Soil improvement

[Markyw]

Morning all
I am looking for some advise regarding improving my soil on my plot. This will be my third year on this plot .The first year I noticed that there was no goodness in the soil what so ever as nothing would grow, so I ended up adding fertiliser, to supplement the lack nutrients,

Over the last couple of years I have been working my way along the plot adding manure and compost to all areas which has helped loads. This year I am working on the fruit area as last year my raspberries just would not grow, well they got to about 3ft tall if that. So this year have been adding compost and manure around the plants, this has helped loads as the new growth is now about 5 ft already so I am please with all the work I have put in.

I will be finishing the final area of the plot by adding compost and manure in the autumn. The way I look at this is the soil was devoid of all goodness. The soil is quite stony and free draining but the PH is ok, I am still thinking that there could still be a lack of minerals in the soil but don't want to go to the expense of having a soil test. What would you recommend me doing to regarding adding additional minerals or supplementary nutrients to be on the safe side .

Thanks for taking the time to read and any advise.

Mark

[alldigging]

Did you get no weeds growing?

[bario1]

You could buy a bag of rock dust, though I think the jury's out on whether it really helps. Sounds to me like you're doing exactly what you need to be doing already, just keep adding the organic matter. I mulch empty beds with a foot of dead leaves over winter.

[Jay-ell]

You could add some wood ash in the autumn as this has calcium and other trace nutrients in it (although too much may raise the ph for a while), apart from that I haven't any more to add to what you're doing. That and a dusting of bfb. And possibly a comfrey mulch

[Jungle Jane]

You could use a green manure on bare soil over winter? I do what I learnt on here years ago,chop up all my old bean,sweetcorn,marigolds,peas other prunings from shrubs,careful with sunflower heads because of ladybirds hibernating in there & lay it all over the bare soil in October/November it breaks down,stops weeds & puts all the nutrients back into the soil (maybe insects hide in there,beneficial beetles?) all ready for planting in March.

[Cadalot]

Green manure as JJ suggests and Coffee Grounds, leafs etc. think about a comfrey patch as well

[Bill Door]

As alldigging says " don't weeds grow?"

I assume you are making your own compost? If so, add nettles and make nettle tea (just loads of nettles in water for three weeks, watch out it stinks and don't use the roots). Water the nettle tea into the ground in the ratio of 1 to 10 (1 nettle tea to 10 of water), do this about once a week,

If your don't do your own compost then I would start and collect as much green and "browns" as you can. Docks and bindweed should be left in buckets of water for two months, then added to the compost bin.

Don't be tempted to take all the stones out, only the ones that fit the palm of your hand or are bigger. Keeping adding the manure and compost, it will come. Well done for getting this far.

Bill

[MarkPelican]

I'm with JJ. Green Manure has the benefit protecting the soil over the winter but in reality, just keep piling on the compost. If you have to buy it (as I do) look out for special offers on growbags and other composts towards the end of the season.

[Mr Bones]

Sounds like you're doing all the right things so far Marky. Just keep feeding the soil organic matter and it should find it's own balance.

[Martin H]

Yes, I agree with Mr Bones, just keep the organic matter coming and the minerals locked up in your soil will become available to the plants. I wouldn't worry about supplementary minerals unless you get clear symptoms; most soils have plenty of the trace elements needed. I understand that rock dust etc tends only to make a significant difference on peat soils or other soils that are really low in minerals.

[Snoop Puss]

You might also consider agricultural gypsum.

But these are all hit and miss options if you don't know what the problem is. How much would a soil test cost? Do you think one of those kits would be good enough? Might be a wise investment to find out what's wrong before trying to put it right.

[ESBkevin]

You're thinking along the right lines of adding organic matter.
Make compost. Collect free local resources to make more like cardboard and other peoples grass/hedge cuttings. Make friends with a tree surgeon and get some shredded trees. look for someone with a horse or two and a problem with too much poo in thier lives! Mulch all over the place (cardboard sheet and woodchip) and use green manure for any bald patches.

There are two elements to the problem, one is that there is not enough fertiliser in the soil, the other is that there is plenty but it's not accessable to the plants. One advantage of plants like comfrey (and nettles) is that they harvest those nutrients efficiently and can then be added to your veg plot. Trees particularly haul up trace minerals and nutrients that are not available to the annual vegitables near the surface. The second element suggests that the nutrients exist but the plants can't access them very easily. In nature the roots team up with a fungus called mycorrhiza that enable the plant to provide the suns goodness (sugars etc). to the fungus and the fugus exchanges water and nutrients to the plant. There are ways to stimulate this fungal growth (or damage it by excessive cultivation and compaction) by using part rotted woodchip (with all that white fungus showing in it) or buying and adding the mycorrhzi from a packet to the plant roots as you transplant the young stock. You mearly need to infect the plant and nature takes over and develops the rest. Also the PH level can have some effect. Finally there are indigenous microorganisms that we can stimulate to encourage our soil to be more alive and with the preffered bacteria for our purposes. Again you can buy indigenous microorganisms or IMO 1, ready made but it is so easy to make your own for little cost (some milk and molasses/brown sugar) that you can make a years supply in two weeks and stimulate all your soil, your compost bin and have your dustbins stop smelling etc.
You will need to do some reading of these methods and watch some yoo toob videos for hints and tips but the results seem veryu encouraging.

As an added tip, our local council give away free soil improver once a year in May, it's made from the collected garden waste and whilst not particularly nutrient rich it does help with nutrient, worm and moisture retention. Check your local council for the same kind of deal.
My philosophy seems to be take care of the soil and the soil takes care of the plants.

[Markyw]

Well many thanks for all your kind and valued advice, I think I will continue to keep adding the compost and manure at the moment. also I will plant green manure later in the year. I always spread my wood ash over the plot and will keep doing so when we are allowed to have fire again.

I think that I will try to get a soil test kit if not to expensive so I can see what is what. Even the carrots would not grow well in some places. I do have loads of leafs and other organic matter rotting down at the moment so it will all be put to good use at the end of the season.

The areas that I have spent time on are much much better now but some of the other areas need some TLC. Don't forget our allotment site is over 100 years old and I think time and lack of care of the ground over this long time has to be taken into account.

Many thank again for your kind a replies.

Mark

[FlowerpotGirl]

Not sure if its of any interest but the Big Barn has an offer to get a 6g bag of Phacelia Seeds for £1.49 including delivery. Its fantastic green manure and brilliant for the soil. I've ordered mine today

http://bigbarn.us9.list-manage.com/t...1&e=9034df9b06