Topic: Soil Improver vs Multipurpose Compost for rejuvenating small area-which is best?

[George the Pigman]

I have a small area of soil at the back of my garden in which I grow salad stuff and herbs. It's about 6ft by 6ft. I have been getting poorish crops from it for the last couple of years despite adding shop bought manure at the start of the season. I think the problem is the soil structure which doesn't look brilliant.
I got a job lot of good quality multipurpose compost last autumn with the idea of putting it on to the plot to improve the soil structure but it seems a waste to use it for just that. I have never used "soil improver" not being too sure in what situation in which it would be used.Would this be the best thing to use?
Anyone any advice?

[ACE]

once when we wanted some soil improver to use as top dressing on a show garden at the exhibition centre we got in touch with Birmingham council who delivered us some from the tip. It was better than some of the stuff that comes out of commercial bags of compost. 

[Tee Gee]

Do you live anywhere near a Riding Stable or Farm?

If you have a word with them they might let you fill a few bagfuls of horse/cow dropping to dig in!

If it is too fresh you could leave it in the bags for a bit to ferment and rot down.

We preferred horse droppings because it was drier and fibrous so could be dug in right away, whereas cow manure could be a bit ripe and wanted a draining period before digging in!

On our allotment we gave the local horse stable permission to drop of skip loads now and again which they did free of charge whereas if they had gone through the council they would have incurred landfill charges.

So it turned out to be a Win Win situations for both parties

[Obelixx]

I think MPC is usually so badly sieved and rotted down it's only fit to be used as a soil improver as it is fibrous and can improve aeration and moisture retention as the worms and other soil organisms work it in.   For better fertility I would use well-rotted horse manure or a generous handful per square metre of pelleted chicken manure depending on what I was planning to grow.

[ancellsfarmer]

Do we assume George the Pigman lacks pigs?
For a small area as this, the contents of a domestic compost bin, spread when matured, would grow salads etc . I would urge you not to dig it, improve the texture the natural way. Regenerative agriculture is the hot topic in land management the whole world over! No dig, no artificial inputs, bury carbon, feed the soil and nature will feed your plants and you.

[George the Pigman]

I'm afraid Ancellsfarmer the wife wouldn't countenance a pigsty in the back garden!
I do have compost bins in the back of the garden but they are full of flower seeds of various kinds from flowering plants cut back in autumn. That's not necessarily a disadvantage - we used it to beef up a small strip in the front of our house and it produced a wonderful display-free of charge!. But I don't fancy repeatedly hoeing out seedlings when I am really trying to grow veg.
The compost I have is Jacks Magic - i find it's usually good quality stuff with no bits in it.

[ancellsfarmer]

Yes George, its strange about their reaction to the suggestion. Guess they can't stand the competition!
Would you be able to sterilise your compost by re-composting a batch using 'hot' ingredients, fresh manure and straw etc, as if a 'hot bed', to raise to 60 deg C and hold for 5 days?

[BarriedaleNick]

Obviously rotted manure is the ideal solution but if that is tricky then chicken poo pellets and a bit of BFB are my go to feeds for a quick fertility boost.

[Paulh]

I'd say you need something to add material (humus) to the soil and something to add fertility, so I'd go for both compost and pellets.

[George the Pigman]

I've been wary of using farmyard manure of late direct from farms because of the problems with contamination with hormone weed killers. It affected some people on our allotment a few years back. I have assumed (perhaps naively!)when you buy it bagged and dried from garden centres its OK.