Saturday 24 September 2016

Last Word on Blight - Promise and Trench Composting

Friday was yet another lovely September day although we had a chilly start to the day as the overnight temperature fell to 6.5°C (43.7°F) a reminder that autumn has arrived.
Temperature & Sunshine Records for 23 September 2016
It's notice that I'll now be posting about coldest nights rather than hottest days.

I visited a friend in Leeds this weeks who's also growing some Crimson Crush tomatoes. Like me all his other tomato plants have been struck down with blight along with some of his potato crop. Crimson Crush however is standing up to the blight pretty well.
I don't think I need to point out which is Crimson Crush.

You may remember I blogged about trying out hot composting which I'd seen on the Grow Veg website. Well I've seen another method on their web site called trench composting. It's similar to how runner bean trenches can be prepared with lots of compostable material been dug into trenches on top of which runner beans are planted. This is essentially the same method except that it is not necessarily for the sole benefit of runner beans.
At this time of year I've mountains of material that either goes on the compost heap or gets put on a bonfire a little later into autumn. Well this year's runner beans have been buried in a trench as I redug this year's main crop potato bed.
I incorporated a couple of trenches in this half of the bed and I've probable enough green material to repeat the process on the other half. Once the bed had been dug over the weed control fabric was replaced.
Will the material form compost by late next spring? I do hope so!

6 comments:

  1. A great idea to bury the fresh green stuff, I think I'll try this down at my plot. In an effort to take back control I've ordered a roll of weedproof membrane. I have high hopes that it will transform my life! I shall look out for Crimson Crush next year. I think I already mentioned that blight struck here recently and more severely than I've had before.

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    1. Good stuff weed control fabric. Crimson Crush does eventually suffer from blight. It has a long lingering death from blight rather a swift one.

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  2. It's good to prepare own compost! This year, I burn the dry material. Add them to the bed

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    1. I'll have lots of woody material to burn Malar and the ash will be added to our beds on the plot.

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  3. Yep, it's time to decide where next years runner beans are going, and to get that pit dug. Judging from this year's prolific harvest they have enjoyed the compost heap of their own.

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    1. It's something I haven't tried before but it seems like a good way of getting rid of lots of cleared away vegetation.

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