Allotments 4 All

http://www.satavic.org/effectivemicroorganisms.htm

can't answer your question but hey, it's great to see you again ina! ;D
you've been missed
Tara xx

Dunno, I keep hearing lots about them, but I don't trust them. I'm sure I'm just being too traditional, but.. I like my methods.

Melanie

There will be something in this for a very important part of the soil is the microbial population in supporting certain plants (someone mentioned about cultures under hawthorn hedges in prickly hedges I think),  for nitrogen fixation with peas beans etc - one advantage of growing beans in the same spot year on year, and for plain old simple breaking down of compost, manure etc.

BUT!  I'm not sure how effective this would be for every type of soil in each location will potentially have a different but just as effective population dependant on acidity, temperature, moisture etc.  As a result it would be very difficult I think to produce a generalised culture.

Iain

Thanks for your postings (and Tara for nice remark).
Interesting viewpoint Icyber, got to think about it, too late now 1.45 in the morning.

I would like to leave this as part of the magic of gardening and cant wait for the spring Can see the lighter nights creeping in!

i'm giving it a go this year

so far i have 2 onion beds 1 treated 1 not
and 2 beds with broad beans in

so far the trated onion beds appear to be further allon with bigger green growth,
the broad beans are a bit early to say, but one thing is  already ovious the weed in both treated beds are much `better` then the ones in the untreated beds,

i will be doing the 2 bed system for most things this year and will report on any findings

Fantastic TimF, I can't wait to read your reports.
I would be tempted to pull up two onion plants to take a look at the hair roots and see if there is a difference.

With the intensive cultivating we do on allotments I can see how we disturb the balance of the normal micro-organic life in the soil, also with digging. It's just not 'natural' what we do. If we can restore the balance this way it would fit in with organic gardening I think. The 'food' we put back into the soil may be used much more effectively by the plants.

When I lived in the third world where many westerners would get intestinal problems, we would make yoghurt to eat with the same purpose. To restore the balance in our intestines so that we could digest food normally again, it seemed to work. I wonder if this is the same principle.

I'm giving it a go this year - I'll let you know

One of the members of our gardening group is a horticultural lecturer at Sparsholt College and he believes they work

Phil

Went to the link but couldn't find anything remotely useful there. probably my fault.