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Gardening Corner: September 2009

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Amma Dedicates "Green Year"
June 5th 2009 to June 5th 2010.

Recycling Waste

Amma always emphasises the importance of dealing with our waste responsibly. One of the ways we can do this is to recycle our rubbish. This is easier to do than it may sound at first, and simply involves changing habits. You just sort your rubbish and put bring it to the recycling centre rather than putting it all in one bin. This is also definitely in keeping with Amma's environmental message, as has been stated in the Matruvani over the last few months.

Seva Advert !!!

On this subject, for the last few years an increasing amount of the waste produced at Amma's programme in London has been recycled. This year at the programme we will be recycling the following:     

• paper and cardboard
• paper cups (we have been donated several thousand paper cups for the programme)
• food and drink cans
• plastic water and milk bottles
• aluminium foil
• glass
• tetrapacs (drinks cartons)
• used cooking oil for biofuel (there will be a vehicle driving around London somewhere running on Amma Power!)
• raw and cooked food waste
• flower waste

Last year we recycled approximately over 700kg of raw vegetable waste, plus 4 large containers of cardboard, plastic bottles, cans and paper.  This is a fun and rewarding seva, especially if you like rummaging through bins. If anyone would like to join our happy team please email Kaivalya on lucydevi@yahoo.co.uk.

Green Manures

Today in the gardening section we are talking about green manures. What on earth is that I hear you ask. Well green manures partly work on the principle that nature does not like bare soil. If you observe any land in the British Isles that has been cleared of all vegetation, you will find that plants very quickly begin to establish themselves, first of all small herbs, then bigger and bigger plants, and if you were able to watch it for long enough, a woodland would eventually grow there.

This newly established vegetation in all its stages is very good for the soil for several reasons. It stops soil being eroded in two ways, by reducing the impact of raindrops on the soil, and by its roots helping to bind the soil together. Also each year as the plants die down in the winter or drop their leaves, they start to add organic matter to the soil, also known as humus. Humus is vital for soil as it helps to retain moisture and nutrients. Vegetated soil also is protected from drying out in hot weather.

Taking this to a (we think) logical conclusion, some people have decided that it is not a good idea to leave soil in the garden bare for long periods. When we finish with a crop and dig the plot up, we sow green manure plants onto it immediately. They are many kinds used, but we have so far only experimented with three. These are wild tare or vetch, crimson clover and white clover. All these plants are members of the pea family or legumes, which mean their roots add nitrogen to the soil. On our site with our conditions, we have found that white clover is often eaten by wood pigeons, and crimson clover doesn't deal with frost very well (we are in a valley bottom where cold air collects). So at the moment we are using only tare. As well as stopping soil erosion, building nutrients, creating humus and stopping soil from drying out, green manure also suppresses weeds, and if you use legumes like us it improves soil fertility by adding nitrogen as mentioned above.

When you need to plant up the bed again, you simply dig the green manure straight into it. We have found that it rarely sprouts again when this is done, and the little that does is easily pulled out. If the green manure produces a lot of foliage over the time it is in a bed, it is also possible to cut some off for the compost heap and then let it sprout again.

Other plants are available for this use, such as Hungarian rye (this will do all that the other green manures do, but because it is not in the pea family it will not add nitrogen to the soil), mustard and lupins. The conditions on your site will influence what plant you choose. We have experimented on our site, but there is plenty of internet research you could do on this subject.

Allotment Diary

The harvest is now beginning to wind down. Many crops are ripening and the shorter daylight hours and slightly lower temperatures mean that fewer things are producing. The runner beans are almost over, the blackberries and raspberries petering out. However we have bottled over 20 jars of stewed blackberries and raspberries for winter feasts.   The gourds such as courgettes and squash are still growing new fruits but more slowly. However we have stored pumpkins, marrows (very large courgettes) and squash for the winter. The beetroot after a slow start this year is doing well. We have pickled 3 large jars over the last month or so and hope to make more.

The spinach and kale are growing well and producing new leaves all the time. These two together with leeks, salsify and swede are our winter crops this year. The last two are new for us on the allotment. Salsify is a root vegetable which neither of us have eaten before, so it will be interesting to see what it is like, we will let you know!

 The greenhouse crops are winding down, but we have a lot of chillies and sweet peppers ripening.  Aubergines are still producing and the cucumbers could give us quite a few more fruits as long as it does not get too cold. The tomato plants are looking sorry for themselves and we won’t get much more from them.

Our bird feeders have gone up and because of the squirrel, who we call Fatty Arbuckle, we have had to buy expensive guards to protect the feeders which are there for the small birds.  The birds were upset when we put them up yesterday but hopefully will have got used to them by the end of the week.  The question is will it stop Fatty Arbuckle???

But all in all the allotment is definitely starting to wind down for the winter.

Happy gardening and see you all next month

- Richard and Kaivalya

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