I've been trawling through suggestions for fertilizing soil in raised beds and containers and figured I would post to see if folks reckoned I'd managed to use all the information correctly before I bung everything in and kill the lot!
I am mainly after adding fertilizers to old large pots of potato compost so that I can still grow in them - I have no beds or anywhere in my garden that I could dump the soil, and there is far too much to transport anywhere for disposal, so I really am hoping that I can manage a partial refresh/rotation in the largest pots. Mostly the pots are 40cm in diameter, some around 40cm deep, others 80 cm deep, so on the large side.
My hopeful plan for the old potato pots is as follows:
First year: Hoping to grow french (climbing and dwarf) beans and peas in the compost this year. Will be adding torn cardboard two thirds of the way down the pot, then a mix of bokashi bran and kitchen scraps (for fast decomposition) around halfway down, both mixed with the old soil, then some chicken manure pellets just to help the soil out (though as I understand they don't really do much for beans).
Second year: Grow carrots and roots (and possibly swede/giant radishes). Will be adding coffee grounds, (sand to the carrot pots) and bokashi compost, with some blood, fish and bone before sowing. Also planning to sow spring onions and leaf coriander between them to space them out/repel carrot fly.
Third year: Perhaps tomatoes/potatoes again (?). To add manure and/or more bokashi compost. Not sure if I would be needing to add lime, borax and epsom salts before planting.
I am mainly after adding fertilizers to old large pots of potato compost so that I can still grow in them - I have no beds or anywhere in my garden that I could dump the soil, and there is far too much to transport anywhere for disposal, so I really am hoping that I can manage a partial refresh/rotation in the largest pots. Mostly the pots are 40cm in diameter, some around 40cm deep, others 80 cm deep, so on the large side.
My hopeful plan for the old potato pots is as follows:
First year: Hoping to grow french (climbing and dwarf) beans and peas in the compost this year. Will be adding torn cardboard two thirds of the way down the pot, then a mix of bokashi bran and kitchen scraps (for fast decomposition) around halfway down, both mixed with the old soil, then some chicken manure pellets just to help the soil out (though as I understand they don't really do much for beans).
Second year: Grow carrots and roots (and possibly swede/giant radishes). Will be adding coffee grounds, (sand to the carrot pots) and bokashi compost, with some blood, fish and bone before sowing. Also planning to sow spring onions and leaf coriander between them to space them out/repel carrot fly.
Third year: Perhaps tomatoes/potatoes again (?). To add manure and/or more bokashi compost. Not sure if I would be needing to add lime, borax and epsom salts before planting.
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