How do I 'feed' my soil?

[Herbsandveg]

I've just reclaimed an area of grassland, and have double-dug the plot, and am hoping to grow some veg in it this season. Although the soil seems pretty good, with hardly any clay, and not all that many stones, I realise I'll have to 'feed' it this year until my own garden compost is ready later this year.

I'm planning to use some organic pellets as well as making my own Comfrey and Nettle 'tea', but am just wondering how exactly to use the pellets. Do I just broadcast these across the border and simply trust the nutrients to eventually spread throughout the soil, or is it OK to pop a few pellets directly into the rows whenever I sow seeds or when I plant out? I'd be as chuffed to little mintballs if anyone could help me*...

Also, does anyone have any idea whether chicken manure pellets would as effective as comfrey pellets in 'feeding' this new border, or whether I should try something different altogether?





*Never quite worked out what this phrase means!

[rustylady]

There is no need to feed it anything. If it grew grass it will grow vegetables and flowers.

[ancee]

Oh! Just read this as it's a question I was going to ask too! As we had our garden cleared earlier last year with a big digger, he took all of the rubbish/plants/weeds and topsoil and I was worrying that all the goodness went too!

[veggiechicken]

If you've lost all your topsoil, the answer may be a bit different

[Potstubsdustbins]

As VC says if you have lost your top soil you will need to do some fairly heavy work.

First what do you have left.

Potty

[Herbsandveg]

As VC says if you have lost your top soil you will need to do some fairly heavy work.

First what do you have left.

Potty

Hello Potty et al

My topsoil is probably OK because I only lost 1" at most when I skimmed the grass off it. It seems like our friend here has a bit more work to do, as you both suggest...

[rustylady]

My topsoil is probably OK because I only lost 1" at most when I skimmed the grass off it.

What did you do with the grass Herbs?

[Herbsandveg]

What did you do with the grass Herbs?

Rusty

I kept it in turves and am using it upside down in my compost bins. I'd read this would be OK. Would you agree?...

[rustylady]

Rusty

I kept it in turves and am using it upside down in my compost bins. I'd read this would be OK. Would you agree?...

Yes, that's fine. You could have buried it in the trenches as you did your double digging, but it will rot down fine in the compost bins.

[Two_Sheds]

I kept it in turves and am using it upside down in my compost bins.

Personally I wouldn't have wasted the space, but then you may have lots of compost bins? Turves can be stacked anywhere, to rot down slowly.


As for feeding the soil, what that means is to improve it with stuff like garden compost, manure, etc.

Comfrey pellets, tea and chicken pellets don't feed the soil: they feed the plants. Different plants have different nutritional needs. Broadly speaking, N (nitrogen) is for leafy green growth (brassicas); P is for roots, and K is for flowering & fruiting plants.

Chicken pellets are high in N, and are alkaline: so ideal for brassicas.

If your ground hasn't grown crops for a while, then it's unlikely to have been depleted. It's only after a few years of growing greedy crops that nutrients disappear from the soil. Ideally, it's put back in by way of garden compost.

[ancee]

I've got a bag of sand to dig in as mine's really claggy - all rain has not helped. Going to do it bed by bed, starting with inside the polytunnel. I'm going to dig in compost as I go, wish me luck