Two soil questions

[wizzbang]

1. The kitchen garden at my new house is divided into quarters. In the past the garden has been tended by somebody who really knew their stuff and took care of things very well but sadly it hasn't been tended for a number of years by the look of it.
My first question is. Each of those quarters has a different type of soil, the one I have been clearing today has had bits of crocks, some stones and gravel and other stuff to make it stoney added. What would have been grown in this type of soil?
The soil itself is lovely and rich. There is no problem with drainage in these beds so I don't think the crocks etc have been added for that purpose. Any ideas?

2, In the poly tunnel along the border next to the plastic (not that that has any bearing on the question but just to give you an idea of whereabouts, I was adding multipurpose compost to the soil because I don't think the poly has been used for a few years`About3/4 of the way down one area of the 'soil' was just like plaster dust, nothing in it at all, and it puffed up and wafted just like plaster dust too. Absolutely no substance to it and it was grey. It wasn't plaster or plaster dust it was soil.
What could have been grown in it to make it like this, or could it simply be that it has never seen water and not had any organic matter in it for years?
Hope somebody can help.
Lynne x

[rustylady]

Lynne, no idea why anyone would add crocks etc to a bed.

As for the polytunnel, if you are planning to grow in the soil and it hasn't been used for years then the first thing you need to do is give it a really good watering. And I mean a really GOOD SOAK.

Then you will be able to realistically judge what the soil is like.

It's going to cost you a fortune to add enough bought multipurpose compost to make much of a difference to the soil, so you need to see what you have first.

[wizzbang]

I still daren't use the compost in the heaps Rusty because of Japanese knotweed.

There are four large (and growing) areas of it and I'm a bit concerned that the previous owners of the house have unwittingly put some on the heaps. So it has to be bought in compost. I have started my own compost heaps and as soon as I can ill start adding that.

I gave the pollywolly a massive soaking (and myself) yesterday and I'll do it again today. I did it mostly to get it wet and start it off and partly to wash in some of the nutrients and goodness from the bought in multi purpose compost. Ill put another couple of bags on it tonight or tomorrow and do the same again. I just couldn't understand how that particular bits (about a yard squared) composition could be so stange. Time will tell I suppose.

The crock and stone bed, are there any veggies that like the soil to be rich but rugged? I have seen traces of peas coming through, well I think they were peas and there is a long strip of chicken wire attached to poles along side the back of the coldframes which edges this particular stony quarter.
I'm going to put my peas in it and see what happens.

Sorry I cant put the pic of the particular area i'm talking about on here, I don't have my cameras and wires out of storage yet.

Thank you for your help once again!

Lynne x

[rustylady]

What are you doing to control the knotweed? And is it anywhere near the compost heaps?

[SarzWix]

I don't know if you have time for it, but if you sift the compost in the heaps it should become clear quite quickly if there are weeds growing through it. The old heap on our previous plot had bindweed growing through it, but the roots were pretty easy to get out. Your polytunnel soil sounds a lot like that which we found in the old tunnel on the same previous plot, and it was essentially due to being really dry for far too long. Some bits were worse than others because some run off of rain managed to seep into some bits and not others. Lots of organic matter, lots of watering, repeat ad infinitum. We didn't do that enough, and the first lot of plants we put in suffered from a lack of nutrients.

Not sure about your bed full of crocks though, never come across that one! I'd be tempted to take out as much as you can; rotation will be a bit awkward otherwise; roots won't like them much!

[wizzbang]

No the knotweed isn't near the compost heaps but It is such a dreadful weed that I don't want to take any risks at all. I don't want to unwittingly introduce it into any other parts of the garden.
I am reluctantly going to use Roundup on the knotweed when it starts to flower. I hate the stuff and have nightmares about it. I find it really upsetting that such a beautiful garden has knotweed in it.
It is four acres and if I allowed it to take hold it would be a nightmare!
Lynne x

[Snadger]

No the knotweed isn't near the compost heaps but It is such a dreadful weed that I don't want to take any risks at all. I don't want to unwittingly introduce it into any other parts of the garden.
I am reluctantly going to use Roundup on the knotweed when it starts to flower. I hate the stuff and have nightmares about it. I find it really upsetting that such a beautiful garden has knotweed in it.
It is four acres and if I allowed it to take hold it would be a nightmare!
Lynne x

..............I have nightmares about roundup (Monsanto) too!

[wizzbang]

What would you use Snadger?
Lynne x

[Mr Bones]

Sounds like a huge but interesting project Wizzbang. Could the crocks have formed part of a terra preta bed.

[veggiechicken]

2, In the poly tunnel along the border next to the plastic (not that that has any bearing on the question but just to give you an idea of whereabouts, I was adding multipurpose compost to the soil because I don't think the poly has been used for a few years`About3/4 of the way down one area of the 'soil' was just like plaster dust, nothing in it at all, and it puffed up and wafted just like plaster dust too. Absolutely no substance to it and it was grey. It wasn't plaster or plaster dust it was soil.
What could have been grown in it to make it like this, or could it simply be that it has never seen water and not had any organic matter in it for years?
Hope somebody can help.
Lynne x

Thought of this yesterday when I found an old seed tray, full of old, dried out MPC, tucked away under a bench. The contents were exactly as you describe, grey, powdery and as light as a feather. Wonder what I had been trying to grow in it

[wizzbang]

Ohhh try and remember Chicken please.

Ewww Mr Bones... do you mean with Poo in it? Ewwwww.. I hope not.

Snadger... I wasn't being sarcastic or rude, it was a proper legit question where I was looking for an alternative to roundup that would work.

Lynne x

[veggiechicken]

Ohhh try and remember Chicken please.
Lynne x

Most of the time I don't know what day it is so what hope is there of remembering whatever I sowed in a seed tray a couple of years ago

[Mr Bones]

Ohhh try and remember Chicken please.

Ewww Mr Bones... do you mean with Poo in it? Ewwwww.. I hope not.

Ha ha, not necessarily poo but the crocks could hold/protect beneficial microbes. I wondered if someone had maybe been experimenting with effective micro-organisms.

[wizzbang]

Ha ha, not necessarily poo but the crocks could hold/protect beneficial microbes. I wondered if someone had maybe been experimenting with effective micro-organisms.

Perhaps, because whoever had the garden before the previous owners did (about 7 years ago) certainly new their stuff. It has had about 7 years of neglect.

Lynne x