Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Sparky on March 30, 2004, 22:10:28
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Hopefully putting my spuds (earlies) in this weekend. Does anyone put anything under/with them to stop beasties munching on them? Just a thought as i went to a veggie talk the other day and the man recommended putting a mushed piece of rhubarb under every brassica seedling to prevent club root! Has anyone else tried/heard of it? Must be worth a go i reckon
Sparky
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Hi Sparky - I like to put a layer of new-mown grass in the bottom of my poato trench. Stops them getting scab - which is superficial damage only, but not very attractive (so lots of peeling, if your tatties get it).
All best - Gavin
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My 1st year for spuds, I've taken Gavin's advice about the grass clippings underneath, and a Tyne Tees programme called Kitchen Garden (I think) advised put a dollop of seaweed on top which allegedly keeps off slugs so I've done that as well. Helps if you live near the sea though!
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Hi Sparky
Have tried the rhubarb but wasn't effective for us. Chap in next allotment is from Shetland and he always puts seaweed under his potatoes and gets good crops but believe you have to be careful collecting seaweed along shore in case of contamination(?!)
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I'm a bit to far from the sea but perhaps might water them with that seaweed extract stuff that came with my seed order from organics, do you think that'll do the same thing?
Sparky
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As a half-way house - why not 'seaweed meal'? NOT calcified seaweed! We use it on all sorts. = Tim
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Any ideas on where to get this seaweed meal from?
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One of our more experienced lottie members, advised me to wrap mine in newspaper, and recommended The Sun, simply because he had had success by wrapping his in The Sun.
We read The Mail on Sunday, and I wasn't going out to buy The Sun (get on with it ...) so as an experiment, I planted 20 in The Mail, and 20 with nothing on.
I wonder if I will get chips ready wrapped ???
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Colin...! You playing the April first joke or what? Everyone knows the only paper you should use is the Tatie Times.
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Liked that Ken ;D
Still no substitute for fish & chips in a paper, preferably with a crossword on it.
ooops! The chips are not ready!!!! ;D
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Les - I get it from the Organic Catalogue. = Tim
PS Later - haven't had to buy any for a long time & have just seen the current price. Oh, well - down to the beaches? = Tim
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The Kitchen Gardener recommended seaweed off a beach. He said the stuff you buy in Garden centres has been washed but seaweed from the beach is covered in salt which the slugs can't stand
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I dont suppose there is anyone passing by Nottingham on their way home from the beach...if so drop me off some seaweed ??? ??? ::) :o ;) :)
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Hi Tim, why not calcified seaweed does it rot them?
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Found this on Calcified seaweed, thought it might clarify the seaweed issue on this thread;
Calcified Seaweed
How does it work ?
Plant root hairs can directly feed from the calcified seaweed's reservoir of available balanced minerals and trace elements.
Furthermore these trace elements are quickly colonised by soil bacteria that creates humus, the establishment of worms, and contributes to a better soil structure and root development.
This effect enables plants to fully utilise the soil minerals and trace elements that are already present
Benefits
* improved soil structure
* deeper rooting plants
* increased availability of trace elements
* long lasting, does not wash away
* healthier - no lock up of valuable minerals
* maintenance of correct pH
* can be applied any time of the year
Application rate
General rate:- 4oz. - 8oz (2 handfuls). per square yard
J.I. Composts:- Use in place of chalk or lime at the directed rate
Compost heaps:- Keep sweet with a dusting every 6" of organic matter. Improves bacterial action, stimulates the breakdown of useable compost
Correcting soil acidity:- After soil testing, apply calcified seaweed instead of lime, as indicated by the test
Exhibition work:- e.g. Chrysanthemums, sweet peas, Dahlias, Leeks, Onions. A light dressing of 4oz. per square yard is recommended.
Potting:- 1 handful per 2.5 litre pot
When to apply
Calcified seaweed is a completely safe, natural, marine mineral and can be used any time of the year.
On heavy soils it is most effective at the time of final soil preparation e.g. autumn or early winter. On lighter soils apply pre sowing, or before or during planting out. As a boost it can be used at any time.
How to apply
Sprinkle calcified seaweed over the surface of the soil, and and then lightly hoe it into the top 3" - 4". If applied early it may be left on the surface to wash in
Ericaceous subjects
Do not use calcified seaweed on ericaceous plants such as rhododendrons, azaleas, heathers etc.. unless a higher pH is required.
A Public Analysts report on the 15th July 1998 shows that the sample of calcified seaweed contains:
Calcium 42%. . Magnesium 4.2% . . Zinc154mgs / Kg . . Copper 9.6mgs / Kg . . Sulpher 0.22% . . Iron 31mgs / Kg . .
Manganese 121mgs / Kg. . Cobalt 1.5mgs / Kg Boron 2.5mgs / Kg . . Cadmium 1.9mgs / Kg Chromium 0.1mgs / Kg . .
Lead 14mgs / Kg. . Nickel 2.2mgs Kg
All of which are trace elements and minerals which suplement the soil, and help biological action to condition and enrich the soil, which in turn releases trace elements and minerals to nourish produce, cereals, corn, fruit and flowers, lawns and pastures.
Calcium - Cell structure of plant
Magnesium - Photosynthesis, enzyme system of plant, and phosphate utilisation by plant
Iron - Photosynthesis
Manganese - Photosynthesis and seed formation
Copper - Correct growth and health of plant
Cobalt - Health of plant and essential for micro-organisms that fix nitrogen
Boron - For uptake and utilisation of calcium and nitrates and carbohydrate production in the plant
Sodium - (salt) for potassium utilisaton
Sulpher - For the production of the essential amino acids, cystine and methionine, linked with nitrogen
Farming
Calcified seaweed is recommended for cereals, grass, roots, brassicas, orchards and vines.
It is better, safer, healthier, longer lasting and cheaper.
edit My apologies! I didn't notice that.........the offending part has now been removed.
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So to sum up - Calcified seaweed or Seaweed meal?
Either/Or can be used without worry?
Or should I just stick to simple grass cuttings?
I really don't know now what to do...just get them planted without anything and see how we get on...at least its a starting point for future experiments!!!
Confused tattie grower
Les
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The point I was making with the article I displayed was;
Calcified Seaweed is a fertiliser
Seaweedis a bulky moisture retaining product, giving a similar effect to farm yard manure.
Seaweed meal I have never come across, but would guess it is similar to bonemeal so that would make it a fertilser too.
So to come back to the original question about 'beasties' you will have to go along with the grass cuttings,Rhubarb, or The Sun.
Personally I use nothing and take my chances, and simply grow beastie resistant varieties.
The choice is yours.............
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Thanks to The Gardener :)
I now have the confidence to get on with it..
The soil is good so its grass clippings for half and absolutely nothing for the rest.
Les
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So sorry to confuse, Les.
Just in case anyone else is lost, let me stress that calcified seaweed is, as its name suggests, strongly alkaline & is only useful on an acid soil. It would NOT be a good thing on average soil.
Neither product is strong in nutrients. = Tim
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I would like to point out that the posted information about calcified seaweed comes direct from the home page of a company standing to profit by it's sale. As a refugee from unending, and unendingly erronous, information quoted from one book am I (or is it we?) now to be subjected to verbatim, uncritical, transcriptions of promotional materials of for profit companies? Dan?
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Sorry John!
That bit got past me, it has now been edited out.
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Thanks TG, it still reads a bit like the salvation to all ones problems but removing one paragraph does make a big difference.
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I got a bag of seaweed meal free from Chase Organics with my seed pots and seed order - The Organic Catalogue describes it as:
"A slow-acting long lasting plant food particularly rich in trace elements. It is a soil-conditioner which helps to build up the humus structure of the soil. Apply on the surface and lightly rake in up to 3 months before planting by which time it will have been broken down by the soil bacteria. Also an excellent lawn food giving strong growth and rich colour." I've dressed my horried bog-like lawn with it to see if it helps.
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Going back to the original question about somthing to use when planting spuds to keep beasties away - my Dad swears by soot. Put some in the trench and then on top after earthing up, he claims it keeps the slugs away. I found a chimney sweep in the local Thompson's directly and have done this, now all I have to do is wait for them to grow.
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Hmm - I've sometimes wondered about using soot too. Didn't do me any harm when my Dad was putting it round his onions (well, some of you may disagree :)).
I'm guessing there's at least some nasties in it - stupid of me ???, of course there are, or it wouldn't work! But less or more, now that so much coal is smokeless?
Any ideas?
All best, Gavin
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Don't know just whats involved but i know that both my father and brother used soot when planting potatoes. But that was in the days of coal fires.
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One of the main beasties (on my plot) being slugs, the nematodes are supposed to be a good remedy and, according to a lecturer from our local horticultural college, after 3 applications the little (good) beasties live on, despite the manufacturer who says that you have to keep repeating the applications
More info at
http://www.nemasysinfo.com/html/slugs/slugkiller_main.html (http://www.nemasysinfo.com/html/slugs/slugkiller_main.html)
Phil
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It's all so pie-in-the-sky, isn't it?
I have never used soot - or rhubarb, or whatever - but we mostly get clean potatoes. Yes, I do put a couple of slug pellets into each space. And some folk said put them on peat?
Nematodes are supposedly longer lasting in recent years? But only a good proposition if you have a small plot? = Tim
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Just a wee point, the rhubarb was under brassicas not potatoes - would need an awful lot of rhubarb for all the tatties!
We don't seem to get bothered by beasties (fingers crossed) but do use Spuds Galore as a "feed" and have pretty good crops.