Topic: Soil

[purple sprouting]

I have a new plot that I have turned over twice (in December) which is starting to look a little neglected.  I am planting sections up, a bit at a time, hoeing, weeding and 'de-prickleplanting' as I see the weeds.

I am being realistic in thinking that I cannot come close to matching longtime cultivated  plots (some look like the soil is sieved daily to provide ideal growing conditions). 

The soil on my plot has been neglected for years, is dry, hard and clumpy.  I am composting like mad at home (two bins) and have a further two (empty at the moment) bins at the allotment for next year.  I have a pile of horse manure (at the allotment) which I can (hopefully) dig into my plot in Autumn.

Does anyone have any advice regarding anything that I can improve my soil with now?

Regards

Ann

[katynewbie]

???

I dont know much Ann, but all the things you do over the season will help, kitchen waste in the bean trench, mulching beds with grass cuttings, maybe bulk up compo bins with straw? These are all things I will be doing cos I am in the same position! My soil looks ok, but as I dont know whats been done before i intend to get as much as i can into it over the year.

Next year we will have so much fertility in our soil we will wonder how it happened...always was an optimist...

 ;)

[supersprout]

Hi sprouting, it sounds like you are doing all the right things, and I hope you have plenty of compost for next year :)

If you mulch heavily during this year (when the soil is damp), the soil will be in better condition for cultivation at the end of the year. Could you lay your hands on spent hops from a brewery, or coffee grounds from e.g. a Starbucks until your compost is ready? Both will be free and plentiful if you can find a source, and have a neutral/slightly acid ph so they won't hurt the growing plants. Mushroom compost might be another option (see current thread on the forum), though I haven't tried it as I can get bags (literally!) of the other two. Like Katy says, you could use grass clippings, especially under squash family, or in a thin layer as a mulch. Straw in a thick layer will prevent dryness and help the soil recover its equilibrium, but it does tend to get everywhere!

Perhaps you could test the soil's ph too, the little kits aren't expensive. Anything that helps you get to know your new soil better.

'De-prickleplanting' LOL! ;D ;D ;D

[Curryandchips]

Yes, mulches are probably the easiest route to go. Easiest because they don't require digging, and also they don't need to be put into the ground before planting, which means time is not a critical factor as well. The weather and the worms will take the nutrients down, and the whole lot will improve the soil by the end of the season. My compost is not quite ready to use yet, so I will be using this mulch approach myself, a sort of halfway house with the no-dig method.

[purple sprouting]

Thankyou all very much - I appreciate all of the advice, and will share anything I learn along the way.

[telboy]

Purple Sprouting,
Good luck with your efforts. Spread the half rotted (?)stable manure & rake it in! If you can, spread a liberal layer of sharp sand on the plot (it's cheap).
If you can use or borrow a rotovator the job will be done!!

[supersprout]

Telboy, I have never seen 'sharp sand' for sale, only builders' :(. Where should I be looking please?  ::)

[telboy]

Try Wykes.
In bags - cheap.

[Merry Tiller]

What about some green manure?

[telboy]

MT,
Buy it in seed form & cast it about in the Autumn?dig it in - in the Spring.

[keef]

Did you dig it or rotorvate it? Digging is much better for new of negleted plots.

Spuds do an excellent jod of breaking up lumpy soil.

Also, i go over mine with a drag (a fork type thingy, with the tyne's bent at 90deg) every couple of weeks from Feb onwards to break any clods that the frost has'nt, also keeps the weeds down until you plant.

[saddad]

If it is as heavy as it sounds it will take several years to look like your neighbours. The green manure/mulches approach is a good idea and you need to find the window between squeelch and rock hard when it looks like real soil!
 :-\