Stephen,
Yes, I'm growing on clay. Great stuff once you get some life into it. Compost needn't be much on these soils any more, though once I was using huge quantities of it like you seem to be. Best, Hugh >Dear Hugh, > >You wrote: > >"My experience is give them a good solid boost from the chunk of potato >behind them and you can rely on getting a good yield.......And I can't >afford hauling out compost........" > >Hugh, are you farming on moderate to high clay % soil? I am growing in >sandy soil (15 - 20%) and am finding that the quality of my potatoes suffers >if I don't use lots of compost - both physical quality and health - without >compost at planting, the skins are rough, flesh not as creamy and potato >scab and "marbling" (misshapen potatoes, some with large round bumps - >apparently caused by nematodes) are becoming more common. On top of that, I >don't cut the potatoes - use whole, small seed potatoes at each planting. > >"And there may be other things that would help." (In your post on peroxide.) > >A leading statement - so the question, such as what? > >I am doing everything by hand in soil which has a well aerated A horizon >(20 - 30 cm) and soft plinthite for the B horizon (good water holding for >the deeper rooted crops). I plan to use alot more Effective Micro-organisms >(EM) (Kyusei Nature Farming) through irrigation, than in the past, which >will improve the aeration of the soil. > >Also, I assume that a peroxide bath will have a similar effect when planting >onion sets? > >You mention than you use peroxide and BD 500 on the potatoes. I assume the >sequence is the peroxide bath is first, then allow the spuds to dry, then >the BD 500 bath. Other way round, the peroxide would kill the microbes in >the BD 500 - not so? I have started bathing my seed potatoes in EM with the >current planting, and wish to combine this with the peroxide treatment with >my next planting (later this week). > >Thanks for your posts on the subject. By the way, what is a "spading >machine"? > >Stephen Barrow
