SOME GUIDELINES TO GET STARTED

 

Soil needs to have 3 vital nutrients nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium.

 

• Nitrogen is needed for stem and foliage development

• Phosphorous is needed for root and flower growth

• Potassium promotes the plant’s food production

 

Wood Ash is a valuable source of potash (ensure the wood is untreated).

 

Feathers are a small source of nitrogen – do encourage birds into your garden.

 

Dock, Dandelion and Comfrey all bring nutrients up from the subsoil. Improves structure and drainage of soil.

 

Nettles enhance the growth of other plants, especially tomatoes.

 

Mustard, green beans and spinach are good green manures and should be dug into the soil before flowering. Allow some mustard to flower in order to collect the seeds for the next patch that needs a dose of green manure.

 

COMBINATIONS FOR HEALTHY PLANTS

 

HYSSOP  SAGE  MARJORAM  CHIVES PARSLEY

THYME  LAVENDER

TOMATOES  GREENPEPPERS  LETTUCE

CHILLIS  BASIL  CHAMOMILE  THYME

MARIGOLDS  BORAGE

ASTERS  COSMOS  COREOPSIS  MARIGOLD 

PETUNIAS     DAHLIAS       

    

INSECT REPELLING COMBINATION

RADISHES  LETTUCE  TURNIPS  BEETS

Use these fast growing crops for planting between

cauliflowers and other slow growing vegetables.

 

ROSES

 WINTER SAVOURY   OREGANO  ROSEMARY     CATNIP  PENNYROYAL 

SOUTHERNWOOD   GARLIC    CHIVES    CALENDULA    TOMATOES

 

PATIO INSECT REPELLENT POT PLANTS

BASIL (flies & mosquitoes)

MINT  (ants)

THYME (flies & aphids)

BAY LEAF  (General insect repellent)

CATNIP (ants, beetles, bugs in general) 

CHAMOMILE  (repels flying insects)

 

NATURAL INSECTICIDES

COMFREY, LAVENDER, SAGE, THYME, ROSEMARY, NETTLES, GARLIC,

CHILLIES, CABBAGE LEAVES, BEETROOT TOPS. 

GENERAL FERTILIZER.

 

 

Success depends on providing the correct mix of plants:

 

Boron is obtained from beetroot leaves, horse manure and untreated sawdust

Calcium from chamomile, comfrey, dandelions, horse manure, nettles

Cobalt from comfrey

Copper from dandelion, horse manure, nettles and yarrow

Iron from comfrey, dandelions, foxgloves, nettles, spinach

Magnesium from Beetroot, salad burnet, untreated sawdust, yarrow

Manganese from comfrey

Nitrogen from comfrey, dandelions, nettles, yarrow

Phosphorous from comfrey, horse manure, yarrow

Potassium from comfrey, horse manure, nettles, yarrow

Silica from nettles

Sulphur from cabbage leaves, garlic, horseradish, and onions

Zinc from corn stalks, horse manure, untreated sawdus

 

 

COMPOSTING

 

Chicken manure  - nitrogen rich – use with corn, tomatoes, squash

 

Cow manure – provides a good potash for use on root crops

 

Horse manure  - is good for leaf development

 

Rabbit manure – promotes strong leaves and stems

 

Collect rainwater from your roof.  When cleaning, flush debris into bucket with “dirty” rainwater.  Add this water to herbs, and make your own fertiliser.

 

 

HANDY TIPS 

 

Moles will always come to close their holes and this is where to deter them.

 

For ground creeping moles – use equal mixtures of thick dishwashing liquid and castor oil.  Mix this to a brilliant green and put a few spoonfuls down the tunnel at various intervals. The moles eat this and after about 5 days you will find they have disappeared for at least a few months.

 

This next method is as a last resort.. when you have lost almost all your crop…

 

For those deep movers – cut 50 to 80 cm lengths of wire – as many as you need (I have about 30 cut).  Bend the top ends for easy handling and open the hole of the freshest mole mound.  Angle the wire rods so that they just enter the opening at various points.  When mole comes to close the hole, hopefully the wire will cut gently into the skin.  Moles are haemophiliacs. For those “clever” moles, keep going, you’ll win in the end.

 

Allow your Evening Primrose to seed all over. Harvest the young seedlings for the compost heap. They aid in the breaking down of the compost and at the same time provide bulk.  Collect the seeds and store for baking, an example being sprinkling over muffins, scones or breads, for a healthy snack.

 

Plant Tansy as a snail trap and then pluck the snails off at your leisure.