I have some 'Rocket' first earlies that seems to be growing like
rockets in a large plastic pot.

They were planted in a mixture of manure and multi-purpose(with peat)

Do they need feeding and if so with what ?

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The Invalid wrote:

>
> I took the advice from someone from this group and planted a load of
> spuds in one of those 'Cubic metre' builders bags, covering them up as
> they grew and they really are growing incredibly fast.

What are you covering them up with? Since I've discovered my council
doesn't after all distribute the compost from the recycling centre to
the general public (I asked the attendants there and they told me the
website was lying) I've been on the lookout for a good cheap or free
source of bulk compost. I don't have enough of my own; just the one
dalek and that's not ready yet. Any ideas?

Rhiannon

Rhiannon Macfie Miller wrote:
> What are you covering them up with? Since I've discovered my council
> doesn't after all distribute the compost from the recycling centre to
> the general public (I asked the attendants there and they told me the
> website was lying) I've been on the lookout for a good cheap or free
> source of bulk compost. I don't have enough of my own; just the one
> dalek and that's not ready yet. Any ideas?

Grass cuttings, straw, hay and even newspapers will do!

La Puce wrote:
> Rhiannon Macfie Miller wrote:
>> What are you covering them up with? Since I've discovered my council
>> doesn't after all distribute the compost from the recycling centre to
>> the general public (I asked the attendants there and they told me the
>> website was lying) I've been on the lookout for a good cheap or free
>> source of bulk compost. I don't have enough of my own; just the one
>> dalek and that's not ready yet. Any ideas?
>
> Grass cuttings, straw, hay and even newspapers will do!
>

Great! My lawn needs a mow anyway (well, it needed it two weeks ago,
but I haven't had time).

Rhiannon

Following up to "La Puce" <helene [at] rudlin.co.uk> :

>Grass cuttings, straw, hay and even newspapers will do!

Can I pile up grass-cuttings, etc. around normally planted spuds in the
ground?
--
Tim C.

Tim C. wrote:
> Following up to "La Puce" <helene [at] rudlin.co.uk> :
>
> >Grass cuttings, straw, hay and even newspapers will do!
>
> Can I pile up grass-cuttings, etc. around normally planted spuds in the
> ground?

Sure you can. It keeps moisture in, reduce weeds growing etc. The
no-dig system actually just place the spud on the ground on a bed of
manure and cover them with grass cuttings and straw. My friend does
this every year. When I first met her I thought she was mad ... but you
should see the amount of spud she gets and doesn't get a bad back :o)

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Following up to "La Puce" <helene [at] rudlin.co.uk> :

>
>Tim C. wrote:
>> Following up to "La Puce" <helene [at] rudlin.co.uk> :
>>
>> >Grass cuttings, straw, hay and even newspapers will do!
>>
>> Can I pile up grass-cuttings, etc. around normally planted spuds in the
>> ground?
>
>Sure you can. It keeps moisture in, reduce weeds growing etc. The
>no-dig system actually just place the spud on the ground on a bed of
>manure and cover them with grass cuttings and straw.

Great, I always run out of places to put my cut grass and other stuff.

>My friend does
>this every year. When I first met her I thought she was mad ... but you
>should see the amount of spud she gets and doesn't get a bad back :o)

:-)
--
Tim C.

Following up to Janet Baraclough <janet.and.john [at] zetnet.co.uk> :

>The message <1gc5725erd06o59uhn93skvdvei7p84evq [at] 4ax.com>
>from Tim C. <tim.challenger [at] aon.at> contains these words:
>
>> Following up to "La Puce" <helene [at] rudlin.co.uk> :
>
>> >Grass cuttings, straw, hay and even newspapers will do!
>
>> Can I pile up grass-cuttings, etc. around normally planted spuds in the
>> ground?
>
> Fresh grass cuttings can get very hot and stacks dumped by
>contractors onto our greasy concrete drive-apron, have quite a bleaching
>efect on the dirty old oil-stained concrete. So, I wouldn't let fresh
>grass cuttings make contact with soft growing stems or leaves. I use
>them as a weed suppressing mulch between rows (avoiding stems) until the
>haulms grow big enough to hide all the soil .


Okey dokey. I guess some straw etc around the sensitive parts, or some cut
nettles etc would do the trick?
--
Tim C.

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On Tue, 23 May 2006 17:53:31 +0100, Janet Baraclough
<janet.and.john [at] zetnet.co.uk> wrote:

>The message <isd6729hs4ivmcdne9sc63aluquhi8137p [at] 4ax.com>
>from Tim C. <tim.challenger [at] aon.at> contains these words:
>
>
>> Okey dokey. I guess some straw etc around the sensitive parts, or some cut
>> nettles etc would do the trick?
>
> Are we still talking about your potato bed? Yes.
>
> Janet.

Apparently some people do apply nettles to sensitive parts. I don't
know about straw.

Janet Baraclough wrote:
> Fresh grass cuttings can get very hot and stacks dumped by
> contractors onto our greasy concrete drive-apron, have quite a bleaching
> efect on the dirty old oil-stained concrete. So, I wouldn't let fresh
> grass cuttings make contact with soft growing stems or leaves. I use
> them as a weed suppressing mulch between rows (avoiding stems) until the
> haulms grow big enough to hide all the soil .

That's interesting. You ought to contact the no-dig system pioneers
about your find because mulching the entire area and covering the
entire plant as it grows (giving it a helping hand as it sometimes push
the mulch instead of breaking through it) is very much how we've been
doing it for err... a long time. The key here and perhaps your point,
is that you need to let the first layer of mulch to dry before applying
another.

Following up to Jupiter <Jupiter [at] shotmail.com> :

>Apparently some people do apply nettles to sensitive parts.

8-o
--
Tim C.

Post removed (X-No-Archive: yes)

Janet Baraclough wrote:
> You edited out the context of my post, which was a reply to Tim's
> question about mulching his fresh grass clippings around potatoes grown
> the conventional way. My information to him is correct.
> Fresh hot grass clippings will damage tender stems if they are in contact.

I didn't edited anything. Your paranoia is once again showing. I am
saying that you can use grass mowings to mulch your potatoes and use
only these in the no dig system - in fact most of anything growing in
your allotment, garden, balcony, pots etc. You are saying that just
because your garden path concrete slabs got somehow damaged by the
grass you left for too long, you are now claiming that grass mowings
are bad for mulching?! I am sorry to say that you are, once again,
rewriting history.

I am not claiming that I mulch my entire potato bed with dried lawn
mowings, but I am claiming that millions of people mulch their entire
potato bed with grass mowings, hay, straw and cardboard. I am saying
that I don't know if nettles are good and that bracken is bad.

I do not grow my potatoes using the no dig system, but lots of my
friends are. I have lots of friends in the Permaculture movement, and
my closest friend who works for Stockport Healthy Living Scheme runs an
organic community garden of 6 hectares and they grow all their potatoes
in this way. I have never claimed that I grow them in this way, but
that I do mulch on occasion with grass, straw, hay when my friend from
Romiley dumps a load on Scot Avenue's allotment and I use cardboards
(especially my fruits).

Don't start your silly vendetta Janet. We all now that you are wearing
the fleece knickers in this forum. I have no problem with that either.
Keep smiling honey - you look more attractive in this way :o)

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"Tim C." <tim.challenger [at] aon.at> wrote in message
news:1gc5725erd06o59uhn93skvdvei7p84evq [at] 4ax.com...
> Following up to "La Puce" <helene [at] rudlin.co.uk> :
>
> >Grass cuttings, straw, hay and even newspapers will do!
>
> Can I pile up grass-cuttings, etc. around normally planted spuds in the
> ground?

Yes.
But don't make too thick a layer.
Too thick and it will start to heat up, the plants won't like it.
Too thin and it won't do enough for you.

A medium thick layer (about 1 inch thick) with some soil scraped over the
top to stop the loose blowing away
is usually a good compromise.

Course YMMV
good idea to experiment, see what works for you.

Dave

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The Invalid wrote:
> As I suggested, mix it with torn strips of newspaper though I bought a
> cheap shredder and use that paper first in the chicken coop then it
> gets mixed with grass cutting and earth and thrown onto the spuds

Yummy :o)