New back garden veg patch - Advice needed

[Nature Girl]

Hello,

I had to give my allottment up as I could not give the time it deserved. However I have just cleared the back garden to reveal 4 beds which will be easy to manage as on the doorstep.

However does it matter that we appear to have a few more cats at home than on the allottment & the cistern on the loo did leak for a while earlier this year.

Does anyone think that this is a problem for the 1st years growth???

I will manure the beds with compost on top & will be growing spuds, beans, squashes, courgettes, spinach, garlic & shallots.

Any thoughts on cats etc would be very welcome!

[veg4681]

From my experience of problems with cats, they tend to go for big gaps of exposed soil which isn't a problem if your vegetable have grown big (they don't go for that) but if they're seedlings, they get dug out around the area for their loo. I have lost some seedlings this way and the awful task of removing the disgusting sh*t. I surround my vulnerable seedlings with BBQ swekers but I'm sure there are other methods. Sorry can't advise on the leaking cistern.

[Nature Girl]

So.. generally no worry regarding the cats using the garden as an occasional loo then other than being bloody anoying!

[momol]

Hi Nature Girl,

Did the cats use your garden as loo? As cat bring diseases in their excrement (spread toxicara and toxoplasma) be carefull. How bad was the cistern leak ?

[Nature Girl]

I also thought this. I have no idea what the cats get up to but there are plenty around.

Also the cistern was leaking for around 6 months but is now fixed.

Any idea how long I should leave it before safely planting & is there a soil test for this??

Thanx

[SMS6]

I normally curse the cats for digging in my garden but I've just seen a tabby cat carry off one of the rats from under our trailer so god bless him. (or her)

[bobleponge]

If it was the cistern, this only holds clean water, so there shouldnt be an issue there. If it was the waste pipe then thats a different matter.
Re cats, we have 3 of the little darlings which appears to keep others away and ours havent used (yet) my veg plot. The only sure fire way are dogs or Sewer rats fave, a gun. I would be tempted to try some form of high chicken wire fencing if it really became an issue, possibly with the horse's electric fence attached for a little while!!!

[smallblueplanet]

Cats tend to look for nice crumbly soil to 'dig' in. So if you are sowing seeds direct and have prepared the soil then to keep cats and birds off you could make a low 'tunnel' out of chicken wire and protect the seeds with it.

[momol]

I also thought this. I have no idea what the cats get up to but there are plenty around.

Also the cistern was leaking for around 6 months but is now fixed.

Any idea how long I should leave it before safely planting & is there a soil test for this??

Thanx

Surely it will be saver to wait longer as parasites has live spend.Toxocara and Toxoplasma will last around 3 years in the ground (don't remember exactly which one but think toxoplasma last for 3 years and the toxocara is much sooner) but that time, hopefully the natural bacteria from the ground should at least break down most of the cistern leak residue (but I am not sure too).

Meanwhile you can container grown your veggies, have a search and you will find lots of topic about it.
Happy growing .

[Nature Girl]

Good ideas. Great!

Actually the state of the garden before clearing was pretty thick with dense woody foleage & moss so I guess nothing much could have got through & a layer of net is usually applied over the new seedlings & setts.

So should be OK but may look to see if there are any kind of soil testing kits to be safe.

Oh, & the cistern is only water so this will not be a problem. Phew!

[zazen999]

Hi
We use silent roar to keep the cats off; well I think it is cats but it could be any animal due to the area we live in [in the country next to a canal] - could of course be foxes or anything!

I put this down every 6-8 weeks, but one box lasted from last april until last month, and it has nitrogen in it which can help seedlings off to a good start [according to the Mittleider Method]; so it can't be a bad thing!

[smallblueplanet]

Surely it will be saver to wait longer as parasites has live spend.Toxocara and Toxoplasma will last around 3 years in the ground (don't remember exactly which one but think toxoplasma last for 3 years and the toxocara is much sooner)....

Is this an extreme reaction to some cats/dogs/foxes pooing & peeing on your garden? I've never heard of anyone getting either of the toxo's from their garden (via cats or dogs or foxes)?

[zazen999]

Just read your last post - I think you would have to send a sample off to a lab to get that sort of test done - if as you say it was so dense then you probably will be ok - bearing in mind how many cats utilise allotments and gardens across the land!

[Nature Girl]

Thanks Momol, I really will look for some kind of a testing kit just to make sure.

[Flummery]

It crosses my mind that in previous times the land was 'manured' with 'nightsoil' - which was the contents of people's guzunders - you name it - if people 'produced' it they whacked it on the fields. Just a thought. Makes the cistern sound cissy!

As to cats - I would attempt to keep them off. Any way you can - and if you find a foolproof one, share it!