Greenhouse border compost

[Bramble_killer]

Quick question, the greenhouse border where last year grew tomatoes and cucumbers and 2 aubergines. I've been told to remove all of it and then put fresh compost down. Am happy with that but what can I do with the old compost? Can I dig it into the veg patch?

Thanks

[Snadger]

Yes you can........or if it WAS actually compost you could use it to fill pots this year and grow anything in it apart from cucurbits/ toms/taters!

[Bramble_killer]

Yes you can........or if it WAS actually compost you could use it to fill pots this year and grow anything in it apart from cucurbits/ toms/taters!

Excellent!! thank you. Might do some carrots in pots and use it for some strawberries.

[Flummery]

I usually swap the border soil from one side with soil from the garden vegetable patch, then do the other side the following year.

[womble]

Is it compost or actual soil?

Bob Flowerdew said although you are often advised to change all the soil in a greenhouse border every year when growing tomatoes, because of disease, in practice he found it took over 20 years to cause a problem.
I have just grown 2 years in the same border, tomatoes were brilliant last year. I added manure and HM compost the 2nd year, with some chicken pellets, fed lots of banana skins and comfrey tea.


This year I am changing it, but for other reasons, but I expect every couple of years or so, to swap it with a outside beds soil, will do the trick.

[organic vic]

HI Could you not do a three year rotation?

[Bramble_killer]

Is it compost or actual soil?

Bob Flowerdew said although you are often advised to change all the soil in a greenhouse border every year when growing tomatoes, because of disease, in practice he found it took over 20 years to cause a problem.
I have just grown 2 years in the same border, tomatoes were brilliant last year. I added manure and HM compost the 2nd year, with some chicken pellets, fed lots of banana skins and comfrey tea.


This year I am changing it, but for other reasons, but I expect every couple of years or so, to swap it with a outside beds soil, will do the trick.

It's compost. we dug out the soil last year when we moved in because it had been left unused for a few years.

We do get blight around here so I'm not taking any chances. Next year maybe I'll move some from the bed in the rotation into it but got 10 growbags from the GC for £16 and peace of mind.

[womble]

I'm sure we've been over this enough, but you don't get blight from soil. Is it possible? Yes. Is it in practical terms worth worrying about? no.

I can't see why you dug all the soil out, soil doesn't "go off" just because nothing has been sown by a gardener in it. If there were weeds growing in it, it should have been fine.

But if you have peace of mind, then that's all that matters now.

[piskieinboots]

You could alternate the use of border soil/compost with sitting growbags on the soil and using bottomless pots in the growbags to give you the depth of soil you would get from growing direct into the border.

[Bramble_killer]

I'm sure we've been over this enough, but you don't get blight from soil. Is it possible? Yes. Is it in practical terms worth worrying about? no.

I can't see why you dug all the soil out, soil doesn't "go off" just because nothing has been sown by a gardener in it. If there were weeds growing in it, it should have been fine.

But if you have peace of mind, then that's all that matters now.

Some people choose to worry about different things than others.

There wasn't anything growing on the soil in the border, the woman who used the garden died when she was close or over 100 so the garden hadn't been used for a fair few years. To make a quick start, everything was emptied out.

The soil might not "go off" but it can certainly harbour lots of fungi and bacteria and pests that would have destroyed my tomatoes and aubergines and cucumbers and everything else in there last year.

Also, please sit down, I don't actually like Bob Flowerdew.

[womble]

Also, please sit down, I don't actually like Bob Flowerdew.

I'm not even sure that's allowed....

[Bramble_killer]

I'm not even sure that's allowed....

I don't do no dig gardening.

Sorry if I sounded a bit short in the previous message. I've been tilling clay soil. First time I've had 2 dry days in a row and I nearly killed myself.

[womble]

Sorry if I sounded a bit short in the previous message.

s'alright, I always get too preachy.

[smallblueplanet]

s'alright, I always get too preachy.

Carry on...

I wonder about changing the compost in greenhouse borders too. Where did you get the Bob Flowerdew '20 years' info from?

[womble]

Carry on...

I wonder about changing the compost in greenhouse borders too. Where did you get the Bob Flowerdew '20 years' info from?

One of his books, not sure which one and they do tend to ramble a little, so I'm not even sure where to find it in there