This is sort of a follow on from 'rusty leek' thread on the edible page. Gavin posted some interesting links which mentioned possible causes of rust on leeks, garlic etc. This involves looking at the potassium and nitrogen content of your soil.
I'm wondering how many of you have done soil analysis of your plots, checking for mineral levels, acidity etc. as i must admit although only in my second year of growing i still have not even checked the ph of my soil. Do you? am i potentially 'handicapping' any plant growth as a result?
:-[ I haven't checked mine either, even though I had really good intentions at the start of the season. Before I knew it, I was planting and sowing and had clean forgotten about checking! So far most things are growing great guns, so I am not currently worried about the pH, but I will check before I start spreading compost or liming, so I have an idea what is what.
[heresy on]If it ain't broke, don't fix it?[heresy off]
Yes, I know that I should have on the old plot; and that I should on the new one ---- but life's too short to remeber everything I should do! :)
If veg showed signs of not thriving - ah now then, that'd be different.
All best - Gavin
I think your both right - most of the veg is going great so why worry!!
But last years and this years poor results with brassics might mean i will look to correct any mineral deficits. and i know nothing about liming so a little research might be required.
cheers guys
Interesting thread this - I haven't yet done a soil analysis, but really think I should. My friend who has a plot two down the site from me (about 30 feet away) gets much better crops than I do and she doesn't do anything to the soil. I understand that the plotholder before me was keen on liming and I wonder if this is why....
I can't grow spuds - they get something that looks like scab but is slimy....tomatoes do well in warm years....
Soil testing kit on the Xmas list, methinks!
AC
I'll buy the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" one. For recreational and domestic purposes, if it grows what I want it to (other than obvious things, like the "allotment" has club root so no brassicas). I do make an exception for pH though, as a strip of universal indicator paper, in a plastic cup with soil & defrost water from the fridge, costs a few pence & takes a few seconds. If something repeatedly failed, I'd look further into it.
We haven't done a pH test on the soil yet, like EJ we just got on with planting and sowing.
However we do have several kits which we bought back in the early days which are still in their packaging.
Might do it after this season just to see what we have grown in!
Gilgamesh - the rootrainers stand at Gardeners world live - the bloke said that starting brassicas in rootrainers helps - think if you snip the roots coming out of the bottom of the rootrainer makes the plants grow more roots....... He said that he hasn't known clubroot in rootrainer grown plants....