First season on plot - need some quick fertiliser tips

[shmeen]

Hi,

I took on an allotment last autumn which was (2/3rds still is) completely overgrown with grass, weeds etc. I had planned to double dig all of it, burying the turf to let it rot down before xmas and grow some green manures. However, the initial surge of digging did not agree with my back and the main digging didn't really get going until early january.

I've got 1/3 dug over now, with the buried turf, but most of it still to dig. I haven't added any manure or anything while I was digging because the allotment is at the top of a steep hill, the car has to be left at the bottom, and there's no way I could carry up enough to have any effect.

So my question really is what have I got time to do before this years growing season that will help the soil structure (quite clayey) and nutrient supply but that doesn't involve hauling tons of something up the hill! I've got a reasonably easy supply of fresh seaweed (some of the other plots have been completely covered in it all winter) and have spread some on but it doesn't seem to have done anything except dry out - is that going to help? I rinsed the salt off before spreading - is that necessary?

Is it best to just buy 'multi purpose plant food' this year and then do green manures, compost (we have 2 full bins but the contents isn't ready for use yet) etc. next year when I'm a bit more setup? If it's buying fertiliser, which ones are good for which plants?

Also, I plan to bury the turf on the rest of the plot over the next couple of months - is that wise or will it not have enough time to break down and just hinder the veg? If I don't bury it, is there anything useful I can do with it for the future?

Lots of questions I know but thanks in advance for any help!

Shmeen
(Sout west devon)

[Jeanied]

IMHO I think a quick answer would be to invest in chicken poo pellets and fish blood and bone for the bigger, longer growing plants. That should set you up for a season or two and give you a chance to build up a compost bin and do some N P K testing to see what you are short of.

[zazen999]

IMHO - you don't need to add much to clay anyway. Things will still grow.

Take the compost that has broken down [shovel out the good stuff when you turn it] - mix with seaweed, some chicken pellets, and any other organic material that you have; so that you have a small supply of good organic stuff. Then, as you dig holes to transplant seedlngs/sow seeds, put a good handful into the bottom and plant/sow into that. Then, put the clay over the top. The clay seals it and the roots grow into the organic stuff.

In time you will build up stocks of organic; but for now, use what you have without going crazy!

[binley100]

Have you got nettles. You could make nettle tea to feed stuff with or if you have a water butt of bucket soak your weeds in it to rot down and then use the liquid as a feed. Clay soils are meant to be pretty good as regards nutrients. We didn't have fertiliser on ours for the first year just comfrey tea as a feed and we still got a pretty good harvest.
ps. If you can get a supply of coffee grounds they're good as well.

[SarzWix]

That's the one good thing about clay - it generally has a decent amount of nutrients The worst things for you, I think, will end up being either drainage if it rains a lot, or surface cracking if it is too sunny (we can hope ). Either way, that will only be solved over time - there is no quick fix unless you can invest in lots of grit and organic matter...
SO for this year, I'd do as the others suggest - concentrate whatever you have into the planting holes, and take what you can in small bits to use over autumn/winter next time. You can bulk out whatever green stuff you put in the compost bin with shredded paper, and also add seaweed. You're probably right to rinse it if you're using a lot. The seaweed could also be used as a bit of a mulch, which would help to prevent the ground from cracking.

Another good thing to try is covering the ground with cardboard, that suppresses weeds, and rots down to add a bit to the soil too. You can cut holes in it and plant spuds through it, which is handy if you've only roughly dug the soil over.

This stuff has been recommended to me, might also be worth a try as it will add a bit of organic matter to the soil too:
Spalding Plant & Bulb Company - Granulated Cow Manure
It's supposedly a bit better than chicken pellets, as it has a more rounded formulation (chicken pellets have quite a high nitrogen content)

Don't forget that a lot of green manures can be grown as a 'quick crop' and dug in over the spring and summer, or, used as companian planting, so have a look and see if any of them might be some use.

Finally - don't rush it Slow and steady progress is more effective than rush and stop
Good luck!

[nerdgas]

I've got this stuff.

Nutrimate | Specialist Exhibition | Seed Potato Catalogue

Bought it for chitting my spuds but the tub is so big (10kg) that I'll be using it on my plot as I'm not sure I'll be getting any manure in time for using this season.

Apparently 10kg is equivalent to 2 tonnes of manure (if you believe the product claims that is).

[zazen999]

I've got this stuff.

Nutrimate | Specialist Exhibition | Seed Potato Catalogue

Bought it for chitting my spuds but the tub is so big (10kg) that I'll be using it on my plot as I'm not sure I'll be getting any manure in time for using this season.

Apparently 10kg is equivalent to 2 tonnes of manure (if you believe the product claims that is).

What do you mean, for chitting your spuds? My spuds are being chitted in empty egg boxes.

[nerdgas]

What do you mean, for chitting your spuds? My spuds are being chitted in empty egg boxes.

Tattieman guide advises that using a weak solution of this stuff sprayed onto the chitting spuds gives good healthy sprouts.

Given he has a bit more experience than me in growing spuds I am following a lot of his advice this year to give me the best chance of success.

Linky below:

chitting sprouting potatoes

[Two_Sheds]

No disrespect whatsoever to Tattieman, but my spuds have been chitting without that goo for donkey's years

(I haven't time to look up fulvic acid today, but I will).

[*Lavender*]

Ooh fulvic acid - it's from peat! Scottish waters are full of humic & fulvic acids - it's what makes the water so soft (but also a pain to treat in water treatment plants!). (sorry - wearing my water treatment engineer hat again!)

I'm in a similar situation with a new plot that looks like it hasn't been grown on for a few years. The soil is quite heavy clay (and was a complete mudbath yesterday so digging out the beds is quite hard!), but I also have a patch at the bottom that has been returned to me (they were working at the bottom half of the allotments repairing old mine shafts!) - now, the soil they've dumped on top doesn't look very good quality - looks like it's full of bits of crushed up bricks & tiny bits of torn plastic!

I'm wondering if I should grow some green manure on this patch this year? Also, it looks like I've missed the boat on the allotment manure delivery, so not sure what to add to the rest of my plot to improve it. I don't have a car so that's making things a bit more complicated!

[Snadger]

Usually if you keep the soil in good heart............loads and loads of manure mulches........you shouldn't need to add any fertiliser!

[glasgowdan]

Do you work for SW? I worked in several of their offices during my time as engineering consultant, but now I'm running my own gardening business I have no desire to go near offices!

Whereabout are your allotments?

I agree with others that suggest using chicken manure pellets, seaweed etc. You will still have success this year. My garden is fairly good but a lot of gardens in the county are very clayey (I get to dig a lot in my work). What I have been doing with them is turning over the turf (if you take a faily deep spadeful and turn it over it won't matter if it takes a few months to rot, you'll manage to grow stuff in it unhindered), adding manure where possible, or simply doing my best to break it up somewhat where I cannot manure.

If there's any spare compost over time dig that in too.

Ooh fulvic acid - it's from peat! Scottish waters are full of humic & fulvic acids - it's what makes the water so soft (but also a pain to treat in water treatment plants!). (sorry - wearing my water treatment engineer hat again!)

I'm in a similar situation with a new plot that looks like it hasn't been grown on for a few years. The soil is quite heavy clay (and was a complete mudbath yesterday so digging out the beds is quite hard!), but I also have a patch at the bottom that has been returned to me (they were working at the bottom half of the allotments repairing old mine shafts!) - now, the soil they've dumped on top doesn't look very good quality - looks like it's full of bits of crushed up bricks & tiny bits of torn plastic!

I'm wondering if I should grow some green manure on this patch this year? Also, it looks like I've missed the boat on the allotment manure delivery, so not sure what to add to the rest of my plot to improve it. I don't have a car so that's making things a bit more complicated!

[Flummery]

I'm an old fashioned gal who believes in blood fish and bone meal for new beds, but as Snadger says, keep adding your own compost and any well rotted manure you can get and you'll not need much more.

[Storming Norman]

Chicken poo was all I used last year on my new clay plot.

It hadn't been worked in years so was in good heart anyway - the crop was amazing. You should be fine this year.

After the initial dig/plant I brought in bagged manure later on, and green compost to use this year, but it is a long way into the site and no car access. I only shifted it when it was really dry to dig/bag and barrow. Some I used as mulch rather than dig it in [that worked well on the potatoes - like earth up without the fuss].

Perhaps you can find a stable that can supply you in the heat of the summer when it is much easier to move up dry paths and very much lighter. It rots quicker then and somehow no-one wants it in the summer, so you have plenty more choice.

Lots of books say manure one year in 4 and compost alternately. Chose which crops really need the good stuff and the rest will be sorted with rotation of beds. Isn't seaweed a form of manure substitute?

If digging is causing you back issues perhaps an azada might be a better tool for you to use? Clay is really heavy at this time of year.