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Plot #59 Trials and Observations

Another Round of Hot Composting

Having decided it was past time to re-load the SoilFixer Super Composter that’s exactly what I did earlier this week…

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Plot #79 Trials and Observations

Super Composter Trial – Second Results and Reload

Another Super Composter trial update: bringing the second round of composting to a close, and setting up for a third batch of compost before the end of the year…

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Trials and Observations

Super Composter Trial – First Results and Reload

In my latest Super Composter update I bring the first round of composting to a close, assess the general results, and set up round two.

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Plot #59 Trials and Observations

Soilfixer Trial Part III: Setting Up the Trial Beds

Old pallets, as long as they’re in reasonably good nick, are a great boon to the allotmenteer. Especially if you need to knock together a few small raised beds. Such as these four, which I set up yesterday for the trial of four different soil mixes that I’m running this year for the folks at […]

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Plot #59 Trials and Observations

Soilfixer Trial Part II – Post-Winter Check-In

This year I’m trialling two soil improvement products on behalf of the folks at SoilFixer.co.uk. The first, a Compost Humification Agent, was added to a bagful of compostable material back in December. A second bag of compostables was set aside at the same time, to act as a control. Checking In This past weekend, I […]

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Advice

Meet our Three-Bin Home Composting System

Compost, rich in organic matter, is one of the essential building blocks of good soil. It helps retain moisture and adds nutrients as well as binding mineral particles into a lovely crumb structure. It’s great to add to sandy soils to help them clump together, and clay soils to help them break down. Or any […]

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Plot #59 Trials and Observations

SoilFixer Trial Part I: Compost Preparation

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the folks at soilfixer.co.uk who wanted to know if I’d be interested in trialling their soil improvers. “We’d like to send you some of a new product we’ve been working on,” they said, “a compost humification agent.” Humification, if you’re unfamiliar with the term, is the process […]

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Plot #59

Working on the Compost

I spent a couple of sessions earlier this month clearing out an old compost heap that we inherited when we took on the plot. After a couple of years of neglect by us it was rife with bindweed and cleavers, plus the occasional deep-rooted dock, but I was sure there must be something worth salvaging […]

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Monthly Updates Plot #59

Plot #59 Update: April 2016

“April is the cruellest month,” said T. S. Eliot, in the opening line of his epic poem ‘The Wasteland’. He could well have been referring to the tricks that April seems to enjoy playing with the weather. Last year April served up a prolonged, scorching heatwave, followed by a thoroughly miserable, damp cold-snap. This year […]