Sweetcorn trials
This set of slides shows how I prepared my 6 'No Dig' trial beds, 3 'Control' nothing added apart from water and 3 'Treatment' beds with Biologically complete extracts and teas added throughout the growing season.
Because there is very little topsoil, I decided to use a technique based on a permaculture method of layering materials like a lasagna;
First I cleared the area, then I added cardboard, straw, seaweed, spent coffee grounds.
The top layer was some sandy soil which I imported with 5% shop bought organic compost.
All beds were made with equal amounts of materials.
Then planted out with sweetcorn seedlings pre-grown in modules.
This slide set shows my results in charts. I measured;
-
Yield, measured by weight and number of ears.
-
Plant height,
-
Brix,(nutrient content)
-
Soil biology.
If you would like to read the full report please click on the link:
Following the Sweetcorn trials which were harvested beginning of September 2024.
The 6 trial beds were over wintered with a catch crop of Garlic and a cover crop of Wild Strawberry.
This photo was taken on April 26th. It's been a very dry Spring this year 2025 and as a result the garlic is now showing signs of rust.
I've only waterted once about 10th May.
My project I bought a plot of land in 2007, primarily so that my daughter would have some outdoor space. It is situated on top of a hill but has no vehicle access, only a public footpath dividing the section. There are no public services to the land. So over the years I have adopted an off-grid system of rain water harvesting, solar power electricity, solar evacuated hot water, and composting toilet.
My grey waste water feeds into a reed bed outside, which starts to clean the water before being fully filtered by the soak away beneath.
The first thing I planted at the beginning were some dwarf apple trees to create an orchard, these almost died of drought So I organised a mini digger to level the ground and create some tiers and dig some large holes for the apple trees which I filled with mainly animal manure. These fared better but overall still struggled and were victim to rabbits and deer. A few died but since using the soil food web approach are becoming more resilient to the dry conditions. I planted lots of hedges to divide the section, These were slow to start but thriving now. Vegetables, I have always struggled with, some years better than others, but always so much work, to stay on top of watering. Now I'm growing a market garden on the wild side of the path that is a scrubland of blackthorn and brambles. On this side there are no hedges yet and so it is vulnerable to the wind, dog walkers and deer. Slugs have been a problem in the past, but this year 2025 has been very dry and so not so much of a problem so far.