What should I buy?

[Pickle]

I'd like to develop a bit more of our garden for growing vegetables but we are on heavy clay. We already have a flower bed down one side of the garden but I haven't done an awful lot with it since we've lived here. I can't afford to put in raised beds at the moment down that side but I'm wondering what I can add to the soil to help improve it? I remember my Dad haven't tonnes of spent mushroom compost delivered to their house when I was younger. Would that be the way forward or would just topsoil be the way to go?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated so that I don't have another year with some perfectly good growing space going to waste I should add that I was planning on growing potatoes in this bed this year.

[ginger ninger]

Have a look round where you live to see if anyone giving away free horse poo, it's great to help improve the structure of soil you have. Also old compost dug in can help, a little grit/sand will help with drainage. But anything organic will help. I've heard potatoes are great as helping break up clay soil, but I could be wrong.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I think but am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, that Mushroom compost is very alkaline and will not suit spuds.

[FoxHillGardener]

Mushroom compost is good for improving clay soil as it contains gypsum which helps form nice soil particles. It doesn't happen instantaneously but I'm now in year three of mushrooming my clay beds and the difference is remarkable.

One word of warning, don't use it on your potatoes or anything that prefers it on the acidic side such as blueberries or raspberries. They'll be happy with compost and manure though

[FoxHillGardener]

Aberdeen plotter - on the money with the potato thing

[northepaul]

Similar problem with part of my garden - acidic and clay! I have been adding sand/spent compost over the past year and the difference is very noticeable -no more waterlogging in winter being the main one. The soil is still not as good as it could be, but it's getting there.

[Pickle]

Thank you all for your replies. Another reason I asked about mushroom compost is because there was an advert on here for 50% extra free MC and when I read the site it said it was pH neutral. Is that not the case then with mushroom compost? I'm easily confused

[Snadger]

Thank you all for your replies. Another reason I asked about mushroom compost is because there was an advert on here for 50% extra free MC and when I read the site it said it was pH neutral. Is that not the case then with mushroom compost? I'm easily confused

I think lime is added to a mixture of peat and well rotted horse muck to grow mushrooms.
I used magnesium limestone (crushed dolomite?) on my plot last year which is not supposed to affect potatoes making them scabby as limestone does.
If its actually stated that its pH neutral this is 7 on the pH scale.

Generally it is best to aim for a pH of 6.5 for most veggies, but pH7 and above should be better for brassica's.


Personally, if the MC was cheap enough I would procure and use it. If growing early tatties as I mostly do, they aren't ususally affected by common scab as they are lifted before it has time to cause any damage.
If growing maincrops, just peel off the scab which is only on the surface anyway!

PS Just re-read your post. We aren't getting mixed up with MPC (multi purpose compost) and MC (mushroom compost) are we? If so they are completely different animals!

[Pickle]

No, we are talking mushroom compost Maybe I'll go ahead with it then and just grow earlies this year. Need to do something to improve the soil as it's either absolutely rock solid or stuck together in huge clump which only succeed in sticking to your fork/spade making digging incredibly difficult.

Thank you all again for your help