don't know what to use! I've seen (professionally prepared) bags of manure compost for mulching, would this be good? Or would it need to be dug in a bit? You all know I'm a raw beginner at this, but am desparate to succeed too. Our soil here in rural Lincolnshire is VERY Clay. We've got one of those garden Vacuums that shread the leaves and garden twigs etc - would that do?

AngeTheUnsure
xx

Oh pleassssse help,

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"AngeTheUnsure" wrote in
message
...

Oh pleassssse help,

AngeTheUnsure;737238 Wrote:
don't know what to use! I've seen (professionally prepared) bags of
manure compost for mulching, would this be good? Or would it need to be
dug in a bit? You all know I'm a raw beginner at this, but am
desparate
to succeed too. Our soil here in rural Lincolnshire is VERY Clay.
We've
got one of those garden Vacuums that shread the leaves and garden twigs
etc - would that do?

AngeTheUnsure
xx


You can mulch with anything really, organic things that eventually break
down work best as they also improve the soil over time, its important to
remain patient as to begin with mulch tends to disappear quite quickly
(the
worms eat it) but as the humus levels in the soil rise it will last
longer.
I use in winter fresh shreddings (hedges and prunings) during the summer
grass mowings spread thinly over any bare patches. The contents of your
garden vacuum are also fine.
If I get hold of any horse muck I tend to cover it with other mulch as it
produces lots of weeds
If you are buying in there are lots of options, the NT now use composted
straw a lot, bark is good and spent hops. Don't worry too much what it
looks
like as by summer it will be mostly covered by plant growth and will have
started to break down.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars


Don't know what it's like in your area Ang, but here on the Isle of Wight we
have a wonderful composting system whereby you can take all of your garden
rubbish to a collecting depot and they have a huge shredder and compost
everything. This you can then buy back by the small easy to handle bag, or
they will deliver, anywhere on the Isle of Wight, a 1 Tonne which is a metre
by metre by metre bag for £35.00. So if they do that in your area.

Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a Stand

"AngeTheUnsure" wrote in message
...

Oh pleassssse help,

AngeTheUnsure;737238 Wrote:
don't know what to use! I've seen (professionally prepared) bags of
manure compost for mulching, would this be good? Or would it need to be
dug in a bit? You all know I'm a raw beginner at this, but am desparate
to succeed too. Our soil here in rural Lincolnshire is VERY Clay. We've
got one of those garden Vacuums that shread the leaves and garden twigs
etc - would that do?

AngeTheUnsure
xx


You can mulch with anything really, organic things that eventually break
down work best as they also improve the soil over time, its important to
remain patient as to begin with mulch tends to disappear quite quickly (the
worms eat it) but as the humus levels in the soil rise it will last longer.
I use in winter fresh shreddings (hedges and prunings) during the summer
grass mowings spread thinly over any bare patches. The contents of your
garden vacuum are also fine.
If I get hold of any horse muck I tend to cover it with other mulch as it
produces lots of weeds
If you are buying in there are lots of options, the NT now use composted
straw a lot, bark is good and spent hops. Don't worry too much what it looks
like as by summer it will be mostly covered by plant growth and will have
started to break down.

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

"AngeTheUnsure" wrote in message
...

Oh pleassssse help,

AngeTheUnsure;737238 Wrote:
don't know what to use! I've seen (professionally prepared) bags of
manure compost for mulching, would this be good? Or would it need to be
dug in a bit? You all know I'm a raw beginner at this, but am desparate
to succeed too. Our soil here in rural Lincolnshire is VERY Clay. We've
got one of those garden Vacuums that shread the leaves and garden twigs
etc - would that do?

As other have said anything that comes to hand is useful. If you have to buy
it in so be it. Depends what you want to mulch for, add organic matter, keep
weeds down, create a good tilth in the soil for spring planting etc etc.
Also, what you want to plant and when. If you simply want to leave a garden
fallow over winter most anything will do. Leave and twigs will do fine if
you have enough, grass clippings off your lawn or neighbours, back yard
compost you or neighbours (sometimes neighbours have piles they no longer
want - just check what went in it) have made, free animal poop from round
the district, spoilt straw, coffee grounds from a local cafe, vegetable
waste (cabbage, lettuces, rotted stock etc) from a local green grocer. Bung
it on the garden and leave. Even better if you can cover the mulch with old
wool carpet, fibre underlay, old woollen blankets etc. That will stop any
seeds growing that may germinate & the carpet/underlay/blankets will also
break down over winter. Leave it on the surface. Come spring it will have
nicely broken down n you will have a garden teaming with worms. If you then
want to dig it in, your choice, I never bother.

rob

Morning Chaps, Thanks so much George.com. Charlie P & 'Mike'. This is the help I needed. This property is only 5 years old, so the ground is not good - typical of new builds. I've put in quite a few shrubd already, so if come Autumn/Winter I dig in compost near to those, it wld be ok then? Also have a wormery (4 months old) so have the compost from that to use too. Have got just one sackfull so far, and I think thats good going as they can take 6 months at first to really get going.

Thanks again, I'll keep ya posted. Happy Saturday,

Ange
xxx

"AngeTheUnsure" wrote in message
...

Morning Chaps, Thanks so much George.com. Charlie P & 'Mike'. This is
the help I needed. This property is only 5 years old, so the ground is
not good - typical of new builds. I've put in quite a few shrubd
already, so if come Autumn/Winter I dig in compost near to those, it
wld be ok then? Also have a wormery (4 months old) so have the compost
from that to use too. Have got just one sackfull so far, and I think
thats good going as they can take 6 months at first to really get
going.

if any gardens are going to be unplanted for a season or 2 just load it up
with organic matter and let nature takes its course. Yesterday I spread some
aged horse & chicken poop across 2 gardens. One is in broccoli the other is
fallow. The poop is partially broken down and spread a couple of inchs deep.
Over spring it will complete its degradation. The only problem is the dogs
developing a taste for stinking 1/2 aged poop.

rob

Morning Rob, thanks for this. No beds will be unlpanted and all of them flower/shrubs not veggies. I AM living and learning though!! Oh... aren't dogs disgusting?? Seriously though, I believe the reason they eat ***t is due to a calcium deficiency... any Vets want to put me straight on this one??

Ange
x

On Thu, 9 Aug 2007 20:32:51 +0100, AngeTheUnsure
wrote:


Oh pleassssse help,

AngeTheUnsure;737238 Wrote:
don't know what to use! I've seen (professionally prepared) bags of
manure compost for mulching, would this be good? Or would it need to be
dug in a bit? You all know I'm a raw beginner at this, but am desparate
to succeed too. Our soil here in rural Lincolnshire is VERY Clay. We've
got one of those garden Vacuums that shread the leaves and garden twigs
etc - would that do?

AngeTheUnsure
xx

In addition to what's already been said, compost from garden centres,
sheds etc is an expensive way of doing it. As well as home-generated
compost from shredded hedge trimmings, when these run out I get rotted
shreddings by the (small) lorry-load from a local tree surgeon who
also sells logs. Mulch cheaper that way! :-) When you've got it in
that sort of quantity, you can afford to be generous.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On 11 Aug, 09:20, AngeTheUnsure AngeTheUnsure.
wrote:
Morning Chaps, Thanks so much George.com. Charlie P & 'Mike'. This is
the help I needed. This property is only 5 years old, so the ground is
not good - typical of new builds. I've put in quite a few shrubd
already, so if come Autumn/Winter I dig in compost near to those, it
wld be ok then? Also have a wormery (4 months old) so have the compost
from that to use too. Have got just one sackfull so far, and I think
thats good going as they can take 6 months at first to really get
going.

I live on clay land in Lincolnshire, and although the structure is
very heavy it is very fertile. Don't break your heart about trying to
improve all your soil all at once. Things will grow spectacularly in
it as it is, especially if you just turn it over before planting
things to get some air in and encourage a bit of drainage. Try and
visit local independent garden cetres (Rassels at Little Bytham, for
example) who will be growing things that are happy in the soil you
have, rather than shipping in mass produced boxes of stuff from all
over.

Look at, and talk about, your neighbours gardens, see what is doing
well for them. Plant a few things like Potentilla or ssghrub roses
that will grow anyway, with the intention of taking them out in a
couple of years when you want to work that location over more
intensively.

Sometimes small-scale care - like digging what compost you have into a
planting hole before putting in a tree, or just putting in a few
handfuls of bonemeal to encourage root growth, or putting half a
bucket of grit into the top inch of soil around things that are
inclined to damp off, is all you have to do. Not attacking the whole
area like a mad cultivator, or the people you see on TV.

Don't rush at it like a bull at a gate. Take your time, make a few
experiments, and try to live a bit with what you have. Save your
energy for the long haul. You need a challenge every year, not just
on the first one!