next years growing

[snout71]

after a fairly successful first year of growing veg i intend to continue next year, maybe adding a couple more raised flowerbeds.

The question i ask is what do i need to do with the soil?

have grown, swedes, sprouts, carrots, spring onions and dwarf french beans, with mixed results. and there are a few things i can improve upon like not planting so close together and netting over the sprouts and swedes, but must i add new soil/compost?

i used multi purpose compost

[Two_Sheds]

MPC isn't ideal for raised beds, it's quite fluffy and light. If this is a permanent bed, put some John Innes No.3 to beef it up (it's a mixture, not a make so you can make your own). Make as much garden compost as you can, chuck that in, and collect autumn leaves to make leafmold. Here are Monty Don's peat-free recipes.

Keep it weeded, get some autumn crops going, feed as necessary

[ginger ninger]

Dig in as much organic material as you can get ya hands on...this will help with your soil structure. Well rotted horse poo in great for this, it also contains lot's of worms which will help with drainage. Add a little sharp grit as well this is also good for drainage, mind you I have had some really funny shaped carrots from doing this.
I plant beans in my raised bed to start with, they take nitrogen out of the air around them and store it in little nodules on there roots...which in turn put's it into the soil. Mulch, its purpose is to reduce evaporation/run-off & inhibit weed growth. Mulches also moderate soil temperature, helping to warm soils in the spring and cool them in the summer.
Hope some of this helps .

[Plot06]

The soil will need building up, well rotted manure, also it may be worth adding some topsoil mixing both in well with the Multi purpose, what you are aiming for is a friable open texture so bulk and humus is needed . The fertiliser in the Multi purpose will now have been used up so look to add some balanced fertiliser, pelleted chicken manure is useful for this.

Now still plenty of things that can be grow this year, successional sowings of salads, turnips for late harvest. It's sowing time for spring cabbage so if you have space I'd get some of those in, Durham Early is a reliable grower. Onion sets for overwintering Radar is a good variety and garlic can be planted September time.

Remember what you have grown and where so you can maintain crop rotation above all enjoy what you do and what you grow

[Two_Sheds]

pelleted chicken manure is useful

it's high in nitrogen and on the alkaline side, so use it wisely

[snout71]

the swedes were lovely, had some for dinner yesterday, am enjoying it as are my two young daughters, i find them eating ALL their veg now

must remember to space the swedes a bit further apart

is it too late to plant more carrots?

[Creemteez]

No, get some Autumn King in as soon as possible. You can leave them in until you need them - like parsnips. Mind you, the old carrot fly will have begun to look for egg laying sites at this time of year, so make sure you cover them with very fine mesh (I use old net curtains) to stop the pesky critters.

[Alison]

the swedes were lovely, had some for dinner yesterday, am enjoying it as are my two young daughters, i find them eating ALL their veg now

must remember to space the swedes a bit further apart

is it too late to plant more carrots?

Blimey, swedes already! Mine are nowhere near ready and won't be pulled until about November

[deltz]

This year I raised my little soil area and put in multipurpose compost, soil conditioner and top soil all from BnQ, got to say tomatoes are looking fabulous! The soil conditioner is really dark and seems like it could be a decent soil improver.

[Florence Fennel]

You've done really well Snout, long may your success continue. Get some carrots in now.

[Plot06]

it's high in nitrogen and on the alkaline side, so use it wisely

Good for cabbages then

[solway cropper]

I tip I learned from one of the forums is to put a sprinkle of pelleted chicken manure in the planting hole as you pop in the seedling. I did this and am harvesting the best cabbage and caulies ever.