UK: Organic growing is on the increase, says new survey
Britain’s growers are going organic with four in every ten allotment sites now containing organic plots, according to a new survey conducted for National Allotment Week.
By James Iles
Droitwich Standard
19th Aug, 2020
Excerpt:
Research from national horticultural charity, Garden Organic, showed that 80per cent of people believed that attitudes to organic growing have changed for the better and that more people are now considering organic and sustainable growing.
Over a third of allotment users surveyed said some of the plots on their site were now organic, while 16.5per cent said that the majority of the plots on their site were organic.
When asked what prompted them to start growing organically, 56per cent said they wanted to reduce their impact on the environment and 48per cent said they were concerned about the potentially harmful effects of chemicals on their crops.
Sarah shares her top 5 tips of how to start growing organically on a new allotment:-
Tip one – If your new plot is thick with weeds and overgrown with grass, don’t try clearing it all before planting.
Instead, divide the plot in half. Dig one half, and cover the other half with a thick organic mulch and leave for 6 – 12 months.
You can use a variety of materials for the mulch – a thick (20cm) layer of compost or manure is ideal, topped by cardboard (add another layer of manure or weigh down so it doesn’t blow away).
The weeds will weaken in the dark and the earthworms will do their work to enrich the soil and in 6 – 12 months you will have beautiful growing soil without the toil!
