Topic: How do you feed the soil and plants at YOUR plot?

[glosterwomble]

We took over our plot about 18 months ago and it was an overgrown jungle of couch grass and brambles having not been cultivated for at least 6 years.

Having got it back into workable condition we think that the soil is lacking in good nutrients, our neighbours have added loads of organic matter to their plot and seem to be reaping the benefits.

We have added some manure but I think not enough yet and I have also used pelleted chicken manure. Last year I also used miracle grow and growmore which are obviously not organic and I would rather not use a quick fix like that again.

So, what do you do? Mushroom compost, garden compost, manure, chicken muck etc. etc. When and how much??

[woppa30]

I think you answered your own question. If you want to add loads of organic mater and nutrients to the soil there are only a few limited options which you have listed. See what you can get hold of cheaply in your area and get as much of it as you can and get it in the soil. Remember however some crops don't like being on soil that has recently been manured. Perhaps you might want to concentrate your manuring efforts on certain areas this year and rotate those efforts, like your crops, next year.
Hope this helps,
Woppa

[manicscousers]

have you got your own compost bins ? should be about right in 18 months, that's the best stuff to put anywhere  ;D
if,like us, you can't make enough , mushroom compost is good to bulk up, we're in our 3rd year on this plot so, the soil should be okay next year, as we've rotated the crops and added manure, compost and lime to the different beds,we've also been putting green manure on the empty ones over in autumn, ready for the greens the next season .
we've also got 2 leaf bins going this year, some goes in the carrot/parsnip beds but lots gets made into potting on compost  :)

[glosterwomble]

We have got our own compost bins and we have a supply of horse muck near to the plot, I think I need to be going and getting more. People who have used mushroom compost seem to be getting good results so I think I may look into that too.

[kt.]

I do not really feed anything specific.  Just home made compost,  a little fresh multi-purpose compost when sowing,  manure and lime where applicable.  Never really found the need to give specific feed. Quite fortunate..... so far anyway.

As well as composting - good crop rotation will also help feed / replace nutrients that a previous crop has used.  Leaving roots of pea crops in the soil replace nitrogen for example. 

[STEVEB]

i use garden compost,comfrey liquid and leaf ,green manures and nettle fertilizer.

[Pumper]

What we do is put all our home compost in a large water butt, and every so often drain the liquid from it into bottles.
We dilute it by about 3 to 1 and pour it at the bottom of the crops.

Not absolutely sure if it has much effect, but anything that stinks that powerfull must be doing something :D

[glosterwomble]

What we do is put all our home compost in a large water butt, and every so often drain the liquid from it into bottles.
We dilute it by about 3 to 1 and pour it at the bottom of the crops.

Not absolutely sure if it has much effect, but anything that stinks that powerfull must be doing something :D

That made me smile!! I have just started 'brewing' a tea from comfrey in and old plastic bin, I took the cover off last night to stir it and nearly passed out!!!!!!  :-X It smells like a rotting corpse!!

[tonybloke]

more like a spanish sewer!! ;D ;D ;D

[RosieMcPosie]

i've got some nettle soup on to go, it stinks!! i make some up every couple of weeks during the spring to give everything a boost, great thing is, it's FREE!!
we're next to an unloved plot too so there are loads of nettles!
in my raised beds go home meade compost, bags of multi purpose compost, horse poo and that all gets mixed with our clay soil. we add chicken poo pellets to the top layer too.