Taking a leaf out of BM's book

[Greenleaves]

Whilst over the plots today I got to thinking about a BM type experiment, no inventions made from odds and sods but bed husbandry.

I am going to set aside 4, 1.8 x 0.9 mtr beds and prepare them in different ways:

Bed 1, soil mixed with wood chips
Bed 2, soil fed with BFB
Bed 3, soil fed with manure
Bed 4, no soil enhancement but growing plants fed with nettle tea

All beds will be prepared one month before planting out.

Each bed will have 6 golden acre cabbages grown in it and i will judge the results on weight and time from planting to harvest.

Whats your money on?

[Snadger]

Whilst over the plots today I got to thinking about a BM type experiment, no inventions made from odds and sods but bed husbandry.

I am going to set aside 4, 1.8 x 0.9 mtr beds and prepare them in different ways:

Bed 1, soil mixed with wood chips
Bed 2, soil fed with BFB
Bed 3, soil fed with manure
Bed 4, no soil enhancement but growing plants fed with nettle tea

All beds will be prepared one month before planting out.

Each bed will have 6 golden acre cabbages grown in it and i will judge the results on weight and time from planting to harvest.

Whats your money on?

Pigeons win every time!

[Greenleaves]

^^^Dont you just love the support and encouragement from our MoM

[Nicos]

Manure followed by nettle tea?

[Jay-ell]

You'll need a fifth control bed with nothing at all

[Snadger]

The manure bed should give you the best short term soil structure.(1 year) The woodchip the best long term soil structure.(3 years) The nettle tea and the BFB will do nothing for the structure but will boost short term nutrient levels.
For a one year trial and depending on how often you feed, the nettle tea should give the best results for brassicas. I just wonder what the soil ph is as this will play a major part in allowing the plants to uptake nutrients, but I suppose will be the same for each.

[veggiechicken]

My tuppenuth!
I also think you need a control "do nothing" bed which is also "no dig". and I think that one would win.

Tell me, GL, do you have any good recipes for 24 cabbages that all mature at once?

[Jay-ell]

Saurkraut

No I'm not calling you names VC

[Greenleaves]

It's called the food bank VC, where most of my surplus goes

[BUFFS]

The manure bed should give you the best short term soil structure.(1 year) The woodchip the best long term soil structure.(3 years) The nettle tea and the BFB will do nothing for the structure but will boost short term nutrient levels.
For a one year trial and depending on how often you feed, the nettle tea should give the best results for brassicas. I just wonder what the soil ph is as this will play a major part in allowing the plants to uptake nutrients, but I suppose will be the same for each.

and it will all give you a nasty rash if you get any of it in your mouth uuuugggghhhh...

[BUFFS]

My tuppenuth!
I also think you need a control "do nothing" bed which is also "no dig". and I think that one would win.

Tell me, GL, do you have any good recipes for 24 cabbages that all mature at once?

good recipes? how about cabbage white butterfly pie..

[spamvindaloo]

Bed 1, soil mixed with wood chips

If you mix the wood chips in with the soil, won't that rob the soil of nitrogen as it breaks down?

[mothhawk]

Bed 1, soil mixed with wood chips - if commercial then these are likely to be slightly acidic
Bed 2, soil fed with BFB - nice and alkaline
Bed 3, soil fed with manure - slightly acidic again unless well rotted
Bed 4, no soil enhancement but growing plants fed with nettle tea - alkaline again

So my money's on nettle tea first, as the nutrients are already in solution, then BFB, as being well balanced and alkaline.....

....Unless the manure is a couple of years old, in which case that's top of my list.
Wood chips definitely at the bottom of the list, as being acidic and containing little nutrient value.

[rary]

Pigeons win every time!

I was thinking slug and snails and they are easier to catch, possibly use as a food supplement?

[fishpond]

Bed 3, soil fed with manure.
Please do not dig it in though. Just spread manure over the top and sow seeds direct. Brilliant for the soil structure and bacteria in the short, medium and long term

Wood chips definitely at the bottom of the list, containing little nutrient value, the nitrogen your cabbages need to grow will be used by the wood chips as they breakdown in the soil, and will take the bulk of the nitrogen from that bed. Good for soil structure in the long term.

Feed the soil, not the plant. Stronger and healthier plants, better able to stand up to pest and disease.
Trust Me