I haven't watched Gardeners World for years, but Friday night a friend rang me to say that there was a vegan vegetable grower featured. So yesterday I watched it on i-player.
The section on the vegan's vegetable growing was very interesting. Monty Don was definitely impressed!
He does use manure (which makes him a vegan by diet rather than a someone who practises vegan gardening. However, the manure was only mentioned in passing. Instead was featured how he used old path mulch (I didn't take it what it was) which is sieved 3 times and each sieving used for a different purpose. and how he fertilised his tomatoes EVERY day.
He uses nettles, comfrey and potash. I don't have nettles except the occasional small plant. I used to do liquid comfrey fertiliser but then the comfrey stated getting rust so have to pick the leaves when they are small, so only small quantities now. I do have plenty of potash from the wood burning stove. Each week over the winter I put it on to the bed that is going to have tomatoes next season. This winter I am going to put it into a thick plastic bag and then make liquid potash fertiliser when the tomatoes start fruiting. I will also get some comfrey pellets from the organic gardening catalogue.
The organic gardening catalogue has already arrived; it is usually worryingly late! I have had my first go through, ticking what I would like. I will now have to go through again, reducing the order to what I have space for and can afford.
Nice bike ride this morning, to Victoria Park in Hackney along the towpaths. First time in 2 months because the towpath was blocked off during the Olympics. However successful the Olympics were, and I know lots of people really enjoyed them, I don't think they justified the cost or the amount of public space taken.
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