The Gardening "method or madness ?" thread

[Chilli-head]

Ok, we must all have those things that we've read or heard somewhere presented as true, that we do slavishly wondering if it is really necessary or even beneficial ? I was thinking to ask you lot your opinions on something while I was at the allotment at the weekend, but have forgotten what it was ! Until I remember what that was ...

Drainage in pots. Does putting a lot of crocks / gravel / etc in the bottom of a pot actually improve drainage, or just waste compost space in the pot ? I have heard both views ...

[freebird]

I reckon if the pot is sitting on the ground, and has base drainage holes, then crocks probably help. If the pot is elevated, or drainage holes on sides, then pointless.

But then again, sometimes I don't want it to drain too freely .....

[Ploshkin]

I've vaguely thought about that when putting crocks in a pot. It can be a case though of filling up some space where deep rooting is not required so as not to use compost unnecessarily.

[Dandelion]

I usually put one piece of crock in the bottom of a pot to stop the soil falling through the holes as I pot things up. I could also see stones in the bottom of a planter being an advantage if it stops vandals removing the pot because of the extra weight involved. (This town is one of the safer, more pleasant places I've lived, but we do get a lot of planters being tipped over, removed and vandalised.)

[Chilli-head]

So, watering plants in full sun. Some say it risks scorching. I say - what a load of tosh. But what do you think ?

I guess I'll find out in a day or two - I watered the allotment by hose at lunchtime today. I probably use the hose only about 3 times a year at the lotty, but now is a fairly critical time with lots of things getting established.

[freebird]

Mr Dowding would agree with you, CH. Water plants when they need it (or when you can fit it in). The only times I have had a scorching problem is if leaves have wilted, which makes them more vulnerable to extreme cold, heat or wind.

[Dandelion]

I suppose water would evaporate more quickly at midday, so it would not be quite as efficient as watering at a cooler time of day, but I've never knowingly scorched plants by watering them in full sun. Better to risk it than have them die because you were busy when the day was cooler!

[Dandelion]

I've just decided to leave a gardening group on FB as there was such a lot of argument about new methods versus traditional. (And when admin start swearing at people I do feel it's time to go - he wasn't swearing at me but I don't like it.) I can see that some advocates of No Dig are quite evangelical about their methods and get up everyone's nose, but also those who used traditional practices are quite annoyed when it's suggested that they don't need to wash every flowerpot or dig over every bed.

[Chilli-head]

I inherited mostly traditional methods from my Dad.  Plant pots had to be scrubbed with Jeyes fluid.  Compost going to the greenhouse must be sterilized.  No pest should be suffered to live, whatever agrochemical was needed to eradicate it.

I have relaxed a lot.  I don't seem to have disasters through not washing pots.  Sterilising compost seems to do more harm than good.  I can see that where I tried it, no dig made the soil condition better,  but it's not for me because I have to keep the marestail under control.  Many different ideas can be made to work in the right circumstance.  I hope we never get too evangelical here - after all, we are only growing a bit of veg

[freebird]

Oh what a shame Dandelion. I confess to being a tad evangelical about no dig, but I also believe everyone has to do things their own way. If something works, why would they want to change it? I resisted no-dig for years because I thought it was lazy and not doing it 'properly'.

This year I have no choice but to go back to previous methods (although that doesn't include pot washing!), and I suspect that I may have to do a bit of a mix next year if I can't get enough mulching material.

[Dandelion]

One person from this FB group claimed that it was all 'young things' who were advocating No Dig (the implication being that they were too young and inexperienced to know any better). I'm not sure how you can tell how old people are on FB, as their profile picture could easily be of a family wedding showing younger members of the family - my profile pic is a landscape, so he had no clues there: I did say that I had found No Dig helpful because of my arthritis, but that I wouldn't say whether it was juvenile arthritis or not!!

[Ploshkin]

It's exactly the same with beekeeping - the 'natural' beekeepers versus the 'conventional ' beekeepers. I teach beekeeping (the conventiinal way) but always encourage people to experiment and mix elements of both to suit their own situation.
Im the same with gardening. Having learnt more about 'no dig', thanks to Freebird, I realised that I had always automatically done it a bit, mainly through lack of time (or idleness!). Having read more about it I wouldn't follow the methods slavishly but use the elements that I can manage.

[Dandelion]

I didn't know there were two styles of beekeeping.


I think the forum has always had a feel of 'live and let live' about it - we all make suggestions to each other and try to help out when it's needed, but no-one pushes any ideas down anyone elses's throats. That's why I like it!!

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