Soil to Soul Farm

Soil to Soul Farm Using regenerative techniques to feed the soil to grow healthy vegetables and fruit to nourish the soul of our community.

Planning a small scale CSA subscription veg box scheme. I'm setting up the road side hedge veg at Les Hubits, St Martins

Late blooms from the dahlias. Lovely bit of sunshine through the dreary wet autumn days
01/10/2022

Late blooms from the dahlias. Lovely bit of sunshine through the dreary wet autumn days

Absolutely 5* meal with Poppy in Jersey
29/07/2022

Absolutely 5* meal with Poppy in Jersey

Imagine my shock to find a lovely handful of ripe blackberries growing amongst the flowering rose and pelargonium. They'...
04/07/2022

Imagine my shock to find a lovely handful of ripe blackberries growing amongst the flowering rose and pelargonium. They're obviously loving each other as great neighbours. I'll certainly enjoy these tonight warmed through with a little ice cream on top I think.

I've noticed the cherry tree leaves have started to turn autumnal colours already and the plum leaves are just on the turn.

I would expect in our little micro climate everything starts early and then is tired out ready for an early autumn break 😴

The grapes are coming along nicely, some need thinning and we need to protect from mildew and rats so we get a good crop...
21/06/2022

The grapes are coming along nicely, some need thinning and we need to protect from mildew and rats so we get a good crop this year 😋🍇

We've kept the vines pruned much more than last year, we need to try to keep on top of the over growth to aid ventilation to reduce the chance of mildew.

We'll net the bunches as they ripen our make little bunch collars to stop them reaching the fruit 🤔 Any idea for pest reduction?

18/06/2022

Tomato bed update. I'm so late planting my tomatoes but I'm sure they'll catch up and late is better than never.

Here's a few ideas about how and why I'm interplanting, how I planted them, and a first sneak peak at the new irritation system we're fitting

Is too easy to feel like you're failing in the garden but just know it's fun, you're doing the best you can with the time and conditions you have and plants want to grow so usually catch up. Don't sweat it and congratulate yourself on every win...... OK you may be sweating during the heatwave.

Potatoes are looking absolutely brilliant in the back garden
16/06/2022

Potatoes are looking absolutely brilliant in the back garden


Scented pelargonium plants for sale 1.2L £7 each
08/05/2022

Scented pelargonium plants for sale 1.2L
£7 each

In the autumn I planted garlic cloves in larger cell trays as the beds weren't ready and I saw doing the same thing. Mo...
28/03/2022

In the autumn I planted garlic cloves in larger cell trays as the beds weren't ready and I saw doing the same thing.

Most are now in the ground at the vinery doing really well, the head start really helped them. I've planted them in the beds where we suffered verticulum wilt which is a fungal disease and garlic is a natural anti fungal vegetable.

These are the last few in cell trays which I need to plant in the garden at home.

Can you see the tips are yellowing? They're running out of nutrients and drying out between watering as they're so pot bound.

Thankfully with lighter evenings I'll get them planted one evening this week and interplant with brassica when they're ready to go out, to reduce the pest load.

Purple of Sicily cauli seedlings are a delight at the vinery, they've had plenty of daylight from every angle to stop th...
27/02/2022

Purple of Sicily cauli seedlings are a delight at the vinery, they've had plenty of daylight from every angle to stop them getting leggy and are so much healthier than the ones I tried to keep at home in the conservatory last year.

Cauli don't need heat to germinate or grow.

The heavy duty metal mesh is to stop the birds and rats getting into the seedlings.

I love buying heirloom seeds from although they've travelled some air miles to get to me, I hope to allow one plant to go to seed so I can save seeds to avoid future air miles as these are open pollinated. They'll be more acclimatised to my conditions too.

When mature in 70 days these have beautiful, brilliant purple heads weighing 2-3 lbs and are a fine, sweet flavor. The heads cook to bright green. Insect-resistant, it is also easier to grow than many white varieties, and it is rich in minerals. This colorful heirloom is from select Italian seed.

These will be planted with a spacing of 18-20"

I'll sow these again in midsummer for an autumn harvest and see which does best in my conditions as they prefer cool conditions.

🌱 This aerial drawing shows 2/3 of our vinery, showing beds already existing and some that are in the process of being c...
16/02/2022

🌱 This aerial drawing shows 2/3 of our vinery, showing beds already existing and some that are in the process of being created.

🌱 The whole site is no dig. I'm working hard to regenerate the soil with no dig organic methods. Healthy soil grows healthy veg which feeds our bodies and soul.

🌱 Some of the beds are traditional no dig beds with several cm of mushroom compost, well rotted house manure and organic peat free compost.

🌱 Other beds are lasagne sheet layered organic material beds - with beer grains, hay, grass clippings, cardboard, rabbit p**p, rabbit bedding, horse manure, emu p**p, sheep and goat p**p, mushroom compost, worm castings, dried leaves, straw and remin volcanic rockdust. Lasagne beds are a bit like composting in situ in the beds, you need a lot of material gathered to do it and don't under estimate the volume of materials.

🌱 I try to keep surfaces mulched with organic material to stop the heat from causing damage but one of my 2022 goals is that I will do better at mulching, I won't leave it until later, I'll do it as I plant 😁

🌱 If you live in Guernsey or are visiting and would like to learn how to make no dig beds with some hands on practical experience please let us know,
, and I would love some company at the Soil to Soul Farm and to share our knowledge and a lovely cup of home grown floral or herb tea.

🌱 If you live in Guernsey and think you may have some materials we could lovingly convert into healthy soil let me know. As long as its chemical free we'll take a wide variety of organic materials.

We're really keen to protect Guernsey's soil and food security.

Volunteer potatoes in the vinery have what looks like potato blight. These are in the same bed that the aubergine affect...
14/02/2022

Volunteer potatoes in the vinery have what looks like potato blight. These are in the same bed that the aubergine affected by Verticillium wilt were planted, so I wondered if it's related.

Volunteer potatoes in another part of the vinery are not affected.

I'm hoping there are some ideas out there?

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