Odd soil problem in tunnel

[kentvegplot]

Hi guys

I've got a tunnel with a path (just trodded earth) down the middle. Soil on the right is nicely damp, dark, easy to work etc. Soil on the left is dry, dusty, pale and hopeless. The tunnel sits on clay, and both beds are fed/watered/weeded in the same way. I grow toms and peppers in the ground, rotating them around the tunnel. There's no appreciable slope, although I guess there must be a slight incline, otherwise both sides would be equally wet from the high water table.

So, question. Why do I have such a difference left and right, and what do you think I could do to improve matters? The only difference is that the r.h. bed has been worked for an extra season. Currently I am thinking of adding a lot of OM to the left bed, and perhaps watering it too (not usually required in Feb).

Any ideas?

Thanks

[Snadger]

You could either move your tunnel or change your bedsoil?

As toms and peppers belong to the same family, you are in effect practicing monoculture and not gaining anything by rotating peppers and toms.The soil structure and available nutrients will gradually deteriorate along with your crops. You will also get a build up of salts.

[richardbees]

It looks like you may have an underlying hard pan of clay on the LH side, in which case just adding OM won't help much. Can I suggest digging a small trench, two spits deep, across the width and see if you find any noticeable change? If there is, you can work along that side with a heavy fork / crowbar and break up the subsoil - and then add OM

(imho build up of chemicals is imaterial)

[kentvegplot]

Thanks both. I think I'll start with investigating for a pan (rolls up sleeves and fetches large spade......). The soil chemicals issue is for another day...

[Aberdeenplotter]

Thanks both. I think I'll start with investigating for a pan (rolls up sleeves and fetches large spade......). The soil chemicals issue is for another day...

Because the surface soil is level, doesn't mean that the hard pan below is and there could well be a difference in the way the soil drains from them. I agree with Richard that a session working on the subsoil could be worthwhile. As to the build up of salts, it's not such a huge problem to overcome. Just give the beds in the tunnel an extremely good soaking and that should wash out any surplus. Not so easy for me to do in my own tunnel as that is on a 1 in 8 slope and water just runs straight off the surface.