Now that we've started harvest the rain has started to pour down. We have nearly finished cutting the oil seed rape, and our oat and spring barley crops are just about ready to be cut as well. The work is rapidly building up but the weather is not playing the game. August should be a really busy time of year for us because as soon as the crops are taken off the fields the work starts immediately preparing the ground for the next crop to be planted.

We have already spread one field with compost to feed the soil and increase the biology in the soil in the longer term this work should enable us to be less reliant on compound fertilisers like Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. The prices of these items have gone through he roof in the last year so we have been looking for alternative solutions. Its not just the price that is an issue with this form of fertiliser it is also the form that it comes in. When I apply any of these nutrients to the soil I would like to be adding more than just Phosphate of Potash, there are a whole host of other nutrients that soil needs to maintain its health. I prefer to feed my soil with Phosphate and potash that comes with other nutrients along side, this benefits the soil by buffering the effect of adding the nutrient, this is called a complex fertiliser, as apposed to a bag of just Potassium (murate of potash) which is called a compound fertiliser.

 We are also going to use some sewage sludge which will not be a popular decision amongst the local village of Hannington because it smells. when I start applying the sludge I will get all sorts of phone calls from people complaining about the smell. This puts me in a hard position because I want to use the product on my soil because if feel that it is an extremely useful food containing a whole array of nutrients. It will increase the quality of the soil tremendously and I will be able to reduce the amount of Nitrogen fertiliser that I will need to apply as well as having a good few years worth of Phosphate fertiliser. I am also helping Thames Water with their issues of getting rid of all the waste that it produced in the area, preventing it from being dumped in land fill. On the other hand I still have to live with all the locals, and get on with them. I have chosen to try the sludge this year and have chosen fields that are down wind of the village, I have also made sure that I can have it cultivated into the ground as soon as possible after it is spread helping to bury the smell in the soil. When I get complaints I am going to ask them to refer to this article, and add comments at the bottom this way we can all have an open and frank conversation about the issues so who's going to be first?...

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