My Garden patch thats needs revitalizing

[veggiechicken]

Before you replant or give away the bluebells you should determine whether they are Spanish or native bluebells. Spanish ones are a threat to the native bluebell and should not be spread around.
How to tell the difference between a native bluebell and a Spanish bluebell | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust

[Tarragon2017]

so no veggies there then

[Jay-ell]

I think I have a patch on my plot that may be Spanish Bluebells - I thought I had got rid of them but must have missed a bit.

Might give bluebell glue a try - I remember watching a program on monastic physics gardens (medieval medicine chests) and the bluebells (although really poisonous) were in there to make the glue for the manuscripts and books.

[Tarragon2017]

Everything has a purpose it seems

[Kirk]

Don't worry too much about the soil, simply dig it a bit and add just about anything. I did that to a patch everything you can think of went in or on it. Mini chip bark, coir, compost - used stuff from containers is good, sand, grit, basically anything that didn't move fast enough went on. Now have nice easily digable soil, can easily dig down 15-18 inches with a hand trowel.

Just cut back an elder and shredded that, all the shredding from that have gone onto an area that needs the soil less compacted. It will compost/rot down. Presently the blackbirds and robins are searching through it for bugs and grubs. To them it is a restaurant.

[Tarragon2017]

Kirk I did notice a robin eating whatever I dug up

[Zelenina]

The best and easiest stuff to fill your containers with, for herbs and almost everything else, is ordinary multipurpose compost. You can buy it in bags at any garden shop or centre. The bigger the bag you buy the cheaper it works out. No need to mix it with anything. You can also put it on the garden patches you dig to improve the soil.

If your life is very busy as you said, you need to stop making things more complicated than they need to be. If you try to make your own mixes when you don't have a lot of growing experience, the next question will probably be - what's wrong with my plants?

[Tarragon2017]

Progressing nicely with the patch but will take me ages to remove the soil of peebles.

Have the day off work and currently taking a break as my back is starting to hurt

[damian1225]

some pebbles is ok to have, helps drainage.. a friend of mine spent months meticulously going through his soil with a sieve taking all stones and pebbles out and breaking up any clumps of earth as he went... the first heavey reain we had and his bed sank about 5" and then went rock hard lol

if there are lots then yes remove some but leave some in there, or just add compost to improve the exisiting soil to enable it to retain moisture etc, little and often or it becomes a chore and takes away the fun

[Tarragon2017]

I dont think I will be able to take it all away and besides I will only do it once so no doubt ill miss some , but I got rid 1.5 wheel barrows of stones thus far ,

back breaking work

all for damm carrots and if they dont grow I will be going back to containers

[vixylix]

Tarragon I'm not sure carrots are the best place to start - as has already been said carrots like free draining, sandy soils - any lumps or stones and they'll fork and you'll be disappointed.

Plus lots of people (especially me) find it hard to grow carrots even with the right conditions!

I'd stick to your carrots in containers and have a think about what else you could put in there. You really need to have an idea of how much sun it gets to be able to properly plan - some plants will require lots of sun, some will prefer a bit more shade - once you know that we'll be able to guide you a bit more.

Otherwise, as has been said, stick some potatoes in and they'll do half of the work for you!

[Bigmallly]

Me thinks Tarragon is a pesky wabbit.....................

[Nicos]

I know you are very keen , but try not to overdo things....it can be easy to injure yourself and then put yourself off gardening for ever

[Jay-ell]

I'd definitely stick the carrots elsewhere and plant spuds or brassicas. As I said earlier pebbly ground is not good for carrots, parsnips or other root veg. Spuds should do fine as they are not long taproots.

Take out the big stones - what size are the stones you are taking out. Are they the size of grit?

[Tarragon2017]

all sizes really , But I think I am going to grow a few carrots in a small patch that has very smooth soil which I have sieved , Ill measure up the small patch and hopefully I can test it and grow something , if not Ill stick to containers.I dont want to break my back doing it all and getting no results because of the shade. But it has given me some excerise and got me out of my wifes hair so no big loss there.