frugal allotmenting and compost......

[becslb]

Firstly... am not sure if I am posting in the right place, apologies if I am not

DH was made redundant last May, has since set up on his own but finances are very tight and I have been thinking about the way I grow for the veg plot at home and at the allotment... I tend to sow most seeds into seedtrays, pot up and then transplant to their final growing space - it works for me and helps me beat slugs/mice/pigeons and badgers nevermind the dog that loves sweetcorn and pumpkin seedlings or the chickens that think it is great to figure out another way to the veg plot but as you can imagine, even with trying to be sensible, not wasting compost and finding the best value for my money I do find that I spend an awful lot of money on compost for seedlings and then greenhouse plants or container grown veg.

Am having a go at using kitchen waste in old shopping bags etc for pumpkins this year (as suggested by another GYO'er on another thread) but wondered if 1.any experienced gardeners can suggest other ways of minimising my compost expenditure? and 2. what seeds do you start off in seed trays and what do you have success with when direct sowing?

Thanks, becs

[Two_Sheds]

make your own leafmould. It can be added to potting compost to eke it out a bit.

[Matt.]

Why not just use soil from your plot? I'm sure you could fill a bag then easily seive it to get nice fine parts of soil. You could add some compost to make it a bit better. I'm sure this would be more than adequate and is an instant fix. Then just make sure you're making compost and leaf mould so you can use that next year.

[becslb]

thinking about both your replies... I have plenty of hm compost in my bins - would that be too rich or bulky for seedlings? I normally use it as a mulch on my container fruit trees/bushes or direct on to the beds as needed.

[Snadger]

I use soil from my plot to make John Innes No3 type potting compost. Loads of info if you google John Innes.

I use a ratio of seven of soil, three of peat/compost (whatevers cheap) and two of sand with a handful or two to the wheel barrow load of Blood fish and bone. I also add my own compost if I want to lighten the texture a bit.

I don't screen or riddle mine or sterilise it. (Can't be arsed!) I've never had any problems and I'm quite prepared to pull out the odd weed if need be!

Try it, you'll find out its a lot cheaper. Soil based composts are also heavier so ideal for pots which tend to get blown over!

The only thing I don't use soil based compost for is as a seed compost as I think soil less is better for this.

[zazen999]

Mix it with some soil; I don't know what soil you have but it will reduce the nutrients until you pot on.

Also, I sow everything in modules; I also use those free trays from garden centres and fill those with sieved soil from the lottie and sow into those [saves carrying stuff there and back as well], so onion sets are started off in them and planted out once they have a root system grown, if I had a lack of compost I'd sow the majority into those and just sown a few back up seeds into bought compost back at home.....

[becslb]

Thank you everyone for your replies I need to experiment I think and see what works for me but feel sure now that I can keep my costs down.

[Jeanied]

Any chance of finding molehill soil? It used to be used for seed compost! Why not get your hands on a wartime veg growing book - that's where my tip came from!

[becslb]

ah! now I do know where I can get molehill soil from! thank you!

I will have a look for a wartime gardening book... in fact, I must get the books I lent to a friend back (not wartime though but am sure full of tips)...

[Snadger]

I know a bloke who used nice fine molehill soil in his leek trench. It worked great until the rains came and then the sun came out. His leek trench was like a block of concrete!

[SarzWix]

Monty Don recommends using some soil from the patch you'll be planting into mixed into compost for sowing seeds, he reckons it's less trouble for the plants to acclimatise that way.

[carlseawolf]

i use sieved lottie soil to get out the stones, and any home made compost or rabbit poo or old plant compost . With added BFB or broken shells

[Two_Sheds]

Why not just use soil from your plot?

It will be full of weed seeds.

What I've done in the past is to half fill a pot with garden soil (so the weed seeds are several inches deep and can't see the light) and top with MPC (which is sterile)

[becslb]

Was thinking that I do have spent compost stored in the greenhouse from last years toms/peppers.. was going to spread it on the plot with the hm compost but it should be ok mixed with hm compost for sowing shouldn't it? Would help eek it all out..... wouldn't it?

[Two_Sheds]

You can re-use compost as long as it's clean and not had any diseased plants/mould etc in it. Be careful with tomatoes (blight etc).

It won't have nutrients though, and might be fairly 'rooty'.