what an idiot!!!!

**shirlthegirl43** · 28-04-2009, 07:49 AM

I grew my purple podded mangetout in ground that had been cleared of nettles and dug - no compost, no manure. Got an okay crop without feeding at all.

I don't see why you couldn't feed them once they come up - or maybe dig a shallow trench a wee bit away from the shoots and put manure in that so as not to scorch the stems.

**SarzWix** · 28-04-2009, 08:07 AM

Peas fix their own nitrogen anyway, so I'm sure they'll do fine! Just some kind of potash boost when they start flowering? Comfrey tea?

**JimmerG** · 28-04-2009, 08:11 AM

AS Shirl says - I reckon they'll be OK.

Peas fix their own nitrogen, so they're quite self sufficient. If I remember correctly the NPK value of muck is only someth1ng like 1:1:1 so its not a disaster, its more of a soil conditioner, so if your soil was in good nick maybe a bit of comfrey tea once they get going, or even a sprinkling of fish blood and bone washed in with a bit of rain would help. You could liquify the muck in a bucket and pour it on maybe?

In my experience peaes and beans have always been fine in any old soil!

J

Sarz - you beat me to it.... at least I know I'm on the right lines!

**Flummery** · 28-04-2009, 08:13 AM

I never muck a pea bed. Use that for some gross feeders. Panic not! The End of the World is NOT nigh!

**jacob marley** · 28-04-2009, 08:15 AM

What to do now is sow a row on the bed that has had the muck and see what difference there is might be a good experiment see how much muck is not needed..

..jacob

**Nicos** · 28-04-2009, 08:20 AM

Ah...now then..I'm now starting to feel not such a plonker!

Thanks for those ideas!!!!

We've got comfrey growing like mad in the hedgerows- how long do the leaves need to stay in the water to make comfrey tea????

I've got a box of fish blood and bone I could use now ( phew!)

The 'raised beds' are only raised because we dug a trench around the bed and piled it onto the middle bit- so I could fill in the trench with a bit of compost too couldn't I??

Our neighbours lift a brow and shrug a bit...then mutter something...and then say- "what a strange way of planting"...so we're sort of a bit keen to impress that we're not 'townies' and that there are different approaches to GYO other than traditional French methods!

**Nicos** · 28-04-2009, 08:22 AM

Originally posted by jacob marley View Post

What to do now is sow a row on the bed that has had the muck and see what difference there is might be a good experiment see how much muck is not needed..

..jacob

absolutely true Jacob!!!!...problem is I've run out of seed!!!...but then again- as you say...it'd be interesting.
Hmmmm- good idea!!

**SarzWix** · 28-04-2009, 08:35 AM

Originally posted by Nicos View Post

Ah...now then..I'm now starting to feel not such a plonker!

Thanks for those ideas!!!!

We've got comfrey growing like mad in the hedgerows- how long do the leaves need to stay in the water to make comfrey tea????

Until they're reeeally stinky

Then dilute it to the colour of weak tea to use. Or, just chop the comfrey up and put it round the plants, it rots down really quickly and the worms will pull it down.

Originally posted by Nicos View Post

I've got a box of fish blood and bone I could use now ( phew!)

The 'raised beds' are only raised because we dug a trench around the bed and piled it onto the middle bit- so I could fill in the trench with a bit of compost too couldn't I??

Don't overdo it - you won't need both I don't think, BFB or compost...

Originally posted by Nicos View Post

Our neighbours lift a brow and shrug a bit...then mutter something...and then say- "what a strange way of planting"...so we're sort of a bit keen to impress that we're not 'townies' and that there are different approaches to GYO other than traditional French methods!

Ah, pants to em... Like the allotment chunterers that every site seems to have

As long as you're getting food from your efforts, and enjoying yourself!

**JimmerG** · 28-04-2009, 09:41 AM

Originally posted by Nicos View Post

Ah...now then..I'm now starting to feel not such a plonker!

Thanks for those ideas!!!!

We've got comfrey growing like mad in the hedgerows- how long do the leaves need to stay in the water to make comfrey tea????

I've got a box of fish blood and bone I could use now ( phew!)

The 'raised beds' are only raised because we dug a trench around the bed and piled it onto the middle bit- so I could fill in the trench with a bit of compost too couldn't I??

Our neighbours lift a brow and shrug a bit...then mutter something...and then say- "what a strange way of planting"...so we're sort of a bit keen to impress that we're not 'townies' and that there are different approaches to GYO other than traditional French methods!

Comfrey tea tends to take about 4 weeks - its full of potassium so it'll help your plants to set 'fruit' so get it going now and it'll be ready when your plants are ready!

J

**Lottieval** · 28-04-2009, 09:49 AM

As the others say 'stop panicking', if it was virgin soil and with clover growing in it it's probably in pretty good nick any way. Sometimes I think we worry too much about feeding, yes some crops do need it, and things in pots or growbags do, but you've got to go on growing the same crop repeatedly to really exhaust the soil of nutrients. Talk to 'em gently and they'll be fine.

**TonyF** · 28-04-2009, 10:26 AM

See Nicos, you go out in the rain, 8 in the evening after a long supper and several glasses of red and all hell can break loose

**Nicos** · 28-04-2009, 10:29 AM

Nah...that was sober!!!.can you imagine what I could get up to otherwise!!!!

**jacob marley** · 28-04-2009, 11:24 AM

[QUOTE=Nicos;438044]Ah...

T.

We've got comfrey growing like mad in the hedgerows- how long do the leaves need to stay in the water to make comfrey tea????
.ss .
I usually let it soak for 14 days Nettles as well both stink as bad as each other..

..jacob

**Nicos** · 28-04-2009, 11:28 AM

Thanks- I read on another thread after I posted that...3 weeks- so clearly I better get my gloves on and start picking!!!

2-3 weeks- spot on!!!

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