chargers left plugged in etc... were mentioned, I'd like to give a few ways to save energy in the garden.

Overall the massive and widespread expansion in the use of power seriously threatens the environment that sustains us. The development of power machines for every kind of domestic gardening job must also add significantly to this energy drain.

Nowadays, summer weekends in suburbia are shattered with the roaring din of not one, but many types of power machines all over the neighbourhood: mowers, hedge trimmers, blo-vacs, lawn scarifiers, strimmers, you name it. It seems that no one knows how to do a job without a plug-in. Nationwide 'power gardening' alone must cause a massive extra drain on resources and cause a massive significant increase in carbon dioxide production to generate the power needed.

But do these machines help us as much as we think? When I need every bit of encouragement to get out and mow the grass I find the thought of dragging out a heavy mower and messing around with electric cables is just enough to put me off. Wrestling with trailing cables for me, simply spoils the fun of gardening.

By contrast my manual mower is small, light, easy to get out, and carry around, and it can be wizzed around the lawn in no time. In fact, I can almost run with my side wheeled mower - and it does a good job on the grass too. (You've probably guessed that I'm frequently in a hurry.)

There's no doubt in my mind that for a normal domestic garden situation, a power mower is a waste of energy - and I feel so much healthier and fitter after doing the grass with a push mower.

If you must choose a power mower then can I suggest not getting an oversized mower. The extra weight, storage space and manouverablity are considerations. Take hover mowers for example. Qualcast only make a small hover mower because the additional weight of a grass box and the more powerful heavier motor that is needed - ...yes, to lift its own weight! - is so inefficient. A link to more detailed discussions on using and choosing lawn mowers and lawn care is on this page.

IS AFFLUENCE THE MEASURE OF ILL-HEALTH?

I believe that power machines, including cars, are for the elderly and the disabled, and those rough gardening situations (e.g. slopes), that call for a heavy duty machine. But they are also often used by the unfit (or, dare I say, lazy). But don't kid yourself that obesity is fashionable or good. Get into your garden and get healthy. With fresh organic food it gives you just about a complete work out.

Now if you're stuck in an office on weekdays you can really look forward to the garden at weekends.
First: flush out the stuffy office with a few deep, deep breaths in; each followed by an exhale right, right out...

Then do a few gentle bending and stretching exercises... do you feel better now?
Then get on with the lawn and take in the gentle smell of the fresh mown grass, cut chammomile, lemon balm etc...

It's a question of priorities where quality of life comes first. I hope that you have a good harvest.

BE ORGANIC, COMMUNITY MINDED & SHARE YOUR GARDEN PRODUCE


The benefits of sharing with neighbours are obvious for anyone who has a big harvest. If you can in return get something back that you didn't grow then you can serve up a more exciting meal.

If a glut of garden produce only serves to feed everyone on the same meal for weeks until they are literally fed up with it, then it is not going to be appreciated. But a varied diet is usually a good thing.

How much better if you can be community minded and help each other out. Perhaps even arrange to grow different crops so that you can all share and have a little of everything.

This year one of my neighbours kindly brought around a large bag of tomatoes, while another supplied an equally large bag of plums. I have returned with a small share of my potato crop.

Also speaking of neighbourliness, don't forget the elderly who can't so easily get out to shop or even perhaps to grow in their gardens. They are always very appreciative of fresh garden gifts as they grew up in an age when cooking was the norm unlike the fast-food fanatics of today.

CATCH-UP REVIEW ON 2006 SO FAR

In the U.K. we had the hottest July on record. The dry days affected flower set on the runner beans. This year I grew them over a walk-through arch to save space and make picking easier. I constructed the arch from Willow Cane - see my pages on runner beans.

But the hot July was followed by an overcast and often wet August. I needn't have worried about the runner beans. A bumper crop emerged for harvesting in September and October. It's just finishing now but I have 3 shelves in my deep freeze full with bags of beans.

Once again my autumn raspberry variety All Gold is producing a good crop. There's still fruit waiting to ripen today.

However the wet August and September has put a dampener on things with some fruit spoiled and others quite literally tasting watered down. But I'm still getting handfulls of good tasting firm fruit - and eating them does make me feel better.

This variety seems to be very resistant to Botrytis. Where there is some infection I pull off the fruit but adjacent fruit usually remain perfect.

Also they haven't been attacked by birds, perhaps their yellow colour is less attractive.

My next door neighbour got a bumper crop of plums. My plum tree is only small in it's second year but it gave a very promising crop of fruit. I've put in several apple cordons and one has fruited in it's first year. I've pruned them now.

Also this year.
I grew several potato varieties, in the garden and in potato bins and tubs. I'll be comparing them on my website.

My crops following a green manure and organic fertilizer have been boosted.

Not so good -
a tomato variety 'Italia' grown outdoors.
It provided a sizeable crop of green square shaped tomatoes. The only problem is that they didn't ripen.

But I find the square shaped fruit a big advance when it comes to slicing.

Finally the grass has benefited from Fish, Blood and Bone, organic fertilizer and, a new push mower that can quite literally be run over the grass. It's easier to use without cables, and maintain etc... and so I tend to do it more often. See growing lawns

BACK ON THE BLOG

I'm returning to publish my blogs on these pages. Here's the last blog from my website Home of the Organic Gardener. I'll follow this soon with a few catch-up blogs to review what has been a busy and exciting gardening year.

4^th April 2006 - Gardening Diary Entry

GARDENING PLANS FOR 2006


Well the seed potatoes have arrived and the new fruit cordons - 3 apple varieties, plus a Jostberry, and Tayberry.

I've bought a new push mower.

I'm going to try a different method of growing runner beans arching over a taller long tent of canes. One more for the gardening diary a little later.

21^st March 2006 Gardening Diary Entry

THIS SPRING BEGINS WITH WATER SHORTAGE ?


I've since published a page with detailed advice on watering the garden.

It's true! Important resevoirs supplying the U.K. are virtually empty. Low pressure areas with rain bearing weather fronts are off course way up north... or perhaps it's the jet stream. Drier continental highs cover central and southern U.K.

Hose-pipe bans are planned already. Gardeners and all are discouraged from wasting water - washing patios and cars etc... needless to say... don't leave taps running and, do remember to turn the tap right off when finished.

Oh dear, gardeners are in trouble. We'll be awash with argument on what water usage is banned and what is allowed - allotments OK, gardens hoses at home NO, Car washing services OK, car wash in your own drive NO ???

AS ALWAYS I'LL TRY TO SUGGEST AN ORGANIC SOLUTION FOR GARDENING

• Cultivate deeply. Deep roots gives your plants access to more soil water. Click here for an easy way to build raised beds.


• Let the grass grow longer to encourage deep rooting.


• Ensure plants grown from seed for transplanting develop deep root runs - see Rootrainers.


• Avoid containers, but if you use them ensure the surface is covered in plastic or grit to reduce evaporation.
  see container gardening


• Use plastic sheet or loose mulch to reduce water loss to air. See my pages on mulching
  


• Incorporate plenty of organic matter into soil - leaf mould, garden compost, manure, etc...


• Water your garden plants early morning or evening. One good watering is better than many light waterings. Don't spray water into the air.


• You should have been saving whatever water you can collect. There are some good space-saving water butts available that can tie into down spouts from guttering. Go to Water Butts at Ferndale Lodge...


• Lay a narrow perforated pipe under the soil to the outer root zone weaving between plants.