Growing healthy plants goes hand in hand with healthy soil. And while the art of composting has been around for millennia, recent technological advances and growing trials proved that with living compost, we can achieve astonishing results in the grow beds. In the small village of Luddenden, local gardener Nigel Peterson-White has taken advantage of the green waste and created a series of composting bins from recycled materials. The native soil on his allotment originally had to be dug out and improved over several years. It was described as fertile but heavy, wet clay that warms up slowly in spring and dries hard in summer, becoming waterlogged in autumn and winter. As of autumn 2022, a no-dig method rules the plot, and the amount of compost needed is almost entirely created on-site. Nigel’s setup allows him to compost the allotment waste and add autumn leaves from village paths and communal spaces. Woodchip from a local tree surgeon was added as a cap when the bins became full to aid insulation. After 18 months, the final product is brown and chunky, perfect for mulching fruit bushes and trees. Three more bins made from old decking were recently added to the plot, giving him another six cubic metres of composting potential. For those who have a composting obsession like Nigel, this is like owning a treasure chest, just a lot better since it can produce nutritious and tasty food!
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Helen Davies takes growing food seriously, and she’s happy to share tips and tricks via The Veg Project Podcast to help you get started too!
Katrina and Clayton Gelderbloem are a mother and son team creating a remarkable food forest project with healing and calming powers.
Obsessed with making compost? Nigel Peterson-White can relate! He’s transformed the soil in his Luddenden allotment using green waste materials.
Incredible gardens don’t just happen; plants need your support throughout their growth cycles so you can achieve ultimate quality and yields!
Who doesn’t love to dance in the garden? In this fun and interesting article, Xavi Kief compares guiding plants through all the growth cycles to square dancing.
A behind the scenes look at the grow shops selling your favourite hydroponic products and offering your favourite gardening magazine!
Mushroom cultivation using fruiting bags can be as complex or as simple as you need!
There’s a wealth of health in the garden! Anne Gibson guides us through selecting medicinal plants to grow a pharmacy garden for home remedies.
