wet
Winter soils are now waterlogged after an exceptionally wet month that has seen the worst floods on record in Cumbria, England.
Waterlogged soils are bad enough, but compacted soil with poor drainage and nutrients washed away is a real problem waiting for us in spring. Our poor soils!
So, once again, I commend the planting of 'green manures' that:
- provide leaf cover to dissipate heavy rain and limit soil compaction
- give root structure within the soil helping to limit leaching of nutrients
- store up nutrients in stems and leaves
- (when combined with no dig methods) provide optimum conditions for worms to work, providing the best aeration and drainage that the soil could ask for.
You will spot too, that a few 'volunteer' borage plants have been left. In a mild winter, these will come into flower early, giving bees in particular, a real buzz!
Recent posting limited due to work; family health; baby seals... and poor weather.
It's good to be back!
1 comment:
I agree completely that cover crops are the best thing you can do for your garden in winter. I first till in lots of leaves, then sow winter rye. The rye does best here because of the cold winters. However this year a few days after sowing, we went into 3 weeks of freezing temps. No sign of the rye yet but I am hopeful that with the return to above freezing temps, some will germinate.
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