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Raised bed soil problem

MaireadCMaireadC Posts: 17
in Fruit & veg
I made 2 raised beds last year, filled them with organic compost, planted potatoes, carrots, parsnips, lettuce and peas. I got a great crop and was delighted. 
This year I moved the potatoes to the other box as I’d read about crop rotation. I’d broken my wrist so couldn’t really work the soil well, so I threw in a few bags of compost snd planted. My potatoes remained very small, never flowered, got black spots so I dug them up(still delicious). Carrots and beetroot never grew, only the garlic seems to be doing well.
I’ve noticed a light white mould on the side of the wood (would that affect the veg?) and the soil is like compost from old pots. Any advice if I want to sow more veg now? 

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  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    What sort of compost did you 'throw in there'?  Was it multipurpose compost, or soil improver.. or something else?  I garden in two raised beds, so most things are just swapped back and forth every other year.. but I do try to change the side of the bed from where it was two years prior.  This fall consider topping with grass clippings mixed with mowed up fall leaves.  It composts in the beds and keeps the soil happy for spring planting.  Dig it what remains, or just push it off to the side and plant through.  Fish, blood, and bone meal is great to add at planting time too.  
    Utah, USA.
  • MaireadCMaireadC Posts: 17
    That sounds like a good idea with the leaves and grass. I have also started my own composting with a new hotbin, so hopefully I'll have lots of good stuff to prepare it for next year. 
    The compost I put on it was an organic multi purpose compost, so maybe there wasn't enough goodness there.  
    Thanks for your advice. 
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