Help And advice needed with a raised veg bed

[Feral007]

David if you have a look at my album in my profile you'll see how we set out a no dig garden. Essentially a raised garden but without sides. You could do the same with sides. When you use the hay it means you need to use less compost. We put two layers of compost between the day layers, with some shredded paper in for good measure, but when we did a quick autumn planting we just put some islands of compost on top of what was left, and then planted into that. I used chaff to mulch those plants as it is finer than the hay and they were small plants, but then as soon as they took off I mulched with hay to protect from frost. The hay makes compost as it breaks down and you just add to the top each season.
Just be aware of what you've put on the lawn as far as chemicals go tho. Just been trollingn the Aminopyralid thread and am trying to work out what chemicals the hay I buy in sometimes might have in it.

[chris]

You're going to wait to net your cabbages off, they'll be munched by pigeons, or if you've any cabbage white butterflies around you they'll lay eggs on them and your crop will be pretty much gone over night!

Also, you may have to thin your cabbages out as they grow on, but you can eat the thinnings

[Bigmallly]

You're going to wait to net your cabbages off, they'll be munched by pigeons, or if you've any cabbage white butterflies around you they'll lay eggs on them and your crop will be pretty much gone over night!

Also, you may have to thin your cabbages out as they grow on, but you can eat the thinnings

Beat me to it Chris.......2 quick things David, first as Chris says, get hold of some netting or you will come down to just twigs in the morning, secondly if you have the space either make a compost bin or buy a dalek........Welcome to the vine.

[Two_Sheds]

David, what variety are your cabbages?

[David1949]

Sorry everyone i been away in the motorhome for a few days i don't know Two Sheds what variety the cabbage was as i bought then in the reduced end in Homebase garden center for 50p . But i don't have any cabbage left in the raised bed before i left in the motorhome i put a band of copper type round the raised bed for slugs but that did not stop them they eat all of them all 8. So i have to start over again i heading out to a garden center to-day

[alldigging]

Sorry everyone i been away in the motorhome for a few days i don't know Two Sheds what variety the cabbage was as i bought then in the reduced end in Homebase garden center for 50p . But i don't have any cabbage left in the raised bed before i left in the motorhome i put a band of copper type round the raised bed for slugs but that did not stop them they eat all of them all 8. So i have to start over again i heading out to a garden center to-day

Get slug pellets.

[David1949]

Got slug pellets round my young peas and the slugs are still eating them i have put in some cauliflower in the raised bed this afternoon and + slug pellets around them see how that goes.

[rustylady]

Go out tonight when it's getting dark. Take a torch and a pair of scissors with you (or a bucket of salty water). Pick the little darlings up and either snip them in half or drop them into the salt water.

[David1949]

I have a box of cut and grow lettuce sitting at the top of concrete 13 steps at the front door the front of the house is a real sun trap. The wife went to the front door to cut some lettuce for tea and called me out to see we got 3 slugs in the box they had to make there way up the steps to get to the box there is no other way they could get to them i could not believe it. If slugs are that resilient how can man ever win the battle against them.

[Samurailord]

Just keep on going and don't let up - eventually you will have got rid of most of the bigger slugs and snails which will help limit the damage.

We can never win, we just have to pray for some nice weather that will keep the slimies away.

Andy