Meet the 92-year-old who has been an organic gardener for half a century
Garden News reader Ronald Swann, 92, tells about his life of nature-friendly gardening stretching back decades
Ronald the gardener
Ronald Swann was born in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, in 1928. Interested in nature and the environment, he was always keen to introduce wildlife such as bees, hedgehogs and birds into his garden, and was very aware of the importance of the balance of need versus nature. Ron worked in a hot factory for 47 years, and his escape after a gruelling day was to get into his garden where he grew fruit and vegetables. Even now, at 92, Ron still grows tomatoes in his greenhouse. The years may have slowed him physically, but his enthusiasm for organic gardening remains as strong as ever!
How it all began
I first became interested in organic gardening after reading a book written by a Bavarian civil engineer, which detailed his experience of organic methods between the wars. I’d become suspicious of conventional methods such as the 'digging in' of organic materials and the use of artificial fertilisers and was concerned by the impact of modern, intensive farming on wildlife as once-prolific species, such as frogs and chaffinches, disappeared from my world.
At this time the methods I chose to adopt were mocked. Yet, now it would seem many people’s views have turned full circle. I was further encouraged at the time by reading a book on comfrey by Lawrence
Hills, who worked at the Henry Doubleday Research Centre (later Garden Organic) at Bocking, Essex. He extolled the virtues of the herb, so after reading Hills' work I bought some cuttings of ‘Bocking Number 14’, a variety of comfrey that originates in Russia. It was promoted as the best variety for use as liquid fertiliser or for composting, and it can also be used as a mulch, but it did have the drawback of giving off a very ripe smell! I still have comfrey, which I mainly use as a valuable addition to my compost bin.
Get your compost just right
Compost is one of the main building blocks of organic gardening. There are so many methods of making compost; as with many things, the simplest ideas are often the best.
● If vegetable refuse is placed in a plastic or wooden container with holes or gaps in the sides and at the bo om, then covered with old carpet or a plank of wood, the soil on the roots of the plants will release bacteria. If there’s sufficient green refuse in the heap and the weather is warm, the heap will ferment, allowing the bacteria to spread. After fermentation, which will reduce the size of the heap, worms will colonise it further, reducing it until after several months it becomes a brown, crumbly mass, moist, but with no smell.
● Activators can reduce the time this takes to a week, temperatures permi ing. Animal dung and bedding (not cat or dog), poultry droppings, horse manure and human urine will all activate compost, although for several years I’ve used a preparation known as QR (Quick Return), which is made up of powdered herbs and honey. Mixed in small quantities with water, it’s then sprinkled on the compost heap and will rot a heap within six weeks in warm weather, without any
need to turn it or disturb it in that time. There’s no smell, either.
● Anything that has lived can be composted – but no, not the neighbour's cat, or any meat, as the warmth will a ract blowflies, rats and worse. It’s also best to avoid trying to compost woody prunings, conifer prunings, roses and holly bushes. Otherwise almost any weeds, plant residues, grass cu ings and leaves are fine, as is kitchen waste and even feathers. I’ve even successfully composted feather beds mixed with other waste, including straw. Don’t worry about diseased plants or creeping weeds because, as long as the heap heats up, all will break down. Comfrey should be added to the heap, and dung or manure will also help to speed up the process. ● My compost bin in the cold corner of the greenhouse stands on a raised plastic bo om, which allows liquid from the ro ing vegetable ma er to drip into a container. This is liquid fertiliser, which can be diluted and fed or sprayed on to plants. The kitchen waste container is primed every time it’s emptied with a small quantity of QR powder, which prevents smell in the kitchen and starts off the composting process. ● Twice a year, in autumn and late spring, the adding of fresh waste to the bin must be stopped for a few weeks to allow the contents to break down. The waste not added can be kept in plastic sacks or containers until the bin is emptied. The compost taken out is best spread on the ground between growing plants – there will be an almost immediate improvement in your plants and the worms will gradually draw the compost into the soil, thereby improving drainage and aeration.