How are the veggies coming along?

[Ty Korrigan]

To add, I'm having a reed bed sewage system installed if the planning is accepted. The survey tells me from core samples to a metre just what type of soil is found at various depths.

Sandy loam, no clay presence, high water table.

I then bought a soil pH test kit and found it is 5 - 5.5 so fairly but not overly acidic.

I then asked the farmer whose land borders mine and he confirmed it.

So I ordered 3kg of sulphur granules from Poland of all places and mixed some with peat from Lithuania for the Blueberries.

I'll need to top dress each year with sulphur to maintain a low pH.

A few flowers already present on a couple of plants.

I'm now reading up on preserving methods for a future 🍅🍅 🍅 project.

 

[Stere]

Tried peat free compost gone back to "evil" soon to be banned stuff with peat atm though trying to use less.

 

Got some blueberries in large-ish pots need to refresh the soil &  root prune and repot. Some conny bark to top dress & supress weeds/conserve moisture. Sulphate of Potash feed.

 

 

Blueberry potassium can be complex | Farm Progress

WWW.FARMPROGRESS.COM

---

“We found that nutrient levels were often fine in the soil but deficient in the plants, and vice-versa. Soil analysis is close...

 

[spudulike]

I think that I will use my own generated food waste compost for seedlings next year judging by this black fibrous shyte.

This reminds my of when the WEE regulations banned lead in solder.

The lead free replacement looked like solder but it made my attempts of soldering look like utter muppetry and I have been using a soldering iron since my early teens!

I then managed to get hold of three decent size reels of flux cored lead solder and they should see me out...hurrah! 

[Ty Korrigan]

6 hours ago, Stere said:

Tried peat free compost gone back to "evil" soon to be banned stuff with peat atm though trying to use less.

 

Got some blueberries in large-ish pots need to refresh the soil &  root prune and repot. Some conny bark to top dress & supress weeds/conserve moisture. Sulphate of Potash feed.

 

 

Blueberry potassium can be complex | Farm Progress

WWW.FARMPROGRESS.COM

---

“We found that nutrient levels were often fine in the soil but deficient in the plants, and vice-versa. Soil analysis is close...

 

 

I'll be watching the plants for signs of deficiency or stress as they spread their roots.

 

 

[Stere]

They could  do really  well  i reckon on lowland or upland heath soil type  where billberries naturally grow.

 

 

Alot of that type of soil in Wales and  especially on some local Wildlife trust and Natural Wales owned  reserves  but never heard of anyone trying  blueberries on it

 

Seems others have had similar ideas....

 

Paludiculture – the future of farming on peat soils? - Natural England

NATURALENGLAND.BLOG.GOV.UK

---

News and updates from Natural England

 

https://www.greifswaldmoor.de/files/dokumente/GMC Schriften/2022_Abel & Kallweit_2022_DPPP_Holarctis.pdf

 

see p398 of above doc

 

Quote

California, blueberries are being grown in
windrows of wood chips with acid injected into
the irrigation water to reduce pH

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Stere

[sime42]

On 30/04/2023 at 19:37, spudulike said:

I think that I will use my own generated food waste compost for seedlings next year judging by this black fibrous shyte.

This reminds my of when the WEE regulations banned lead in solder.

The lead free replacement looked like solder but it made my attempts of soldering look like utter muppetry and I have been using a soldering iron since my early teens!

I then managed to get hold of three decent size reels of flux cored lead solder and they should see me out...hurrah! 

 

Likewise. Most of my seedlings are still looking shyte in this black shyte they call compost. Getting really pissed off with it. I'm starting to transplant all of them into decent homemade stuff now.

[Stubby]

On 30/04/2023 at 19:37, spudulike said:

I think that I will use my own generated food waste compost for seedlings next year judging by this black fibrous shyte.

This reminds my of when the WEE regulations banned lead in solder.

The lead free replacement looked like solder but it made my attempts of soldering look like utter muppetry and I have been using a soldering iron since my early teens!

I then managed to get hold of three decent size reels of flux cored lead solder and they should see me out...hurrah! 

I still have lead solder Steve . Sticks of plumbers solder and reels of electronic solder that as you say will probably see me out .  Don't think I have ever tried lead free .

[spudulike]

24 minutes ago, Stubby said:

I still have lead solder Steve . Sticks of plumbers solder and reels of electronic solder that as you say will probably see me out .  Don't think I have ever tried lead free .

Don't, it is worse than going back to a non ported saw!!

[Stubby]

2 minutes ago, spudulike said:

Don't, it is worse than going back to a non ported saw!!

Fcuk ! No .

[Ty Korrigan]

Put this El Cheapo polytunnnel up yesterday.

If it is even moderately successful then Mrs Lee might well give the nod for an 8x4 then we can really go to town on the 🍅🍅🍅🌶️ 🌶️🌶️ and 🍈🍈🍈.

Need to then prepare for preserving, especially tomatoes as prepared puree and sauce.

I lost all my Giant Mongolian sunflowers 🌻🌻🌻 to slugs as well as the emerging tops of my Jerusalem artichokes.

I've now treated the area with organic slug pellets.

Weird thing is you don't see dead slugs or slime trails.

Apparently they feel crook, return to their hideout then discretely die.

Nematode treatment next for carrot fly.

My latest plant order has been lost in the post...