After what has seemed like an endless cycle of rain the ground has finally dried out enough to plough and harrow the trial plot.
Why plough? We are aiming for a minimal tillage system in order to disturb the soil as little as possible. However, it was decided that an initial plough and harrow was necessary in order to prepare the ground for planting.
The alternative no-dig method, while desirable, would have involved buying in enough compost to cover the 2,500m2 growing area – at a cost of over one thousand pounds!
We have brought some compost to use in a targeted way, and in the future will be using green manure to add nutrients, prevent soil erosion and lock in moisture.
Next step is getting some plants in the ground!