Cover your soil

[Roeder1969]

Uncovered


Covered




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[Bigmallly]

Can you expand Roeder................

[Potstubsdustbins]

I think that should read cover your plants?

[Richard Eldritch]

I like to cover my soil with delicious things to eat?

[Roeder1969]

Cover your soil just like nature intended go into the woods and you will not see any bare soil and yet everything grows well i use wood mulch on the surface that way the soul stays moist warm and when it rains instant compost tea


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[Bigmallly]

Make sure the wood doesn't get dug or it will rob the soil of Nitrogen.

[Alison]

Can you expand Roeder................

Glad it wasn't just me, it's been a tiring weekend and I thought it was my brain being a bit slow

[veggiechicken]

In the woods, the soil is covered with leaves (leafmould), which rots down and feeds the plants.
I'm not sure that wet wood mulch would provide much nutrient to the soil!

[Alison]

In the woods, the soil is covered with leaves (leafmould), which rots down and feeds the plants.
I'm not sure that wet wood mulch would provide much nutrient to the soil!

Yes, mulching is very good as it feeds and suppresses weeds but I'm not convinced wood chip is the same at all although it will do the suppressing bit. Personally I use a thick layer of chip on my paths and round the fruit bushes / trees but it's nowhere near my veggies as they're in open beds which although not dug are regularly disturbed by planting / harvesting tasks.


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[Roeder1969]

Wood chips from tree surgeons has everything in it leaves needles twigs so in theory yes it is the same as a forest floor.
The forest get fertilised every autumn ready for spring growth farmers fertilise in spring using chemical fertilisers and its the disturbance of the soil that kills it.


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[Two_Sheds]

Cover your soil just like nature intended

Absolutely.


However, you also need to cover your brassicas with fine netting, or you'll have a bumper crop of caterpillars

[Roeder1969]

Yes u will get caterpillars but u also get other critters that eat them i have never used netting i do get a little damage but caterpillars soon move on or drown from all the water content within the plant


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[Alison]

.......but caterpillars soon move on or drown from all the water content within the plant

Struggling to understand what you mean by this, any chance of a bit more info?


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[Roeder1969]

Alison when a plant is healthy and hydrated well a caterpillar when hatched will sink its teeth into the leaf as it does this because of the water content the leaf will excrete liquid making it difficult for the bug to eat hence many of them will drown. Bugs are only interested in fibrous material not water therefore only minimal damage will be seen on ur leaves of brassicas.
Also you have natural predators like wasps that love to take them to their nests


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[Roeder1969]

Im not saying you dont have to protect from butterflies im just saying i dont need to. Just get that exposed soil covered and you will see the difference within days not weeks. I have a bed with nearly 100 onions growing and not one of them have been watered or fed by me and not 1 of them have any yellowing on leaves.



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