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Post by Cherry on Oct 11, 2012 2:19:31 GMT
This question could easily be answered by Jrae. I have dug out lots of Heliconia young plants to make a raised bed for herbs and a few seeds of pak choi which came free with a local mag. The running roots of the Heliconias are still well underneath, and they won't come out because there are palms in this area too.
The question is, should I cover the area with the huge pieces of cardboard and start a fresh bed, or should I use the ground as a base for the bags of compost we have bought? Please answer soon. Remember, it is hard to get a spade in the non soil. It is more like powdered rock here, with huge boulders around.
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Post by Cherry on Oct 12, 2012 5:12:23 GMT
I can see you are leaving this question to each other, so I might have to work out the answer myself. I will be going to my older daughter's for a few days and then expect to tackle this bed when I return. I think I will be going for compost on top of the existing soil which has been dug and weeded very well.
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Post by Geranium on Oct 12, 2012 5:58:31 GMT
Sorry, Cherry - without seeing it, it's hard to visualise. Your own solution sounds fine.
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Post by Tel on Oct 12, 2012 7:12:25 GMT
I would use weed block fabric, rather than cardboard if there was a chance of those roots throwing shoots up in the raised veg bed.
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Post by Cherry on Oct 12, 2012 8:30:07 GMT
Tel, thankyou for that and thanks for your interest Geranium.
Moira is really happy with that answer and we will be investing in this when we go to the nursery. I will take piccies, but have to wait to put them on.
;D
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Post by SueA on Oct 12, 2012 17:16:22 GMT
I didn't answer either Cherry because I've not much experience of dry ground due to all the rain here! I'd agree with Tel though that some kind of weed barrier would be best as it wouldn't make much difference for the roots of what you're growing as they probably wouldn't burrow down into the hard ground & should stop any leftover heliconias coming up. Might limit what you can grow in it unless you build the compost up on top to a good height.
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Post by Cherry on Oct 14, 2012 10:10:26 GMT
Thankyou Sue. I have looked at chillies here and they are shrubs so this will be in the soil outside the veg bed. The rest will be in the raised bed.
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Post by Rosie on Oct 16, 2012 8:28:51 GMT
Would it not be good to have a compost and john innes mixture Cherry? JI holds moisture pertty well.
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Post by Cherry on Oct 17, 2012 9:19:04 GMT
Possibly Rosie. I came back hoping to see the planks in place, but Jeremy put an electric fence around the property (a wire really). They need to resort to this to keep the Hungarian Vizsla in the jungle here.
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Post by peony on Oct 17, 2012 13:46:04 GMT
Possibly Rosie. I came back hoping to see the planks in place, but Jeremy put an electric fence around the property (a wire really). They need to resort to this to keep the Hungarian Vizsla in the jungle here. I had to google this Cherry What a lovely looking dog
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Post by grindle on Oct 17, 2012 15:36:10 GMT
I had to as well, it's a beautiful dog
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Post by Cherry on Oct 18, 2012 7:27:28 GMT
At last, we made the herb and veg bed. Sowed the free Pak Choi too. Then covered it all with wire and old things to stop the possums digging it up. I got hot, so two showers again today.
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Post by Cherry on Nov 3, 2012 15:54:21 GMT
When I left, the Pak Choi were up to 2" and new herbs had been bought for Moira to add. This is turning out to be a successful little garden.
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Post by grindle on Nov 4, 2012 8:13:40 GMT
:)she'll get a lot of enjoyment from it
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Post by Cherry on Nov 4, 2012 11:52:41 GMT
Jeremy spent two months in Sechuan (probably spelt incorrectly)on a two month cooking course. He is a wonderful cook and the food is completely different to what we eat at a Chinese restaurant. The Pak Choi and herbs will suit him and he has bought more to add to it, now that the little garden is a "goer".
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