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Hi guys,
OH has a bit of a bee in his bonnet and I knew just the place to find the answer
.
Before the veg patch became the veg patch, it was part of our evolving flower garden, during which time we planted 2 flowering cherry trees (Japanese OH seems to recall) along the fence edge. That section of the garden has now been fenced off and has become the veg patch.
Last week, I had to take out 4 of the hedging plants which hadn't survived the snow and cold spell of November/December and this left a nice patch of ground which, we thought, would be good for growing potatoes and beans in. However, this same patch of ground is also home to the flowering cherries.
This is where OH's 'bee' comes into play.
As I merrily tipped some fresh compost onto the newly cleared soil and dug it in, he fired up the computer. A short while later he came out and told me that we wouldn't be able to use this ground afterall because Flowering Cherry leaves and branches, when mulched, produce cyanide
I have NEVER swept up the leaves from any of the trees where they have fallen onto the soil believing (erroneously as it would now seem) that the goodness from the rotting vegetation would feed the soil naturally. Obviously the leaves and twigs etc from these trees haven't just fallen onto the soil immediately beneath them and have, in fact, blown over the whole veg patch (but not in such huge concentrations as the bed they stand in).
So my question today is, is he right? Do I have a problem in my veg patch? Particularly the now empty spaces beneath these trees? I don't particularly want to take the trees out (OH's solution) but growing the veg is the priority. Help!
Regards and thanks
Reet
x
OH has a bit of a bee in his bonnet and I knew just the place to find the answer
.Before the veg patch became the veg patch, it was part of our evolving flower garden, during which time we planted 2 flowering cherry trees (Japanese OH seems to recall) along the fence edge. That section of the garden has now been fenced off and has become the veg patch.
Last week, I had to take out 4 of the hedging plants which hadn't survived the snow and cold spell of November/December and this left a nice patch of ground which, we thought, would be good for growing potatoes and beans in. However, this same patch of ground is also home to the flowering cherries.
This is where OH's 'bee' comes into play.
As I merrily tipped some fresh compost onto the newly cleared soil and dug it in, he fired up the computer. A short while later he came out and told me that we wouldn't be able to use this ground afterall because Flowering Cherry leaves and branches, when mulched, produce cyanide
I have NEVER swept up the leaves from any of the trees where they have fallen onto the soil believing (erroneously as it would now seem) that the goodness from the rotting vegetation would feed the soil naturally. Obviously the leaves and twigs etc from these trees haven't just fallen onto the soil immediately beneath them and have, in fact, blown over the whole veg patch (but not in such huge concentrations as the bed they stand in).
So my question today is, is he right? Do I have a problem in my veg patch? Particularly the now empty spaces beneath these trees? I don't particularly want to take the trees out (OH's solution) but growing the veg is the priority. Help!
Regards and thanks
Reet
x
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